Mona Lisa Smile
If you’ve been following me on the blog, you’ve read and seen so much of my adventures in France. I’m so excited to finally share my experience viewing the Mona Lisa (among other unbelievable works of art) at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France!
For my first time in France, there were certain attractions I knew I had to visit and the Louvre Museum was at the top of the list. Our travel agent booked us a private tour guide for a day at the museum, with the recommendation to arrive early to take in as many sites as possible during our limited time. Our French-born, English-speaking tour guide picked us up from our hotel promptly at 8:00 am and it was so convenient because we didn’t have to stress about navigating ourselves in a foreign city!
The tour guide was phenomenal, he knew the best place to park, the best entrance to use to access the Louvre, where and how to check our coats, and so much more. I cannot recommend tour guides enough.
Up Close and Personal with The Mona Lisa
Because our tour guide was a seasoned pro, he knew that the Mona Lisa needed to be the first stop on our Louvre visit. As the most visited site in the Louvre, the Mona Lisa can get packed with visitors. Since we arrived at the Louvre right at opening AND we made it our first stop, we were essentially able to view the famous Mona Lisa by ourselves (at least for a minute or 2).
Bucket List Item Checked Off!
Viewing the Mona Lisa up close and personal with my husband was truly a bucket list experience that I’ll be forever grateful for. The painting itself was much smaller than I imagined but it is beautiful nonetheless. Please be sure to check my IG page to see more photos and videos of my time with the Mona Lisa.
Thanks For Reading!
Thank you so much for reading and I hope that you’ll stick around for more of my time at the Louvre!
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Monte Carlo Casino
During my trip to Monaco, I enjoyed visiting the legendary Monte Carlo Casino. The opportunity to experience all the glitz & glamour Monaco is known for was the highlight of my time on the French Riviera!
Monte Carlo, The Jewel of the Mediterranean
Monte Carlo Casino is located in the Principality of Monaco and many consider it the glittering jewel of the Mediterranean. The views are just spectacular everywhere you look, and it’s truly a sight that must be seen to be believed!
Fun Fact: Monte Carlo Casino is more than just a gaming house, it is also home to the Opera de Monte-Carlo!
Exploring Monte Carlo Casino
Our adventure at the Casino began at the Casino Square (Place du Casino), a Plaza at the front entrance of the building. The plaza was full of tourists taking photos (me included) of all the wildly expensive supercars driving by. It was a great introduction to the excess that is Monte Carlo. As guests, my husband and I got to visit the Casino de Monte Carlo without entering the gaming rooms. We were able to tour the artfully decorated Atrium. Touring the Atrium is a fantastic way to get the feel of the casino without paying to access the rooms. The Atrium is free to visitors beginning at 10 am and it is a beautiful spot to explore and people watch.
Our tour guide informed us that accessing the gaming rooms requires a valid national identity card or passport. Driver’s licenses are not an acceptable form of identification. Currently, the entrance fee is 18 euros (about $19) per person.
Bond, James Bond
007 fans should recognize Monte Carlo Casino from several James Bond films. Some of the filming of GoldenEye took place here, and the casino was also featured in Never Say Never Again & Casino Royale. It was so much fun snapping photos inside places I recognized from the big screen!
A True Bucket List Experience!
As I said earlier, during my time at the Monte Carlo Casino we only toured the Atrium, we did not enter the gaming rooms. It would have been nice to at least enter the famous (infamous?) gaming rooms and try my luck, but sadly time just didn’t permit it. I would love to hear from any of you who may have had an opportunity to try some games at the legendary Monte Carlo Casino! Please let me know everything I missed!
A visit to Cote d’Azur would be incomplete without a stop in Monaco and to trip to Monte Carlo Casino! If you love travel, architecture, glitz & glamour, this is the place for you!
Be sure to follow my IG page for lots of videos and photos of my time in Monaco!
Thanks For Reading!
Thank you so much for reading and I hope this post inspires you to add Monaco and the French Riviera to your travel list!
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A Memorable Stay At The Legendary Hotel Le Negresco!
