 On my plane ride over to Nice from Paris, I was reading my Rick Steve's guide book. There was a girl sitting at the window who asked to use the restroom. Upon returning, she stated she was from the Nice area. If I had any questions she could answer them. Of course, I had a ton. But, when I asked what was a city I must see she answered Antibes. As there are so many cities along the French Riviera I had to narrow my list down. I was only going to do 4 days in Nice. I decided on Villefranche-sur-Mer, Antibes(because of that nice girl's recommendation), and Monaco as my daily excursions. You can just click on those names and check out my experience in those towns. Antibes has both Greek and Roman origins. But, the town did not really settle until it came under French rule in the 15th century. One of the reasons this town became popular(besides stunning beaches) was due to Pablo Picasso. He came to Antibes in 1946 and stayed at the Chateau Grimaldi. Which is now a museum dedicated to some of the works he left behind. You can also do all the water activities of your dreams. Just keep in mind it will be a bit pricey. To get to Antibes from Nice you will have to take a train. It is about a 30-minute train ride away. If you have any questions on how to book your ticket, there is an office inside the train station. They speak English and are very helpful. I was going to buy a more expensive ticket on the kiosk. I was trying to be independent. But, the kiosk only accepted credit cards. I choose not to bring mine on this day trip. Therefore, I had to go to the office. It all worked out because it saved me money. Once I arrived it was about a 13-minute walk to the city center. My first stop was to the outdoor food market(Marche Provencal). It opens at 7:30 am and closes at 1 pm. Except for Mondays. They are closed Mondays. Do of course check online prior to going to make sure nothing has changed. I arrived at 10 am, so I rushed over there. I thought it would be bigger, but the whole experience only took a few minutes.   They had all the fresh selections of vegetables, fruits, and spices. It was not a huge market, but I did walk around twice to take in all the little things. At the end of the market was a vendor selling Socca. Socca is a local snack that I was told I must try(by the nice local girl from the plane ride). It was made from chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and salt. It was then cooked in a pizza oven. The cost was only 2.50 euros. I personally did not care for it. I will not waste food. So I nibbled on it for hours. Lol The best thing about visiting any new town is to wander around the neighborhood. There are such cute houses and streets in Antibes. By 10:30 am the streets were still pretty empty. So if you are seeking some pictures, you will still be able to accomplish this without a sunrise mission. I did not feel like Antibes was ever overcrowded.
As with most other cities, there were plenty of small shops to visit. Have your pick of gelato and restaurants. I choose to eat at a restaurant a few blocks away from the hustle and bustle of the city center. I did not care for the meal so I will not include the restaurant name. I hope you have better luck if you decided to eat in Antibes.
Now would be a good time to head to one of the beaches. If you are looking for a sandy beach (as opposed to the pebble beach in Nice), then head on over to Plage de la Gravette. It is only about a 3-minute walk from the market. If you are up from a bit more walking, then about 20 minutes away is Plage de la Salis. It is a nice sandy beach as well. Hopefully, you stocked up on snacks from the market. Lounging at the beach would be a nice way to spend the afternoon. There are plenty of other options if you do not want to stay at the beach. You can visit Marineland, Aquasplash, as well as museums and water sports. You can make it as lazy or adventurous as you like. You cannot really go wrong with a picturesque little town. So take your time. If you have any questions, then please let me know. There are more pictures and videos on my Instagram if you would like to see my day in action. Have a wonderful day!
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 When you hear French Riviera what comes to mind? Well for me it was opulence, grandeur, and summering there. I thought it was for the uber-rich. Which certain parts are definitely millionaire club only. But, staying in Nice at the height of summer was not as expensive as I thought. It can definitely be done on a budget. Take a look at my blog Solo In The South Of France for some of my tips if you are not a millionaire. There are so many cities that encompass the French Riviera. You could take day trips for days. I decided to head to Villefranche-sur-Mer for my first excursion from Nice. It was only a 15-minute bus ride from Nice. A very quick bus ride to another beautiful town. If you follow my eating suggestions from my Nice blog, then you will not have to spend much of anything while there. I spent my morning as I did daily while in Nice at the beach. I started my mornings with a warm quiche and blue waves. I couldn't pass up this routine. So it was early afternoon when I decided to venture over to Villefranche-sur-Mer. I thought I might be too late and the place would be packed. To my surprise/delight, it was pretty much empty. I could not believe it was not a zoo already. In the middle of peak summertime. Villefranche-sur-Mer is a sleepy little town that got its start in the 14th century. The population has not changed much over the last 30 years. Which has hovered around 6-8 thousand people. Perhaps that is why all the streets are practically empty. Or everyone was just at the beach. I’d love to know what a typical day is for the locals of Villefranche-sur-Mer.
It definitely worked out in my favor. I was able to stroll around and get some great photos all by myself. I suggest heading to Le Glacier 16 for some gelato, where two scoops is just 3.50 euros. The cheapest I had seen. From there start wandering around all the colorful streets. So many little gems to be discovered.
Once you have seen all the pretty streets head down toward the Fort Du Mont Alban. As you walk around the edge of the fort you get to take in the picturesque seaside. You can find a peaceful spot to take in the view here. There was a tiny strip of land and I saw two girls wading in the water there. So if you want a more local flair to swim, I'd suggest heading toward this area. If you want to be where everyone else is swimming head over to the beach. If you are not a fan of pebble beaches, then you are in luck. Tons of sand to go around at both Plage des Marinieres Beach, and Plage de L'ange Gardien (Guardian Angel's Beach). The beaches are free and open to the public. If you want a full beach day, then I would advise going first thing in the morning. Especially if you want to fit in Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. To me, this was a must-see. More on that later.
