Fall Break Cont'd: Southern France! Marseille, Antibe, and Nice

After Barcelona, my two friends and I took the bus to Southern France, just because we thought it'd be fun to take the unbeaten path for once. I mean, who goes to Marseille? Well, when we got there, we realized... apparently nobody. We were the only tourists in what felt like the entire city! Isabel and Kate were a little wary, but I absolutely loved that we could just walk around and be spontaneous with where we were going! So we wandered the entire day, admiring the ports and architecture...

Unfortunately, our hostel was just awful and dirty. No hot water, not even real toilets! (Just bowls, you know, very old-school.) So we trekked off to Antibes the next morning, where Isabel had studied for few weeks in high school. We were only there for a few hours, unfortunately. But I remember the teeny streets, yummy food, and cool handmade souvenirs. I bought a colorful straw tote from a local weaver and ate tons of bruschetta.

Later in our second day in France, we arrived in Nice and stayed for the night at Villa St-Exupery, which looked like a precious little villa on the outside, but inside, it was an absolute party house. There were young American tourists everywhere, drinking beer and hanging out in the common space. I totally understood why the hostel was named "Europe's Best Hostel" -- it had all sorts of day trip offerings (Monaco, St. Tropez) and fun activities (water skiing, bungee jumping). I wish I could've stayed longer in Nice! It was just such a relaxing atmosphere and beautiful city... so warm even in October! I dipped in the Mediterranean and didn't feel too cold, instead, it was totally refreshing. I can definitely understand why people vacation in Southern France. I'd love to own a villa here one day! :)