We had the most wonderful adventure this past weekend!
Warning…this post is very photo heavy, so if that isn’t your thing or if that annoys you, don’t say you weren’t warned. 🙂
We had a four day weekend (due to Veteran’s Day) and took a trip to the French Riviera.
I (again) used Airbnb to find a house for rent and we were stunned when we discovered how beautiful this property really was.
We stayed in Anthéor . Anthéor is right by the town of Agay on the French Riviera (Cote d’Azur) and right down the road from Saint-Raphaël.
We drove through Cannes and Nice to get there.
Our house was right on the Mediterranean Sea. I have never seen anything so beautiful.
We booked our trip to the French Riviera in the off season. It’s not the time that most people want to go…but we avoided the crazy crowds of tourists and the inflated prices.
The red rocks (Cap Roux) were absolutely STUNNING.
Here are a few photos of the house and the view.
Panoramic view from the parking spot (above the house…that’s the attic roof).
Our “back yard” for the weekend. Jimmy and the big girls had a BLAST exploring:
The gate to the house:
The views from the house were the absolute best part. The girls had a sweet little room with two bunk beds (they LOVED it) and we had a bedroom with a view like this:
Out of this window, every morning, I got to see this:
There was a terrace upstairs (which Cate and Lucy immediately took to):
After the chickadees went to bed each night, Jimmy and I would stay up talking,drinking wine, listening to the waves crash, and enjoying this view:
Our time in France was super laid-back. Exploring, eating, and drinking. And that’s about it.
One of my favorite “explorations”? A French supermarket. We came home with eclairs, baguettes, cheese, rotisserie chicken, macarons, and of course wine.
On the way home from France, we decided to drive through Monaco and explore a bit. I mean…it’s Monaco. We had to.
I have always loved Grace Kelly so it gave me the chance to pretend I was Princess Grace for a moment.
Can we please discuss the amount of money in Monaco? I couldn’t even handle it. It was a last minute decision to drive through…and let’s just say my yoga pants and sweater were NOT cutting it.
HA!
We drove by the casino in Monte Carlo. If I was pretending to be Princess Grace, Jimmy was pretending to be James Bond. I’m sure of it.
And all the while, cars like this were passing us left and right:
Yep. We felt pretty awesome in our swagger wagon/Howell family minivan. That’s how we roll in Monaco.
After Monaco I thought we were heading home and I was loving the view (you won’t believe how many times we pull over to take photos!).
This one was taken as soon as we crossed over the border back into Italia:
But it turns out we weren’t heading home. J surprised me with another detour.
At this point I was clapping and bouncing up and down in my seat. I mean…what a great day.
My enthusiasm quickly turned to white knuckles and a few muttered curse words when we started to make the trip down the mountains to the town of Monterosso.
The roads were super narrow and winding. All of the curves were blind (we had to honk to warn people on the other side) and some of the road was even falling off of the mountain. Harrowing to say the least.
What’s that you say? Minivans aren’t meant for the Cinque Terre? Yeah, that’d be correct.
Jesus take the wheel.
Once we made it down the mountain we explored the town of Monterosso al Mare. And fell in love.
The waves were spectacularly violent.
We just stood and watched them for quite some time.
These little Italian boys were running around with sticks and my girlie girls were TERRIFIED they were going to fall into the scary waves.
Harper said “Mommy, that’s not very responsible!” HA! And I told her they have probably lived there their entire lives and they were just fine.
And I loved watching this group of men talk and tell stories:
You know the Italy that you read about and imagine? Yeah, that’s Monterosso.
We need WAY more time to explore and I can’t wait to go back.
So there you have it…our weekend adventures. Sorry this post was so long, but at least I warned you! 🙂
Ciao Bella-
xo
S
Jamie says
Amazing!! Love all of the pictures!!
Susan Kopp says
Thanks, I look forward to these posts and especially now ( I am moving and packing), it’s like my little mini-vacation with the Howells!
Diane says
No need to apologize for such gorgeous photos! I just love getting to see such amazing places through your camera lens. I just feel so happy for you to be having this adventure, you have way more than earned it through years of stress and separation. Can’t wait to see what you guys do next!
Miriam Prantner says
Looks amazing! What wonderful memories you guys are making!
Linda S. says
Thank you, the pictures were just wonderful. You can never post too many!!!