Back to the fort area. Once over there you will see a little garden space. I found it absolutely beautiful. It also gave me a reprieve from the heat. There is a nice shaded bench area at the top of the stairs. There is also a shaded park just up the street. I then wandered up to the top of Fort Du Mont Alban, where you can catch some locals playing Petanque. It was a very fascinating game. I had never heard of this game before. I wish I could have got in on the action. I thought it might be weird just to plop down and watch. Especially since it was a bunch of older gentlemen. So instead I just slowly walked by, which probably was just as weird. Lol.  From there I took a bus to Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. Which is about a 15-minute bus ride away. Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is a huge estate on overlooking Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. It was built for Beatrice Rothschild and took seven years to build. It has eight themed gardens. French, Spanish, Florentine, Lapidary, Japanese, Exotic, Rose, and Provencal gardens. These gardens have been restored since there original concept.  I had read about the beautiful gardens. But, it was larger and more breathtaking than I could have imagined. The gardens did not disappoint. They all flow together so beautifully. It was perfect timing that I went in the late afternoon. It was pretty peaceful strolling along. Plus, there is a musical fountain right as you enter the gardens. It gives a great ambiance to the already alluring gardens. If you're feeling peckish there is a restaurant on the property. The Tea Room offers a variety of food and drinks, but it can add up pretty quickly. Keep in mind it closes when the villa closes. The opening and closing of the Villa changes with the seasons. So be sure to check out the times prior to your trip. It usually closes at 6 pm besides the months of July and August. It closes at 7 pm for those months. So plan accordingly. It is a 15 euro cost to enjoy both the villa and gardens. The price also includes an audio guide. I stayed to closing which afforded amazing sunset glows. If you are also wanting pictures by yourself, then near this time is perfect. I tried to get a stranger to take some good shots, so I didn't have to bust out the tripod. Unfortunately, that was a huge fail. Sometimes you win some and sometimes it just sucks. By this time they were trying to kick us out, because there was a wedding they were setting up. Sadly, I missed out on a few photo opportunities at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. I hope you have better luck. It was still a great highlight of my journey to Villefranche-sur-Mer. Now it was time to head back to Nice. I choose to save my hunger for a delightful meal on the Plaza Massena. It's such a wonderful way to spend the night. I had a craving for clams as I had seen people eating them the previous night. I choose the restaurant Acqua e Farina. It was pretty reasonably priced and it offered what I wanted. I got the Linguine alle vongole. It was light and refreshing pasta. It cost 17 euros. The servers looked like they did not want to be there, but food still came out timely. I will still recommend this place. You get to sit outside on one of the cozy alley streets and people watch to your heart’s desire. I actually do not believe there is a wrong restaurant here in Nice. Everywhere I tried was amazing. If you had a bad experience let me.  I absolutely loved my time in Villefranche-sur-Mer. It's such a bewitching little town. I adored that it was so peaceful. It is quite marvelous when you can take everything in without the hustle and bustle of huge crowds. Be at your own pace. My favorite thing about solo travel. I wish I could enjoy all the cities I travel to just like that.
If you have any questions about my time in Villefranche-sur-Mer, then please let me know. If you want to see videos and more highlights head over to my Instagram. I do hope you enjoyed this post. Leave a comment with any concerns or feedback. Have a wonderful day.  Early Mornings In Nice-Baie des Anges I am sure you have heard of summering in the south of France. Well if you have not it’s a thing Well when I was considering what to do with the end of my summer, this saying popped into my head. That little seed sprouted to include Paris and Hungary into my end of summer itinerary. I did not know what to expect upon arriving in Nice. But, spoiler alert. I loved every minute of it. Let me break it down for you. With any journey, where you stay makes a huge difference. I am all about saving where I can. I’m not opposed to hostels, but I wanted my own space for this adventure. I could not find an Airbnb that spoke to me. So my go-to is to check out Hotels.com. I like how it gives you a free night stay after 10 stays. I was able to use a free stay while in Nice so that really helped.
I decided to go to Hotel Oasis. It was in my price range and not far from the city center. Nothing is really far in Nice. It is very small. From Hotel Oasis to the beach was 20 minutes. Not bad. Any closer and it would be hundreds of dollars a night. I’ll pass. I have no problem walking. Once I am all settled, I usually head to the grocery store. I stock up on water and snacks.
The hotel is also a 9-minute walk away from my favorite grocery store. The SPAR Supermarché. The walk is on the way to the beach. I stopped here every morning. Their quiches are to die for. So yummy. They are fresh every day as well as pastries and hot food like chicken and potatoes. I paid 2.50 euros for a pretty decent sized quiche. It was so filling, that I only ate half and saved the rest for a snack later. This method of eating breakfast/lunch from the supermarket allowed me to splurge for dinner every night. Keep in mind the fruit prices are astronomical! One plum cost over a euro. A bunch of grapes was 5 euros. It was a tiny bunch too. I couldn’t resist the plum but decided to pass on everything else. It looks pretty, but I cannot give all my money to one piece of fruit!