During my November 2022 trip to France, I spent a week on the French Riviera and was fortunate enough to stay at the legendary Le Negresco Hotel! Le Negresco Hotel opened in 1913 and it is one of the most famous hotels on the French Riviera. Many notable guests have stayed here over the years including the painter Dali, Princess Grace of Monaco, The Beatles, and Louis Armstrong.
Le Negresco overlooks the beach and the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. The unique and timeless hotel features artwork from the 17th century to today, displayed throughout the property. In 2003, Hotel Negresco was listed by the government of France as a National Historic Building and is a member of Leading Hotels of the World.
Le Negresco, Our Home Away From Home in Nice
I was pleasantly surprised to find that Le Negresco is only 3.1 miles away from the Nice Cote d’Azur airport! It felt like our driver had just picked us (and our MANY bags) up when we were pulling up to the front door of the hotel!
I was immediately struck by the Doormen dressed in 18th-century style uniforms, it was so fun to see! The hotel is simply stunning. There is no other way to describe the place. The front desk is beautiful, the hotel bar is beautiful, and even the elevator is beautiful! Because our stay was in late November, the hotel was decked out in full Christmas decore and it only added to the appeal.
The front desk was kind enough to upgrade our room to a King Suite overlooking the beach and promenade. Be sure to head to my Instagram for a video tour of our stunning room!
Of course, Hotel Negresco features a Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Chantecler. The food was everything you’d imagine and then some! I’ve got another post coming that spotlights our dining experience at the restaurant. For now though, just trust me when I tell you the food is phenomenal! We also enjoyed our breakfast daily at the hotel. We opted for room service but the La Rontonde restaurant serves a fresh buffet breakfast daily.
Le Negresco, The French Way of Life
My experiences on the French Riviera are times I’ll never forget. From visiting the Medieval village of Eze, to strolling the Promenade of Nice, to spending the day in Monaco, it was a dream vacation. Le Negresco Hotel was the perfect place to end each day of my French adventure. We you find yourself in the South of France, you simply must book a stay here.
Other France Posts You Might Enjoy:
- I Found The Most Enchanting French Village!
- My Time At The Legendary Monte Carlo Casino
- Indulge In a Taste of France, Le Cordon Bleu
- A Luxurious Day to Remember at Versailles Palace!
Update! A Room Tour of Le Negresco!
During my birthday trip to France in November, I was fortunate to spend a week in Paris and a week on the French Riveria, splitting my time between Nice and Monaco. While in Nice our fantastic travel agent, Travel Designs by Judy, booked us a tour of the village of Eze. Before my travels, I had no knowledge of the area, and I was in for the best surprise ever!
Eze is a beautiful seaside village in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region in southeast France. It is located on the French Riviera, just a short distance from Nice to the north and Monaco to the west.
A Brief History of Eze
During our time in the South of France, we stayed at the legendary Le Negresco Hotel which I will feature in my next post. The Negresco Hotel is located in Nice and our tour guide/driver picked us up directly from the hotel for our excursion to Eze.
During the scenic drive from Nice, our guide explained more to us about Eze. The village dates back to the Medieval Ages, but it’s been modernized with shops, art galleries, hotels, and restaurants. Because of the beauty and charm of the Eze, it is very popular with tourists and honeymooners. Eze is called by some a “museum village” as so few residents of local origin live here. The oldest building in the village is the Chapelle de la Sainte Croix and it dates back to 1306. Eze is often described as an “eagle’s nest” because of its location overlooking a high cliff 1,401 ft above sea level on the French Mediterranean.
A Day on the French Riviera I’ll Never Forget!
Our tour guide dropped us off right outside the village walls and we were on our own to meander the pathways and just enjoy being in the South of France! The first thing I noticed was how peaceful the atmosphere was. Cars are not allowed within the precinct, so the quiet was palpable. The only sounds are the birds in the air, muted conversations from other visitors, and your own footsteps along the cobblestone path.
The stunning views of the French Riveria coast took my breath away! There were so many photo ops in the village, I literally wanted to photograph everything! My husband and I both loved browsing the many shops and I was able to find some eclectic souvenirs for home. I was enthralled by the centuries-old architecture and seeing all of the carvings, plaques, and artwork from ages ago was truly an experience.