Jenny A says
Beautiful pictures Stephanie! Thanks for sharing!
yvon calkhoven says
I love to see your photo’s, and this time I love it even more. We have been there, in France, too and loved it.
I hope yoy will be able to go there again with your family.
Hugs yvon.
northcarmen says
I have tears in my eyes and kept saying, “Oh, wow, wow, wow” as I looked through your photos. What an AMAZING adventure you are on…. Please continue to enjoy, and to share as many photos as you want!! I love seeing Italy (and France!!) through your eyes. 🙂
Carmen.
Nicole says
I loved the post and loved all the pictures. Thanks for sharing your adventure 🙂
Lori in AZ says
LOVE LOVE LOOOOVE!!!! Awesome adventure! Keep em coming!
Candy says
lol! love a story with pictures!
Pat Cloud says
Wonderful pictures – thanks so much for sharing. What wonderful memories you are making!
Mary Beth says
LOVE Cinque Terre! My favorite town is Vernazza. Try to get back there to walk and explore, it’s well worth the visit. Thanks for the beautiful pictures. Ciao!
Debby Schuh says
Awesome pictures! What great memories!
Ki Kruk says
Incredible photos Stephanie! Your posts are NEVER too long!
Kate says
Glad you’re having a great time. Don’t forget amsterdam while you’re at it!
Laura says
Ahhh, so many gorgeous places!! Everything looks lovely. I’ve also always wanted to try Airbnb, but have been nervous about it…I think you’ve convinced me.
CJ says
Oh wow, what an amazing trip Stephanie. I went to Monaco and Monte Carlo when I was about 17 and loved it. Best not to sit down at a pavement cafe and order a coffee though, unless you are super rich. I remember the cars outside the casino were incredible. So glad you all had such a good time.
vee says
loved reading and looking at every photo. gorgeous and what a blessing to enjoy it all with your family steph! 🙂 no need for an apology. 🙂 xo
Mariah says
So beautiful!!! You guys are so lucky to be able to experience this! What an amazing adventure!
Claire T says
Wow! I love that you are getting around and making the most of every second of your European adventure. Never apologise for the photos – you know we love them.
Carolyn Hawkins says
So love your stories and the humor you put into them, too. I am disappointed when they are too short, so long is good, very good!
It’s like I am right with you, visiting old places and towns…
Keep up, I truly enjoy you!
berta says
Wow, those pictures are beautiful, ALL of them. What a lovely house to call your own, even if just a few nights. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us.
Koko @ Koko Likes says
what a FABULOUS trip!!! And the photos are amazing! Q and I just started exploring AirBnB, so glad to hear it worked so wonderfully for you guys!
Kristine says
Such beautiful faces and what wonderful photos! I agree that Monaco is insane! So. Much. Money!
PS you should have handed your girls sticks and sent them over to say hi!:)
nkmac says
Love it!!! Thank you!!!
Linda Coleman says
Thank you so much! I feel like I’m there!
Paula O says
Love the photos! I have been to all those places! Thank you for letting me relive those times! Pre children years. And agreed HOLY MOOLA Monaco!
k says
Thank you for sharing beautiful pics and beautiful words! k
Claudia says
Don’t you dare appologise for the number of pictures. I loved every single one of them! Keep um commin’ By the way, I’m sooooooo happy for you and your family for this experience.
Heidi says
Absolutley beautiful. When I read “This post is photo heavy” I said to myself… “GOOD!” Love seeing photos of your family’s adventure. 🙂
Stacey says
What a fun trip! I love hearing about it and seeing the pictures. It’s beautiful there!
Nancy says
My family rented a villa in Monterosso this summer and we enjoyed it so much. Your post brought back memories of being driven from the Genoa airport to Cinque Terre. Talk about having white knuckles. Glad to hear that you explored this special part of the world. I also have been to Monaco during college and it was so much fun to pretend while there. We were in our early 20s with backpacks and did not have any money. I remember eating fruit from a stand in the middle of the city and having people looking at us like we were crazy. Enjoy your adventures in Italy – what a wonderful way to show your family the world! I live on the coast of MA and have enjoyed your journey from the Newport area to Italy. Keep the wonderful posts coming!
Linda J says
Love that you are sharing your great adventures and day to day life with us all!
StaceyLynn says
One of my favorite parts of France! And believe me, the Grand Casino is just as gorgeous inside as it is outside. Glad to see that you enjoyed your trip!