After picking up the goods from the supermarket, you are steps away from where all the magic happens. There are so many streets packed with the cutest outdoor restaurants. I would love to eat at them all. I recommend if you have the funds to definitely do this. One of the biggest highlights from my time in Nice was eating Al fresco and people watching. I wandered around the cute streets for a couple of hours. There are cute boutiques and clothing stores. I had to stop into one clothing store because they were having a sale. Although, my suitcase was bursting at the seems I still decided on one more dress. Lol, I was quite happy with my find. I cannot pass up a good deal. To prevent myself from spending any more money on clothes I had nowhere for them to go, I decided to head toward the beach. As I am crossing the street to get to the beach I notice a Casino. Now. I live in Las Vegas. The land of amazing out of this world lavish casinos. I just had to see the inside of a French Riviera casino. I thought their casino would give Las Vegas a run of their money. Sadly, it was a total let down. They do a great job with the facade on the outside, but the inside could take a queue from Vegas. It was so tiny inside. So much so that I went back to the front desk to ask if there was more upstairs. Nope. Just one tiny room. Now. Maybe I am a little biased because I do live in Las Vegas. It is hard to top what they have done, but with all the money they pull in they could at least try. My tip is to take a walk around and leave. That was my original thought, but then I decided since I was there let me try my luck. Do not be like me. Just leave. I sat down at an automated blackjack table and played what I thought was one euro. It actually was 20 euros because it was on max bet and I didn’t see it was clicked. I planned on playing 20 times! I then immediately left. I could have used that money on a fancy meal. Save your money!  Baie des Anges Alright! The Baie des Anges. Translated to bay of angles. They are not kidding. This beach is stunning! It is such a pretty sight. I just loved all the umbrellas lined up. Keep in mind this is a pebble beach and it was a thousand degrees outside. Make sure you have some change to go to the restroom as well. It will cost you a euro. If you want to go to one of the beach clubs and get an umbrella and chairs it will start at 25 euros. If you want front row you will need to get there first thing in the morning. If you want a free alternative head along the Promenade des Anglais. There are covered benches every mile or so.  Benches along the Promenade des Anglais After spending the day at the beach it was time to refuel and pick one of these amazing restaurants. I head toward the Place Massena and decided on Campo Di Fiori for dinner. They had a set menu that was pretty reasonable. It was a very light and refreshing meal. Once I finished dinner I strolled along the outdoor markets. It was a beautiful walk back to my hotel. I never once felt unsafe on my way back at night.  Place Massena There is so much more to the French Riviera than Nice. Over the next few days, I went to Villefranche-sur-Mer, Antibes, and Monaco. I will get to each of those in a separate post. You would be reading for days if I put them all in this post.
I did start all my days at the beach and ended the night strolling along the Place Massena. My last highlight from my time in Nice was Castle Hill. Castle Hill lends an incredible view of Nice and the Baie Des Anges. I decided to take the walking path up to the top. Be prepared for some heavy breathing! There is an elevator, but that comes at a cost. If you recall from earlier I like to save when I can. Plus, this was a free workout. If you’re lucky you can catch a Zumba class at the top. Aim to get to Castle Hill right before sunset. It gets pretty lively by then. Wander around. There are so many little gems around. If you are up for more shopping there is a Galeries Lafayette to shop to you drop. Well, that is it for my short time in Nice. I loved it so much that I would love to come back every year. It was really easy to get around and to the other towns. I felt completely safe solo and wandering around. I loved how everyone dressed nice and really just enjoyed strolling along everywhere. If you go I would recommend bringing all the nice sundresses you have. Everyone looked incredible. I would also suggest bringing an umbrella for shade as you stroll along. I feel like I got a few stares, but I don’t care. It was far too hot! Look all you like. I will be the one, not roasting/suffering. I just enjoyed the whole vibe. I will provide a post with all my dinner and cafe selections. Be on the lookout for that shortly. If you have any questions about my time in Nice do let me know. If you wanted to see more pictures, videos, and behind the scenes, then head over to my Instagram. I hope you enjoy your time in Nice. Have a wonderful day!  I have done many solo trips. But, Paris was very overwhelming to think of doing it solo. It's just so big and spread out. My other solo travels have had a smaller footprint. Less daunting. I didn't know where to start, or what to see really. I've been traveling for over six years overseas and never gave Paris much of a thought. But, every time I tell someone about my travels they always ask if I've been to Paris or London. It's like those are the only two places that matter. Somehow I've never been to either. They have just eluded me all this time. But, when I got asked recently this same question I thought it was time to cross one off the list. So where to start? You need to figure out what is most important to you to see. So you can have a home base(hotel/hostel/Airbnb). From there you can really plan your days. I choose the Louvre as the most important thing I wanted to see. So I started looking for hotels near that location. Paris is split up into arrondissement. Which are basically sections of the city. So be sure to check out what landmarks are where. Like I said it's pretty spread out.  I went with the Hotel Opéra Maintenon. It was within 10 minutes walking distance from the metro. Which is idle. I took the metro from the airport to my hotel. It is the cheapest option. But, there is always Uber or shuttles if you are willing to pay a bit more for direct access to your hotel. I am all about saving where you can because Paris is not a cheap city. Hotel Opéra Maintenon was nice and quiet. It was small, but most places are in Paris. As it was just me it suited my needs. I choose a hotel because it was cheaper than an Airbnb(the cleaning fees really add up), and I wanted my own space to throw my clothes around. So no hostel this time. Look at all your options. Hotels can end up being cheaper, and provide great amenities. As well as security. If you do choose to stay there. Do check out Higuma. It is a Japanese restaurant right on the corner. It is very reasonably priced, fresh, and super good. I had Yakisoba Set and it only cost eleven euros.