Thanks For Joining Me On The French Riviera!
Thanks for reading along and don’t forget to follow me on social media to see more photos and videos of my time in Eze. Please comment below with any questions you may have about the village, I’m here to help!
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A Trip to Versailles Palace
While planning my birthday trip to Paris, a tour of the Palace of Versailles was definitely on my must-do list! Our fantastic travel agent (Travel Designs by Judy) booked us a full-day, 8-hour excursion to the palace and it was a true bucket-list experience! To learn more about our experience using a travel agent AND our other Parisian experiences, please visit my blog post all about Le Cordon Bleu.
The Palace of Versailles is located in the city of Versailles, about 12 miles southwest of the Paris city center. Our travel agent arranged a private guide/driver throughout our stay in France so getting to Versailles from our Paris hotel was no problem.
A Quick History Lesson
Louis XIII originally commissioned Versailles as a hunting lodge in 1624. After taking the throne, his son, Louis XIV wanted to establish Versailles as the seat of the French government, meaning the Court of Versailles would reside there.
Between 1661 and 1715 the hunting lodge underwent major renovations to become one of the largest palaces in the world. The Palace of Versailles became the center of political power in France and a symbol of absolute monarchy.
Versailles: A Palace Fit For a King & Queen
The most well-known residents of The Palace of Versailles were King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. Louis XVI was the last king of France. He ruled from 1774 until 1792 when the French Revolution stripped the King & Queen of their power and led to their beheadings.
After the French Revolution, the palace was in the hands of the new government and much of the remaining furnishing and artwork were sold or donated to the Louvre. The palace had been looted during the revolution and many of the artifacts had been destroyed.
In 1837 The Palace of Versailles was reopened as the Museum of the History of France. A major historic event took place in the palace in 1919. The signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, solidified the end of World War I and took place inside the Hall of Mirrors.
Visiting Versailles
We were fortunate to have a private tour guide during our visit to Versailles. Our tour guide was a native Parisian and he was so fantastic! His knowledge of the history of Versailles was incredible and he was so good, other visitors were asking HIM questions about the palace! An added bonus, we were able to skip the line to get inside the palace because our guide knew some key people!
The Palace of Versailles consists of four main areas:
- The Main Palace
- The Gardens & Park of Versailles
- The Estate of Trianon & the Queen’s Hamlet
- The Royal Stables
We were lucky enough to tour all of the areas of Versailles except the Royal Stables. During our visit in November, the stables were closed to the public.
There is so much to see and share about Versailles, I have limited this post to just the Palace. Be on the lookout for future posts about the Gardens, Trianon, and the Queen’s Hamlet.
Touring the Main Palace
The Palace of Versailles is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it truly must be seen to be believed! The Palace contains 2,300 rooms spread over almost 680,000 square feet. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and have your phone/camera ready! The over-the-top opulence is going to leave you breathless I promise!
Highlights of Versailles Palace
The Royal Chapel – The Royal Chapel is where the court gathered every morning at 10 am for the King’s mass. It is two-story absolutely beautiful.
King’s State Apartments – The King’s State Apartments feature 7 elaborate rooms which include the Venus room, Diana room, Mars room, Mercury room (the room where Louis XIV coffin was on display after his death), the Apollo room (used as the throne room beginning in 1682), the War room, and the Peace room.
The Hall of Mirrors
The Hall of Mirrors is the most popular room in The Palace of Versailles. The 240-foot-long hall is lined with 17 arches and comprised of 357 small mirrors. The artwork lining the halls speaks to the history of France. The Hall of Mirrors served as a daily passageway between the King & Queens state apartments.
Final Thoughts
The Palace Of Versailles is a study of over-the-top opulence and I loved every minute of it! Be sure to include a day trip to Versailles on your Paris visit. If I’m fortunate enough to visit Paris in the spring, I’ll definitely come back to see the gardens of Versailles in bloom. I’d love to hear from any of you that may have visited Versailles, what was your favorite experience? Thanks for reading and I hope this post inspires you to visit The Palace of Versailles!
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