After a last minute decision to head to the Carnaval in Nice for the weekend, we were on a large, relaxing coach bus headed down the coast. I went to Nice on my previous trip to France, but for some reason I only had memories of the rocky beach and strip of restaurants making up the main street. My immediate thought as we stepped off the bus was that none of this seemed familiar, and after looking at my old pictures I realized we only went to the beach. #StereotypicalTourists.

We walked through the downtown area desperately looking for something to eat, and stumbled upon a restaurant called Le 111. We were the first customers of the day, but the tables quickly filled up. We found out why when we bit into our burgers. The French are not known for their burgers, but if you’re even in Nice this is a must. Piled high with incredible American-like toppings and a thick, juicy patty smashed between a brioche bun, I was in heaven.

With full stomachs we dragged ourselves to the hostel, and on our way ran into some fellow IAU students, who also happened to be staying at the same place. We were happily surprised to find out that we were “upgraded” (using that term loosely as it is a hostel) to a private room for the three of us. I have never had the true hostel experience of sharing a room with strangers, but I’m sure my time will come. We quickly dropped our stuff off and headed out the door to explore our city for the weekend.

I am so lucky to have already found great friends here, and even luckier that they are great travel companions. Traveling with others is not always easy, but my gals Sallye and Ally (and yes they are roommates lol) are so easy going and enjoyable that it made the weekend that much more fun. We walked towards the water and bought tickets for the Festival of Flowers parade. It was insanely windy, so much so that we felt ourselves being pulled back by the strong gusts. We enjoyed the event nonetheless, and even collected a bouquet from the various floats coming by. It felt so surreal to be under a shining sun and palm trees and hearing nothing but happiness coming from the crowd. We walked along the water and took a moment to enjoy the view. I was struck with awe as I watched the waves roll in with foamy white tips leading to a turquoise blue sea. Looking down the street you see homes tucked into the hills looking out over the water. I thought, “Can I live here all the year round?” The Mediterranean is nice this time of year.

After a brief phone charging session and nap at the hostel, we went down to the lobby and enjoyed free drinks and snacks. Side note, something I will never understand is how a place where you pay $20 a night gives you free WiFi, alcohol, and treats while a nicer upscale hotel makes you pay high prices for all of the above. We chatted with the other IAU students that were staying there before heading out for dinner. There was another parade that night, and we got a front row spot with our tickets. So front row that we took pictures with some of the characters and could hop on the floats should we please. It was quite a different scene from the earlier show, as most of these floats were politically based. Some made fun of Francois Hollande, the current president of France, while others attacked media bias and censorship. All in all it was a fun show and definitely a site to see.

It was a quick visit to Nice, but so nice. (Nice jokes never stop). I am constantly reminded of how amazing France is, but this trip really sealed the deal. Every pocket of the country is so different, even when the drive is just a few hours away. I can’t wait to continue exploring the country and even more so to explore when my mom and sister arrive at the end of March. Until then, I guess I can do that whole school thing.

Next stop, Dublin!