Also, there is a grocery store about 5 mins away. They have fresh croissants and pastries for less than a US dollar. Fresh produce and two-liter water bottles for 40 cents. I loved the convenience of this location. Now that I had my location I narrowed down my itinerary. I will continue in day formats. This is of course what I did. Depending on what time of day you arrive this first day may not work. Feel free to move this around. Day 1  My hotel was only eleven minutes away from the Palais Garnier. It looks stunningly beautiful so if you have the time. I suggest starting there. Next head to the Galeries Lafayette. It was a 5-minute walk from the Opera house. The ceilings alone are enough to go. It's pretty spectacular! But, of course, it's a mall. Shop to your heart's content if you like. My bag was beyond stuff so no shopping for me. If you want a reasonably priced meal there is a cafe called Lafayette Cafe on the 6th floor. It is a cafeteria-style, where there are many options. There was also a great view of Paris. Or just grab a snack. Do not miss the rooftop. It's a must. Aim to be there for sunset. There was also another restaurant up there. Pricier but could be worth it. After that end the day with a stroll to the Louvre and enjoy the Jardin des Tuileries.
Day 2 
Start the day with Palais royal. It opens at 8 am. Be there first thing to have the place all to yourself. After some quick shots, you should head over to the Louvre. It opens at 9 am, but you want to be ahead of the crowd. There will be a line. So the earlier the better. I've read that it is less busy to do at night. So if you have time to switch things up do it. The Louvre is massive and hard to see everything in one go. Hit what are your highlights and make your way next to Montmartre.   I recommend spending the whole afternoon in Montmartre. There was tons of stuff to see and do. The main highlight here is the Sacre Coeur. It is a zoo in the middle of the day. So many people. Make sure you bring plenty of water too. The vendors will try and gouge you anywhere near the church. I ran out and paid 5€ for a bottle! Ridiculous. The famous sinking house effect is to your right if you're facing forward looking at the church. If you want this moment without people I recommend making this a sunrise mission. After the church walk around to Place Du Tertre. Mill around the streets. Take in all the art and hopefully street music too. Tons of little shops and boutiques. Which I ultimately got sucked into buying a dress from one lol There are many restaurants so take your pick. Don't get too full because you will be taking in a show. The Moulin Rouge. I love theater and I loved this movie. I could not come to Paris and not see where it all began. It can be a little pricey ranging from 186 to 230 euros for the dinner show. If you do not want to do the dinner part there are other options. But, it was sooo worth it! I got the Mistinguett Evening package and that was worth every penny. The food was amazing. So flavorful. I'm not a big champagne person. But, I did love every drop of the Duval Leroy that came with the meal. 
I got the 6:45 pm ticket, but the show didn't actually start till 9 pm. Which we did not get out until almost 11 pm. So you are getting out pretty late. I do recommend walking back to the hotel. It was a wonderful stroll. All the streets were empty. It was so peaceful seeing Paris at night. Day 3  Start the day with yet another Museum. It was worth getting up and being early to Musee D’orsay. There was a line of maybe 100 plus people when I arrived around 9:15 am. So if you would like the iconic clock photo I recommend getting there by at least 30 minutes before it opens. The museum opens at 9:30 am every day except Monday when it is closed. Once I got in I raced to the top floor and was the first one there. You cannot use a tripod in the museum. Which really sucked as I was almost set up before a guard came and shut me down. Ugh...It did not take long before everyone was streaming in for the same photo. I grabbed the first person I saw and got the shot I wanted. So glad it came out good. Phew... Side note: Certain museums are free every first Sunday of the month. If you are heading to Paris around that time check out which museums are offered that you want to see. The major museums are included. Just google to be sure.  I spent about three and a half hours at the museum. I love museums and could have stayed longer as there is so much to see. But, my feet were killing me and I was starving. So what did I do? Walked some more. Lol. I am all about saving when I can. I decided I wanted to see the Jardin du Luxembourg for the afternoon. It is about a 24 min walk. But, the way was so scenic it went by fast. I also stopped and had lunch at a cafe. I advise to do the same or take a picnic in the garden. The place is vast and you can find places to have to yourself. I will surely do this next time. The food was not great so I will not give the name of the cafe. But, I actually met a local lady that had lived there her whole life. She was 75. She was curious about what I was doing alone. She insisted after lunch she show me around a bit. She said I could not miss Saint-Germain-des-Pres. She was right. The ceiling alone is enough to add it to your list. They are doing renovations at the moment. It was really cool to see the before and after. So check it out if you can.    Now back to the Luxembourg Garden. All the green was just magical to see. My favorite thing about people who live outside of the United States is there priority to get outside and live. They do not work their life away. They take the time to just relax and enjoy the day. That is exactly what you are gonna see here. Once you get to the Luxembourg Palace, you will see families sailing model sailboats on the fountain. It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon. Pull up a chair and stay awhile. After a nice relaxing afternoon head over to the Catacombs. I again walked which is about 18 mins away. You can take a metro if you like. It will get you there in 8 mins. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Book your ticket in advance! Without an advance ticket, you will be waiting for over an hour. I actually waited an hour and a half. It was blazing hot too. You have been warned. I decided to go without a guide. I just wanted to experience it in my own time frame. It can take about an hour to get through. It is quite fascinating to see.  Next up...the Eiffel Tower! Finally right. I recommend taking the metro or Uber. You can walk, but it will take you about an hour. Although, the Eiffel Tower is just as beautiful in the day, the night is the best to see her in my opinion. You get both worlds if you plan accordingly. Again, book your tickets online way in advance if you wish to go up. From here you can enjoy the Champs de Mars, Champs-Élysées, and Trocadero.
