Côte d'Azur Day 4: Antibes

Our fourth day on the Côte d'Azur was sadly our last (for now, at least)! So we knew we had to make the most of it. 

To start, we went for a swim after breakfast in the beautiful swimming pool at the hotel. Then it was time for us to pack up our things and check out, which is always a bittersweet moment when you've had such a nice holiday, as we had.

However, our trip wasn't completely over just yet! We decided to take the bus over to the nearby town of Antibes for a last bit of sightseeing. I was quite excited about this, as I'd never been there before, despite having visited the French Riviera several times in the past. 

This town is famous for inspiring various well-known artists; in fact, many years ago (maybe 2014), I visited the Courtauld Gallery in London, and bought a postcard of Antibes by Claude Monet as a souvenir. It has been on my bedroom wall at home ever since then, and I always had the intention of visiting the place that inspired it at some point in the future!

After all these years of anticipation, Antibes did not disappoint. The first thing we did there was take a walk along the coast, taking in beautiful views of châteaux, beaches and gorgeous houses.

We visited Le Nomade, a famous sculpture overlooking the sea. You can actually go inside it, but we didn't because there were two boys climbing up inside it (which isn't allowed!).

Our next stop was Phare port d'Antibes, a little lighthouse overlooking the harbour. Next to it, there was a little table with chairs, where you can sit and take in the view of the Mediterranean and the star-shaped Fort Carré.

We then went for lunch at a place called The Brooklyn. On one side of the street, they have a more general menu with things like burgers and pizzas, and on the other side they have a sushi restaurant, which we opted for, as sushi is one of our favourites. The food was pretty good, and the portions were nice and big!

Afterwards, we went to get gelato (another of our favourite foods!) and spent a while wandering around the picturesque town and buying souvenirs.

We finished off our day in Antibes in the best way, with a paddle in the sea.

Sadly, it was now time for us to return to the hotel for the last time to pick up our luggage, and head for the airport.

The journey back home definitely felt like coming back to reality with a bump! Our flight was delayed by a couple of hours, meaning that we missed the last train home from Gatwick and had to get a hotel at the last minute for a few hours sleep before returning to Reading the next day. We arrived in our flat at around 8:45, and I didn't have much of a turnaround before I had to go into the office in London for a meeting.

Despite the travel chaos, the holiday was a much-needed break, and we returned to our normal lives feeling more rested and motivated. It had been 8 months since we'd last left the UK, and we really needed the change of scenery, especially after having to cancel our April holiday. We've realised that, going forward, we want to try to go abroad at least every few months, even if it's just a couple of days in Europe.

Overall, our time in the south of France and Monaco was really special. We spent loads of time swimming in the sea and the pool, ate lots of delicious food, and of course, explored some beautiful towns and cities. It's easy to see why this part of the world is as popular as it is, and I'm sure that we'll be back at some point in the future!