Monaco.
Second smallest country on the Earth: 1.1 square mile (2 km²). The densest populated country in the world with 37,000 residents.
If you're lucky, you'll visit on a day with no cruise ships berthed in either Monaco, Villefranche or Cannes. If you're not, that same plot of land could have up to another 20,000 visitors.
"Quiet" is not how you'd describe Monaco during the height of the tourist season.

Feeling overwhelmed?

Then take time during your full day sightseeing trip to Monaco to enjoy the oasis of calm hidden on the Rock of Monaco, just a stone's throw from the Palais Princier.
The St. Martin gardens line the western edge of Monaco-Ville, and offer a breather from the heat of the tarmac and the waves of coached-in cruise ship tourists.

The perfect place to ponder :-

How exactly do the other half live?

(Well, by the looks of it!)

Who is this dashing fellow?

(Prince Albert I)

What happened to the age of adventure?

(It's the democratic age of adventure, now: go make your own memories!)

Was it THIS yellow submarine that inspired the Beatles?


Or this one?

(This one. Designed and built in 1966 by Jacques Cousteau.)

Or, the perfect place to snap some views that knock your breath out of you:-








Or the perfect place to wander amongst the art while enjoying a picnic:-










What will you do during your time in Monaco?
You could take a tour of the Palais Princier.
You could visit the Oceanographic Museum.
Or you could enjoy these sumptuous gardens, an oasis of calm in the whirlwind of Monaco.

Tags: #Ilovenice, #nicemoments, #cotedazurnow, #monaco, #sunnydays

One of the hidden gems of the countryside surrounding Nice is the Florian confiserie. A confiserie is a candy producer, and the Florian Confiserie prides itself in traditional manufacturing processes. They use the finest natural ingredients - which are mostly produced from dried flowers and fruits such as rose and violet petals, or oranges and lemons.

The visit to their factory os one of the highlights of the Sunny Days Prestige Travel Full Day Countryside Trip.

During the visit to the candy factory itself, you'll discover how candies are manufactured, and find out about the village where the factory is based, Le-Pont-du-Loup. The name of the village translates as "Bridge of the River Loup", and you'll see why this beautiful village carries this name as you descend from Gourdon, high above.

Today, the bridge in question is in ruins, with only the pillars remaining. Destroyed by the Nazis at the end of World War II, the bridge today is testament to the advance of the liberating forces advance during the liberation of the South of France.

Of course, no visit to this wonderful confiserie would be complete without sampling some of their wonderful products. Why not take some home to family and friends, too?

Decide what you want to sample before you visit thanks to their online catalogue here!

Tags: #chocolate, #candies, #sweets, #traditional, #nicemoments, #cotedazurnow, #Ilovenice, #florian