Day 4  It is all about the Palace of Versailles. Mistake 3,002. I did not buy my ticket ahead of time. I actually tried to buy it the night before. The first time slot was available. But, I fell asleep in the midst of booking it! How you say? I’m with ya. I have no idea!!! I will say that it was extremely hot outside and I was clocking 25-30 thousand steps a day. I was tired. This whole blog is dedicated to what not to do lol When I woke up the 9 am timed slot was taken. Ugh...I did book a regular ticket. Keep in mind that the Palace is closed on Mondays. I arrived at about 9:30 am. It opens at 9 am. The line was horrendous! It took an hour and forty-five minutes to get inside. So please buy your tickets online. If you buy on-site, then you’ll be waiting in two lines forever. That is just crazy. 
 I am not sure how long you usually take a museum, but this place was gigantic! I was there from open to close. I know...kind of crazy. I did not realize it was so late till I saw the sun starting to go down. You just don’t realize how fast time goes here. The only real rest I took was to have lunch. I decided on the restaurant part of Angelina inside the Palace. There are restaurants in the garden as well. My feet were dying so I took the first place available. Angelina has a cafe side as well. Just sandwiches and salads. So if you want something quick. Perhaps not to spend all day here. Before leaving I suggest you make your way to the Queen’s Hamlet. You will get to see a bit of the English countryside. There are also super cute animals roaming around. 
 This is merely a guide of what I would prefer as a start to Paris. There is no way to see everything. It is just way too big and far too much going on. There are many things I did not get to accomplish. Some things that were not in this guide I am sure you would prefer more. Paris is timeless and you can go again and again. My best advice if you are going only once is to know what really speaks to your heart. Then divide it into arrondissements and choose a home base. I enjoyed all the little moments in Paris. I hope you do as well. Just know that going solo is just as magical as any other way. Of course, if you have a question do let me know. If you would like more glimpses at my time in Paris, check out my highlights on Instagram. Have a wonderful day!
 Alight guys! If you do not read anything else from this list it needs to be this one point. Bring Pesos With You!!! ~ Go to your bank at least a week before your trip and request pesos. Or go to a money exchange in the airport prior to departing for Tulum. However you can get some pesos and do it beforehand. There are no atms in the terminal when you arrive. This was our mistake. I usually just take money out at my destination so I can have their currency without going to a money exchange site. This method has never failed me until I arrived in Tulum. It is not a big terminal so we circled around and then were told there was one at the other terminal that was around the corner. Which when we went outside we didn’t know we wouldn’t be allowed back into the current terminal. Which is where our bus was located. They did allow us back in thank goodness. We went to the other terminal to find the only atm was broken. Whaaaat!?! We were again told there was another atm at another terminal. This one we had to wait for a bus to take us there. We waited about 20 mins and finally a bus shows. We hop on and of course the terminal we need is the last stop! Hence the long bus wait…. We finally arrive at the terminal and praise the Lord this atm worked. We made a mad dash back to the bus loading area. We didn’t want to miss that bus. Phew we made it! But, of course we missed the bus we wanted to Tulum because it was an hour of running around trying to find a freaking atm. We did not arrive to our hotel until 9:30pm. Keep in mind that Tulum is about a two hour bus ride away from the Cancun Airport. You also have to stop and change buses in Playa del Carmen. We were only in Tulum for four days. So we opted out of getting a rental. Everything is walkable or the taxis are really cheap. We had no problem getting around the city. If you want to of course not spend two hours on a bus and get out of the city then by all means do rent a car. We just figured that the car insurance alone would be ridiculous. So it was a no for us and we did just fine. Visit The Tulum Ruins  How can you not? I mean if there are ruins anywhere in your location you need to go. It is a cool experience to see what people created centuries ago. Plus, it is overlooks the ocean. You can make your way down and stick your toes in the sand. You will definitely want to, because it is super hot. Of course with many touristy locations I would recommend going early to beat the masses. But, it is possible to get shots without people in the afternoon as well. We failed to get up early and arrived around 1pm. Which is super late to me. The key is patience or find an angle. The best thing about this park is how spread out it is. So although there maybe a lot of people, they are not all on top of you. Take in all the views.
After lunch we went to the lounge chairs in front of the restaurant, and the service continued there which was great. Then it was time for the magic. Make sure to stay past when the sun has gone down. The sky continues to show off.
Eat Food Of Course ~ Mainly ceviche. Love Love Love the stuff. So here are my two recommendations for ceviche only. I cannot be liable for the other items on the menu. I come for the chevice only lol 1. Head to Kahlua Restuarant. It is a bar and they have live entertainment at night. It wasn’t super crazy in there. But, their ceviche! So so good. They have different size portions too. I went for the largest because why not?! Very pretty presentations too. 2. Next up is Charlie’s Restaurant. It is right next to the bus station. Again with the huge portions. I was stuffed leaving this place. But, it is so fresh and tasty. Man, I need to go back just thinking about it… Lastly, I have to add a taco place. Because who goes to Mexico and doesn’t eat a taco?! Well this little hole in the wall takes all the cakes. We found it on our first night exploring around and continued to eat there everyday. So yummy. It also doesn’t hurt that it was super cheap too. It is called Taqueria El Carboncito. Think of this as a scavenger hunt. You MUST find this place. Then let me know your thoughts when you do.
