Spring in Limoux

The sun is finally shining on the south of France, and we Queenslanders couldn't be more happy about it! We've put away our jackets and boots and exchanged them for shorts and thongs, and reintroduced our (now very pale) skin to the warmth of the sun. It's Springtime in Limoux!

When we returned from our trip to the Mediterranean coast we spent the next week indoors, sheltered from the cold and rain. A week of grey skies is enough to dampen any spirit, and after our trip to the beautiful coastal towns and some sunshine, we were craving more.

Then late last week the weather seemed to change, as if Europe realised that it is supposed to be Spring. The skies cleared to the most beautiful blue, the sun's rays warmed up, and the mercury rose to reach the low 20's; a much more recognisable temperature for us.

The town is a different place when the sun is out and the weather is warmer. People are wandering around everywhere, or happy just to sit on a park bench, and the town square fills up with people enjoying a wine in the sun.

Every round-about and traffic island has a garden bed that is full of colourful blooming flowers. It is such a pleasure to walk through town and take in the colours that line the streets.

Flowers on a traffic island

These bloomed in our
garden this week

Daffodils in our garden

Our garden has come alive as well. We started to see various flowers bloom from the overgrown garden beds a few weeks back, but with the added warmth of the sun more flowers have unexpectedly come to life.

Even our house has undergone a makeover with the warmer weather. The vine that covered our house when we arrived in Autumn has begun to refresh its leaves, while another plant that has seemed to thrive in winter has begun to bloom small yellow flowers all over it. Branches covered in flowers have grown across our window, greeting me in the mornings when I draw back the curtain.

Our house in Autumn (October)

and in Winter (February)

Covered in snow (January)

and in flowers (April)

Another sure sign that Spring is well and truly here is the length of the days. Daylight saving kicked in about two weeks ago, and with the extended light hours that this part of the world already experiences in the warmer months, the sun is now up until around 9pm. This is a new experience for us, with our bodies taking some time to get used to eating dinner in broad daylight. We have a whole new appreciation for the thick block out curtains in our house!

Spring in France is a beautiful time of year. After experiencing the coldest Winter we have ever had, we feel so lucky to be able to experience this change in the season and all that France has to offer as the weather warms up.

Resident Tourists

Last week we were able to take advantage of some time off and head away on another short trip. As the weather has started to warm up, we couldn't go past a visit to the Mediterranean Coast and French Riviera.

We decided to travel by train, as the transport system in Europe is fantastic, and much less stressful than driving in large foreign cities! So we packed our backpacks and headed off to experience the beauty of this part of the world.

Nice by name and by nature

The pebbly beach of Nice

Nice is a pretty French city, much like other larger French cities that we have visited, in that it has big open public areas, great shopping and most of the buildings are only three or four stories high. However Nice has the added attraction of being on the coast.

While the beach was pretty to look at, it seemed slightly impractical to us, as large pebbly rocks lay where there should have been sand, and the water was calm with small waves on the shore. None the less, people were out enjoying the sunshine and peaceful surrounds of the coast.

The picturesque old town of Nice

Wandering through the flower market

We spent two nights in Nice which gave us plenty of time to experience some highlights. We wandered the small alleyways for great restaurants, enjoying traditional Italian and a fondue, as well as the first proper breakfast we have had at a restaurant in France (as the traditional French breakfast is a croissant and coffee!). We also enjoyed a walk through the fresh flower and produce markets, which are held daily.

Monaco - the playground of the rich

Monaco's harbour with the Royal Palace in the distance

Monaco was a 20 minute, 3Euro train trip from Nice, and the day we spent there was well worth it, with it now officially my favourite city that we have visited to date. It is no wonder, as my parents have always said that I have champagne taste...only my budget is more at the beer end of the scale. You only have to see the harbour at Monaco to know that it is the playground of the rich; it is full of yachts the size of a house...and I don't mean a small house!

Walking through Monte Carlo and Monaco-Ville was surreal, like we had walked on to the set of a movie; the streets were clean, buildings were beautiful and gardens very well manicured, with yellow tulips (my favourite flower) blooming in every garden bed.

Marty at the
Fairmont Hairpin

The pretty streets of
Monaco-Ville

The beautiful gardens infront of
the Monte Carlo Casino

I received an education of sorts on the famous Formula 1 race that takes over the city as we watched traffic slow down to circle the 'world's most famous bend' in Monte Carlo, and saw the beginnings of the construction of the massive grandstands that will stand along the harbour. We curiously watched on as police blocked off the main street outside the Hotel de Paris to allow for an escorted convoy to deliver who we can only assume was a Japanese dignitary, and again when supposed VIPs arrived at the Royal Palace.

The ancient city of Nimes

The Roman amphitheatre in Nimes, France

It was my choice to visit Nimes, but as soon as I showed Marty what was there he was impressed. Nimes is a city that was founded as a Roman colony in the first century, with the French city now having a population of around 150,000. The influence of the Romans is still evident, with one of the world's most well-preserved Roman amphitheatres, built around the 2nd century AD, standing proud in the middle of the old town. Just down the road is the Maison Carree, or 'Square House', which was built as a temple in 19BC.

The columns of the Maison
Carree tower over Marty

Marty providing perspective
to the Pont du Gard

The Maison Carree in Nimes

Nimes is also a short bus ride away from the Pont du Gard, a famous and well-preserved ancient Roman aqueduct that was built in the 1st century AD to transport water to Nimes. We were able to walk alongside the bridge that crosses the Gardon River, and trek into the hills to see remnants of this amazing structure, originally built 50km long. We were very impressed.

The Pont du Gard

We were excited to be able to spend the four days visiting areas that are famous, pretty and so close by to where we have been living. The south-east of France is another area that we can tick off our 'must-see' list.