Trip to the Cote d’Azur using Nice as a base and visiting Antibes, Monaco, Menton and Ventimiglia in Italy. The coastline is as you would imagine with deep clear turquoise blues and warm sun on your back. Also visited the acclaimed house designed by Eileen Gray the Irish designer – E-1027. Paintings in the house are by Le Corbusier, the great modernist architect, as is the coloured timber structures behind the house where he lived and worked. The views back across the bay to Monaco are stunning. I took in a Rugby World Cup match watching Italy narrowly beat Uruguay.
Nice has some old world charm with the great Negresco Hotel and long promenade with bars and restaurants lining the beach. The old town is Italian historically with winding laneways leading to the Port or up to Castle Hill Park where the views back down to the coast are stunning.
I then traveled on a very comfortable train to Paris to see Ireland beat South Africa in the rugby and experience sunset over Paris from the Tour Montparnasse. Highlights also included a walk through the Marias district, the rooftop on the Arc de’Triomphe and the late show at the Moulin Rouge.
Antibes architect architecture beach Coast Côte d'Azur Design e-1027 eileen gray famous France Furniture holiday home House interior interior design Italy le corbusier Mediterranean menton Monaco monernism monte carlo Nice old town places to travel port riviera rugby SEA south of France South of France trip Sunshine vacation ventimiglia world cup yacht