Drink all the Mojitos ~ Mojitos and pina colodas have my heart. But, these mojitos in Mexico are everything. We saw a 2 for 1 sign while walking around and definitely couldn’t resist. But, seriously these mojitos were like liquid crack! Did I mention they were 2 for 1! Y’all they were 60 pesos each. That’s only $3.16 US dollars for two! Best happy hour ever!!!!! Needless to say I had a zillion of them. It start to rain and that gave all the more excuse to have more. This all happens at a Thai food restaurant of all places. It is simply called Thai Food & Coffee. The food isn’t that bad either. I decided to go vegan that night. Since we were hitting the tacos hard everyday. So I had the Tom Kha without meat.
Alright! I have to throw an honorable mention into the list. You’ve probably heard of Pablo Escobar’s Mansion in Tulum. Well when I seen the curtains made out of wedding dress I had to go. It is actually a hotel now. So you can stay and live it up. Or you know...get your pictures and leave. Whatever makes you happy lol. Just note that they will not let you take pictures with a professional camera. You can only use your cellphone.
Of course there are plenty of things to see and do in Tulum. These are my picks. Some places/information you may not of heard of till now. I’d love to know your top 5 of Tulum. Leave a comment. And of course if you have a question just let me know :-) If you would like to check out more pictures from my time in Tulum head on over to Instagram.
I was informed that the Mosque of Córdoba was free from 8:30-9:30 am. Honestly the Mosque of Córdoba was my whole reason for coming. I had seen pictures and just loved the architecture. I also secretly hoped that no one else knew about this free time allotment. Of course they did!  It still wasn’t as bad as it could of been. I was able to get some shoots before the security guard wouldn’t let me be great again. What’s the deal Spain?! Can someone please explain to me the rule against tripods. It’s killing my solo adventures! Luckily, this time I was able to get the shot before being shut down.
  I probably could have used an hour and half. I was not ready to go at an hour. I just really wanted to linger longer to take it all in more. It was definitely worth the visit. I went back to the hostel because breakfast was also free until 11am. I got to talking to the guy at the desk again. I wanted to know about the famous patios. I had walked by some but everything was closed and they required payment. I wanted to know was that the only place for the patios. He informed me that just around the corner there were some free patios. Say what!? There was also a free medieval festival starting that day. Talk about good luck! The festival only happens once a year and today was the beginning. Seriously!? As if I wasn’t already winning, my new friend came down and wanted to join me before he had to set off a little later. This is what I love about solo traveling. You get to meet amazing people along the way. Ethan was one of the highlights of the day. He also played great subsitute instagram husband lol. Which definitly makes the process quicker. Although, these next five pics I took.
 Alright! Ethan for the win with these next set of pictures.
Sadly, Ethan had to leave to catch his train for his next location. So I headed to the medieval festival. It was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. The first thing I encounter is a huge grill with all kinds of meats being cooked. Sold!
 There was a bit of a communication barrier, but I was told it would be $5 euros a plate. Sounded great. Then how was my bill $33 euro!?!? I got a cup of sangria, a plate of steak, fries, and a couple of chilies. I tried to ask why was it so high and he pointed to the cup of sangria and my plate. That’s ridiculous! I pretty much got got. I’m sure I was the only person paying that price. They can get you because there is no sign with prices. I was pissed. When I passed other stalls they had prices costing 50% less. Ugh...moral of the story is walk around first and check your options smh. I usually do, but they got me with the presentation. Sigh…
 It was a lovely day. I strolled around the festival for about an hour. I then decided to go to Casa de Sefarad. Which is a small museum focusing on Jewish history in Cordoba. But, along the way I found hidden gems all over the place. It’s amazing what you can find just wandering those little streets. Again my favorite part about this city. I basically spent the rest of the day wandering around the streets and taking pictures.
Now it could not have ended all peachy. When I got back I decided to book my train for the morning. I am not a plan ahead kind of person. Usually it all works out, but not today. The train I needed was sold out. The very next one would have cost $88 euro one way. What the!??!?! The third train would have really been pushing it to make it on time for my flight. So it wasn’t really an option. Good Lord I didn’t want to pay almost $100 dollars. I kept refreshing and the first train popped in again at $48 euro. Yes! I try and book it and a box came up in Spanish. I had put the website in English, but that didn’t apply to the pop up. So I went downstairs to see if the staff could help me. Basically, the train was still sold out. I don’t know why it let’s you pick it then. Super annoying. They saw the next price and thought it was a ridiculous amount too. So they looked up a bus. I could leave at 1am and arrive at 6am for $20 euros. They thought this was the best option. They said I would be safe and helped me book it and ordered me a taxi for 12:30am. Guys I cannot thank the staff at Mayflowers Hostel enough. They were so helpful and kind my entire stay. I highly recommend you stay if you are passing through. I may have gotten off at the wrong stop, but quickly was able to fix that error. I had about 4 hours to kill before my flight, but it was totally worth the amount spent. Cordoba is now one of my favorite cities. I loved the peace and easy going nature of the city. The endless orange trees added a special touch as well. If you are ever near by you have to add this city to your list. Now the true test. Can I get to my new location without google maps directing me? For some reason the gps was not doing the step by step guide(i.e. audibly telling me to turn here then here). It was doing it fine the past few days, but today I had to follow the blue dot. Have I mentioned that I am directionally challenged? So without being told where to go I know that I am already set up for failure. That is exactly what happened. Sigh… I was doing good following the dot until I got to where I thought I was supposed to be. I arrived at a bus station, but it did not have the number that I needed. But, this is where the dot is telling me to be! &#$*#&$!