When you're living here in the French Riviera, you really get to know Antibes because it is such a cozy town. It's easy to figure out where things are, and once I'd mastered where I was going, I got to find the places that grew to be some of my favorite spots to hang out.
Some days, you just need a little color in your life. My apartment is next door to a florist's shop, and every time I pass it I have to stop to smell the flowers and pet the owner's golden retriever that lays outside the shop all day long. The owner knows me now, and she always smiles at me. Sometimes we talk about how I'm enjoying my life in France, or about her daughter who is in the states learning English, and one time, she actually told me that my French was good (always nice to hear, even when I feel like I have a lot to improve on).
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| The cutest/sleepiest pup in Antibes. |
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| Pink flowers at the florist shop. |
After stopping by the florist to grab a little gift for my site specialists here in Antibes (because they are always so helpful and sweet), I walked over to another one of my favorite places in Antibes: the CEA office. While an office hardly sounds like a fun place to spend time, I adore the CEA office. My program-mates and I have had countless gatherings there to taste French food, learn more about wine, talk about our weekend trips, and get help with anything we needed. There is a cute gated courtyard in front of the office, and inside the office is a kitchen, maps of the area that we could look at, a computer we could use to print anything we needed, and so many travel guides for anywhere in Europe that you could want to visit.
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| CEA office entrance |
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| Inside the CEA office |
Now, in the French Riviera, we are never far from a beach. Famous for having some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, the south of France does not disappoint. The CEA students have a few favorite beaches in Antibes, and they are all short walks away from our apartments. After leaving the CEA office, I remember that I'm not far from one of the beaches by the yacht port, so I head over there to dip my toes in the Mediterranean Sea and to lie on the warm sand.
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| Sand castle in progress |
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| View of town from the beach |
In a town this friendly, walkable, and drop-dead gorgeous, I have a list the length of my arm of great places to spend my time. I encourage anyone who is studying abroad to try everything you can and go to new places, but also don't forget to pick some go-to places. Being a regular is so fun, and it's cool to be recognized by the locals. I've had a blast making memories in Antibes, but my favorite moments often involve the places I visited the most. These places are definitely going to stick with me for the rest of my life, and I hope that after this semester, I can come back to Antibes and see them again.
Zoey Bloom is the Spring 2015 CEA MOJO Photographer in the French Riviera. She is currently a sophomore at Belmont University.