Even more things to do in Monaco

1. go to the Oceanographic Museum
2. Eat at a luxurious McDonalds
3. Drive along one of the coastal highways

I really hope this is isn't going to be the only place I frequent on the Riviera, and I'm sure it won't be but for some reason I keep being drawn to this place. Monaco is absolutely incredible. This is the third time I've been in the past month and it is definitely one of my favourite places in Europe. Everything about this city/country is remarkable. It has the lowest unemployment rates in the world, highest GDP per capita and no ghettos. I love the feeling of exclusivity you get when walking through the Monte Carlo casino lobby, or the complete awe that overcomes me from just walking around this city. All of the palm trees, penthouses, Rolls Royces, casinos and Valentino shops. I've never been to Vegas, but I'm convinced that Monaco is so much better.

So, yesterday we decided to go to Monaco again, not for the casinos, not for skating and not to see the palace... to look at fishes. Yes fishes, we decided to go to Monaco to visit the world famous Oceanographic Museum which actually turned out to be a surprisingly lovely day.  To start it off, we drove to Monaco instead of taking the regional Cote D'azur train that runs along the coast. It was really nice to drive and we got to see different scenery on the way there. The museum itself is huge and built on top of a cliff towering over the Mediterranean. The waves were a bit choppy and smashing against the cliffs, and this was an amazing view. I tried to take a picture of it, because it was so striking, but my little SONY digital camera just didn't justify the view.  Oh well.
The aquarium itself was on the lower level of the Museum and there were no dolphins or whales or anything but mostly fish, fauna, little sharks, eels and whatever else along those lines. It was still alot of fun, and I think we spent a good two hours there before making our way to McDonalds for lunch.

I usually don't like to go to McDonalds too much while I'm abroad, not only because it's embarrassing but also because I firmly believe in exploring new and different cuisines. Food is such a central passion in my life and I love discovering new foods. I'm usually quite adventurous with foods and will try anything once. This way of thinking usually helps me steer clear of walking into any foreign McDonalds, but sometimes, I just can't help myself. Like today, I should've been going to a cute little cafe and ordering whatever the local special was. But no, I had to go to Micky Dee's and get a burger...but, it was so good. There's this burger called the CBO (chicken, bacon, onion) that I've had a couple of times when living in Spain and Italy and I was so happy to see it here in France/Monaco too. So, of course I ordered that with a bottle of Evian and salad (so, I can't feel too guilty) and then had a cappuccino and macaroon afterwards from McCafe.  I'm not too sure if McCafe has made an official introduction to Canada or not yet, but I hope it does soon because it rules. McCafes are usually at every McDonalds  in Europe and have lovely little pastries, fresh squeezed orange juice, cappuccinos and lattes and it's surprisingly good. The creation of McCafe was obviously to appeal to a more European market, but could definitely compete with Starbucks or Second Cup.

Anyways, after finishing up our cappuccinos we headed back to the car and drove back to Antibes. But this time we didn't take the toll highways - we took a more scenic route along the coast which is over double the time, but definitely worth it. We drove through little villages and beside the lower Maritime- Alps all the way through towns like Eze, Cap d'Ail and Nice. I was in the company of good friends and good conversation the whole way, so the drive itself is one of my most favourite parts of the day. There a few picturesque coastal highways that you can take when visiting the Cote D'azur: the Basse Corniche which goes along the sea, the Moyenne Corniche (Highway 7) which goes through Eze-Village, and the Grande Corniche that goes through La Turbie and Col d'Eze.

Maybe the next time we go to Monaco I'll have a list of even more things to do!

France wants to give me money?!

Ohhh, look what I came across today. I was all about saving my money as much as possible until I saw this. Now all I want to do is go shopping:

Non-EU residents are eligible to receive a refund of the Value Added Tax (VAT, or détaxe TVA in French) on goods purchased in France. This is 12-15% for regular goods, up to 33% for luxury goods (no refunds applicable for food, beverage, tobacco products, postage stamps, weapons, cultural treasures, and consumer vehicles).


How it Works

• Find a participating store (not every store wants to bother with the paperwork, nor are they required); all department stores and most luxury shops offer the refund. Look for the Tax-Free sticker on the door of smaller boutiques.

• Spend over €175 within one store on the same day.

• The shop assistant will fill out a special form (you’ll need your passport or a copy) that you need to keep with your receipt.