*&$#!!!! I look around for a kind soul to see if they can direct me. I asked this one lady and she was trying to send me back to where I came from 10 minutes ago. So I went to the nearest building. It seems like no one knows their city. He also sent me in the wrong direction. As I was going in the wrong direction I see the bus that I needed. It was on the opposite side of the street that I original stopped. Man! I had looked over there too, but couldn't see the signs. So I missed that bus. Luckily, there was another one within 10 minutes. This time it was a bit easier. Pay 1.40 euro to get off in two stops. Can’t mess that up. But, upon exiting bus the challenge with the dot happened again. This is the time I wish someone else was with me. Usually they are more capable of knowing their north from south smh… With a lot of turning around and guessing the direction I finally ended up at the train station. Sweet! Unfortunately, with missing the original bus it made me miss the first train. I go to the ticket counter and show my phone and point to my location. He wasn’t to happy that I did not know spanish. I get it. I really want to learn. But, until that happens sign language and looking up through google how to say key words will have to surfice. Well everything was going great. Got on the train and off we went. I text my husband how I made it with little incident. Oh the foreshadowing! It is a little hard to explain how it all went wrong. So when I showed the ticket guy where I was going it showed Marid something something at the top. Which now of course I know is the direction the train was going. But, my ultimate location was Cordoba. That is how the ticket should have been booked. Instead it was booked for that Madrid location. The first stop was Cordoba. But, for some reason in my head I thought the next stop would be closer to my hotel. What I didn’t realise is that Madrid something something was the actually city. Two and half hours away! How I switched this in my mind will forever make me anger. Not only did I ride all the way to Madrid, I had to buy another expensive ticket to get me back to Cordoba. I realize in the end it was my fault, but I thought they would be willing to help me out. Nope! The customer service did not want to hear it. They said the ticket was already used and that was that. But, there was no other way. Of course it was used. There was no other stop. I had to ride the train the whole way. I know I am just used to customer service in the states. They would have fixed it. I wasn’t trying to get over on them. They could clearly see I just arrived. It’s not like I went out for the day in Madrid then came back with this story. Nevertheless, it’s all on me in the end. I think if the ticket would have said Cordoba I would not have hesitated. It was a very expensive lesson to learn. Sigh… I left that morning at around 9:30 am. I did not get out of the train station until 6pm. Pure madness. And of course it was raining. Way to set the mood. Since I am real last minute with booking accommodations I choose to stay at a hostel. It was the cheapest deal that was close to all the attractions. I also hoped that it wouldn’t be that busy for January. To my heart's desire I had the room to myself. Yes! As I was checking in the guy at the desk informed me that Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos was open until 8:30pm. It just so happened that today was the free night. I am always down for free! Plus, I thought with the rain no one would be there. Great for pictures ;-) It was approaching 7 pm. So I threw my stuff in the room, took out my umbrella(I always travel with a small umbrella-you never know), and made my way.
Even though it was raining it was a very lovely walk. There was hardly any people out and about. It made the city very enchanting. This was probably my favorite part of the trip. I don’t usually get to stroll around streets at night for fear of you know being kidnapped/murdered/raped/robbed. But, I felt completely safe. I was able to take my time and really set up my shots. There was probably a total of 10 people milling around. I would say I wish it wasn’t raining, but it added so much drama. I loved it.
Since it was so peaceful out I decided to walk all around the town. Taking in all the major highlights. So although I had a huge blemish on the whole day, the rain was actually the best part of my day. Through the rain I was given an amazing opportunity. Another blessing popped up as well. When I finally made my way back to the hostel I ended up chatting with a fellow traveler that was in the lobby. We ended up talking for over an hour. It was a great way to end the night. In the end my day wasn’t completely ruined. My hope for tomorrow was that the city would keep enchanting me. Fingers crossed. My body was in weird place and not wanting to sleep. Nonetheless, I had to get up and try and get these shots. But, why Seville? Why does your sun rise so late. Ugh...usually I can get out by 6:30 am and have all the city to myself. I can take shot after shot with no cares. Not today. I left my apartment at 8 am and it was still pitch dark. I walked to my location and just sat and waited for the sun to creep on up. But, by this time all the locals are out and about. Everyone is up! Which definitely makes shooting harder. Trying to hurry and get the shot before someone jumped in or could steal my camera was super nerve racking. But, mission was accomplished. Oh yea!
Now to head back over to Plaza de España to obtain those shots I’d scoped out yesterday.
Everything was going great until my last shot here. I had take off my gloves and coat(it was in the 40s in the morning) to get these pictures. On the last one I put my stuff behind the column. When I got up I drop my gloves and did not notice. I went to another part of the plaza to look at the last pictures I took to make sure they came out good. I would have done it there, but I was becoming a tourist attraction. People were so fascinated that I was taking my own pictures with a tripod. They had to stop and stare. They had to take it all in. Well I had to bounce. It was getting old. But, as I put all my stuff away I realized that my gloves were nowhere to be found. So I hurry back to where I was and nothing! I wasn’t even gone for 5 mins! I knew it was the gypsies that were selling stuff that stole them. Grr...I am gonna say that they needed it more than I did. Insert side eye. I was so annoyed. Plus my hands were freezing! Oh well...on to the next I guess. I was on my way to check out the city of Triana that was right across the river. Then I spotted this serene little garden area.
Alright! It was now time to cross the river. Triana is considered the old quarter of Seville where the gypsy's used to reside.
