Hello Again!

....after almost three blissful weeks in the beautiful south of France

I am back refreshed, relaxed and invigorated....

.....hello again :)

....our destination, Villefranche-sur-Mer....this is the old town where we stayed and this was our daily view from the beach....just look that beautiful clear water!

....our little street....

....I lost the job of "bread girl" pretty quickly to my daughter!

....Cap Ferrat as seen from Eze-sur-Mer....Villefranche is the other side of the bay....

....a boy and his boat....happy days....

....the famous Monte Carlo casino....and on the right the beautiful Hotel de Paris....

....Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, Cap Ferrat....

(if you ever visit this part of France, you must visit this Villa, it is gorgeous!)

....we love this part of France.....the Cote d'Azur, the French Riviera....and have spent many summers there....it's our happy place....

There are the crowds, huge hotels and vast beaches of Cannes and Nice....and the glitz and glamour of Monaco....but there are also have the beautiful ports, private bays and raw landscapes of Villefranche, Cap Ferrat, Cap d'Ail and Eze....quiet, simple, stunning and oh, so French....

....we always spend a lot of time on the beach....just playing, swimming in the crystal clear waters, relaxing, reading (in the first 10 days I read 7 books!)....and eating delicious ice cream....

....we went on some wonderful walks, cruised on a boat along the coast and sailed into the harbour in Monaco, visited Monaco in the evening for two fantastic firework displays, cooked seafood fresh from the port and ate the most delicious food every day, went to Italy, visited the nearby Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, one of the most beautiful homes in the world with definitely the best views....

....it's a great location....so many other fabulous places nearby to visit....

....Eze-sur-Mer....reached by windy roads (and some nerve-wracking hairpin bends) on a small bus....the best views of the Mediterranean by far, just breathtaking....

Cap Ferrat....this has a simplicity that belies the fact that it is home to many of the rich, famous and titled....gorgeous secluded villas hidden behind wrought iron gates....and home to just one main cafe that serves wonderful sandwiches and ice cream desserts to die for....

Monaco....a really fun place to visit.....its harbour hosts some of the most fabulous multi-million pound super-yachts in the world.....it houses some amazing apartment blocks (many of which are barely lived in but just for tax purposes only, the actual population is pretty small)....the Monte Carlo Casino is a must-see as is the stunning Hotel de Paris.....and the views from the Royal Palace are excellent....I love to visit for the day, enjoy its energy and then return to my quiet beach!

Italy....only 35 mins away on a very picturesque train ride.....we went just for the morning and visited the fabulous food market there.....

the best parts of my holiday....

....my daughter going to the bakery every day and listening to her happily making friends on the beach....all in French

....sailing along the coast to Monaco....

....pizza and champagne on the beach on our last night....

.....reading to my heart's content....

....seeing my 4 year old son's swimming improve so much....

....the Spanish firework display in Monte Carlo....best display ever....

I have to say a huge thank you to my guest-bloggers....Nikki at BellaMumma, Dustjacket Attic, Mimi Charmante, Trish, Liz, Marsha Splenderosa, Melissa, ....I absolutely loved reading your posts, thank you so much for all agreeing to write something for me....they were all brilliant....thank you too for your kind words...you girls are wonderful!

The winner of Marsha's beautiful necklace is Loui from Mountain Mermaid....congratulations to you....please email me :)

I did miss writing on my blog every day....it's good to be back :)