• Have the form stamped at the airport customs desk before leaving the EU. Give yourself an extra hour at the airport for this. Have the items purchased handy in case customs agents want to see them. Mail the form back to the store (many provide pre-addressed envelopes for this) within three months to receive the refund by credit card or check.

It's decided. I'm buying a REALLY nice pair of shoes and/or a REALLY nice handbag. I deserve it.
This is also really good news for anyone wanting to shop in Europe. I did a little research and this is true all over the EU.

Happy shopping!

Tea and other Important Things

Coming from a British background, I have been raised on tea and have been brought up on the notion that embracing tea is part of life. Tea in the morning before breakfast, tea after lunch, tea during the day, tea after dinner, tea when watching my favourite show, tea when playing scrabble with my nana, etc. There has definitely been an overwhelming domination of tea in my life. Don't get me wrong though, I still enjoy a nice cappuccino every now and then, but for the most part I am all for the tea.
So since moving here to France, I have had to overcome the obstacle of finding the perfect tea place. And, I think I've done well. Aside from the usual Choopy's visit (see Choopy's post below) I have also been buying different loose leaf varietals at this cute little shop in the heart of Old Antibes. The place is called "Cafes au Negus Blanc" and it's on Rue Republique which is kind of like the gateway street between the Old Town and the not-so-new town. It's right across from the Carousel. The inside is not very big, but just big enough to hold many wonderful teas, coffees and chocolates. I have personally bought a couple different Earl Greys here, wish is my favourite, along with the current special: the Prince William. Yes, I bought it just for the name because I completely adore Prince William. But, it actually tastes quite nice, go figure. I have also bought the most perfect little pink floaty tea steeper from this store, and I love it!

We have also managed to score these amazing mugs since being here, we found them at this department store called Maxi Bazaar. They are vintage-looking and are basically cereal bowls with a handle. This is perfect for me because I love big cups of tea. I'm the kind of girl who orders a Venti from Starbucks. I'm probably a little weird over here in that sense, because everyone here seems to enjoy their daily dose of caffeine in a little espresso cup.
So to anyone traveling Antibes in the near future, if you run out of anything practical - be sure to go to Maxi Bazaar.

I will finish off this post by saying that lovely tea is available everywhere, even in the South of France. If a confused, non-French speaking exchange student from Toronto can find excellent tea, just think of what you can do.

More things to do in Monaco!

Classes were cancelled again today because of snow. But it turned out to be one of my most favourite days here so far. It was so sunny, about nine degrees and no clouds in the sky. So, we decided to make the most of it and my friend Ryan, Nicole and I went to Monaco for the day. We wanted to go a little less dressed up and really explore this city (country, or whatever.) We walked ALOT and ended up skating near the port. It was only 6 euros to rent a pair of skates for half an hour. So worth it. We also walked up to the palace and got an amazing view of Monaco. We went out for lunch, ate crepes and went to a petting zoo too. To top it all off, we ventured our way back towards the casino and found a Laduree store, which is Nicole's favourite thing in the whole world. They sell the best macarons. I had raspberry, so yummy.
Here's some moments from today! xxx

The Secret to skipping an exam in the South of France

Pray for snow!
It's about 7 degrees and raining in Antibes right now. It's 8:45 in the morning and I just waited for over half an hour in the rain at the bus stop waiting for the Envibus 100 Express to take me to school. It never came. I had an Advanced Macroeconomics final exam at 8:30 this morning, so I'm kind of freaking out! Apparently, the bus company has cancelled all its buses today that go to Sophia Antipolis (the area that my school is in just north of Antibes and in the mountains) because of a small chance of snow.
Of course, it never snows here. And it's not right now, and it probably won't at all today because it's supposed to stay about this temperature all day. It seems like with even a small hint of bad weather, the French Riviera goes into lockdown and cancels everything. I think this is kind of hilarious, especially coming from Canada when a day like this in January is nothing compared to some snow days we've had.
Obviously, they are not as equipped as us in Canada to handle the snow and don't have things like snow plows here so I guess it's kind of understandable. It just sucks it happened to fall on the one day I have a final exam.
But, in another light, it's sort of like a blessing in disguise. I get extra time to study for this calculus based economics class that I'm already so lost in anyways. So I will take this as a blessing, and go back to studying! That's apparently what I'm in France for in the first place I suppose...