By this time I was starving and I set out to find some breakfast. I ended up at a cute little cafe. Blogger fail-I took a picture of the coffee cup as a reminder of the name of the cafe. It turns out that was the name of the actual coffee. Facepalm. Smh...I am sure you can go to the numerous cafes and be just fine. The cafe I was at had a pink interior and offered crepes. Think of this as a scavenger hunt lol. The ham and cheese croissant was pretty tasty. I then headed to the Mercado de Triana. My Airbnb host told me it was a big market and definitely worth checking out.
Well it wasn’t exactly huge. I did however get a big fruit cup for one euro. It was a very fresh refreshing snack. Didn’t taste like pesticides lol. It was pretty cool seeing all the stalls filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, chicken, and various other meats. It is worth popping in and taking in the sights.
Rise and...What the...What is that clanging?!! Why are they yelling!??! Is that hammering? Yup! Yup! Nonstop hammering fun at 6:30am. The walls in my airbnb are like paper and the hammering is pretty much on the other side of my bedroom wall. WHY!!!! Where they start construction this early in the freaking morning!? Oh well that’s right...good ole Seville. I was up well past 24 hours, but 4 hours of sleep will have to do. Ugh...might as well get this show on the road. Wait! It’s still dark outside. Ugh… The sun doesn’t rise until 8:35 am in Seville. That is super late. I think this is first time I’ve experienced such a late sunrise. Wait...I lied. Iceland had a very late sunrise. Anywho...I basically struggled with getting out of bed for another hour. What’s the point of getting up if it was still dark out. Plus I was still freaking tired. But, constant hammering has a motivating quality to get out of bed. So I got out of bed and recorded a video of this lovely moment. If you would like to view it just let me know. Alright now to the good stuff. First on the agenda is to visit the Alcázar of Seville before all the tourist get there. The Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace which is the oldest still in use in Europe. The grounds are huge and there is so much to see. I got there at opening time and of course there is a good amount of people there already. I tried to go the opposite direction of the crowd so I could utilize my solo traveler skills(i.e. tripod).
It was all going so well until a security guard did not want me to be great. Apparently you cannot use a tripod. But, WHY!!!!? I am not hurting anybody! Ugh...I was in the middle of taking a great picture! Well I was content to go onto the next room and sulk, but the next room was completely empty. It had the same tile that I was trying to photograph. So naturally I bust out the tripod with lighting speed. I take 4 pictures super quick and run to put the tripod up. As I thought the security guard was on his way. I passed him right outside the door of the room. Phew! Here is the end result. I do wish I could have hid the phone. But, I was to busy trying to hurry and not get caught lol
I am pretty sure I spent 4 hours at the palace. There is so much ground to cover. Plus, when you are trying to get the shot with you alone it can take a lot of patience. It was well worth the time spent.  Next up is the Seville Cathedral. When I arrived the church was going to close in 30 minutes. Which I thought would be enough time to take in the views of a church. I went up to the counter and handed my debit card to the attendant she looked at it like it was fake. Examining and flipping it over. Uh...ok. She looked at me like what was she supposed to do with it. I motioned the charge it sign language( because I know no spanish...sigh). She inserts my card and puts in the amount. The she asks for my id. I actually left it at my bnb. She was not having it! In fact she was all out rude. No Id! No! No! You cannot go! She shrugs her shoulders and begins to repeat herself. Now look ma’am! I am trying to enter a freaking church! I didn’t steal someone’s card and then try and enter a church! What kind of mess?!?! That would be all kinds of bad Karma. I didn’t say any of this but boy did I want to. I just took my card with much frustration and left. Now what!? I ended up just wandering around the square that was right by the church. It’s great for people watching and street musicians. I then headed over to Plaza de España to scope out shoot locations for tomorrow morning.
 This is a beautiful place to hang out. I stayed awhile and watched flamenco dancers. Alas, it was time to head back. I was hungry and my feet were killing me. More pictures of this beauty on the next post. Hope you enjoyed today’s adventure :-)
Back to the adventure. I am very forgetful. I totally forgot to tell my bank that I was going out of the country. When I remembered it was of course Saturday, and I was leaving on a Sunday. I did write an email, but knew they would not receive it in time. What I didn’t think about was having money for transportation to my Airbnb. I was secretly hoping they would let the first transaction through. I went to the ATM and DENIED. Luckily, I had $30 left over euros from my last trip. The taxi ride was $25! Praise the lord. I still had to sit in my Airbnb for 2 hours until the banked opened up so I could stay playing. My husband kept me entertained for the majority of the time so that was a plus. He helped fix my GPS problem on my phone. I am very directionally challenged and didn’t know what I was gonna do if it did not work. With all my problems fixed my first stop was to the grocery store. I stocked up on $21 euros($26 US darn exchange rate) worth of goods. My plan for saving money is to eat the majority of my meals at home. This also helps when you get up super early to go shooting. After stocking the fridge I went out scouting around the town. I picked a Airbnb that was super close to everything. Nothing was more than 20 minutes away. January is a fantastic time to go to Seville. The weather is a high of mid 60s. Perfect. It does not seem touristy at all. I had a pleasant time just roaming around. I got to sit and enjoy local singers as there are plenty of benches everywhere. I felt totally safe and totally loved the atmosphere.
 These shots were taken with my Samsung phone. So they may not be the sharpest, but I was just strolling around town. No fancy camera. Just enjoying the sunset. I went back to my place to try and catch some sleep as it had been like 24 hours since that happened. The next day I planned on getting up super early to get some good clean shots. Hope you enjoyed my first day journeys. Until next time.
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AuthorTraveling makes my heart happy. My mission is to use words and pictures to inspire you to get out there and take in the beauty of our world. Archives
December 2019
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