Picture this: It is the first week you are in a new location. My new location happened to be a cute little town called Antibes in the French Riviera. Our program director wanted all the students to meet in the center of the town at 8:00am. It was 7:30am and I mapped how to get to the center of the town. Oh good, only a 5 minute walk! I took a screenshot off of Google maps because I would be heading out of Wifi zone and started walking towards the center of the town. After trying to navigate the one screenshot I had in this foreign place, I arrived to the center of the town at 8am exactly and met all the rest of the students. Needless to say, I explored much of Antibes during my 30 minute walk and I realized that in a couple months, I would soon understand where I turned wrong and just how easily I can arrive to the center of the town without maps.

A picture of the center of the town at night- Place de Gaulle

So now, after being in Antibes for over 3 months, I can tell you that I have learned how to navigate around the town properly. That’s not to say I sometimes lose my bearings and have to reassess where I am, but at least I am not spending 30 minutes to arrive some place that is only a 5 minute walk away. There are many amazing locations in Antibes, but after being here for a while, I definitely have found some cute little local places that I frequent often.

 

Here is a list of 5 of my favorite local locations

1. Letter statue- Nomade

Along the Antibes port, perched up high overlooking the Mediterranean Sea is a statue made all out of letters. The statue is called Nomade by a contemporary Spanish sculptor named Jaume Plensa. It is made of stainless steel letters. You can sit near and go inside the statue. I love to go there and sit near the statue because of the beautiful location and really rad statue.

2. Marché Provençal

The best little market in Antibes is the Marché Provençal. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:30 to 13:30. You can buy all your fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, tapenades, dried fruits and so much more.

3. Amorino gelato place

Gelato is definitely a necessity in France. After reviewing (way too many) gelato places, I have concluded that my favorite one is Amorino. It is a chain gelato place so I have seen quite a few located all over but it is definitely the best. You pay for cone size and then after that you choose as many flavors as you want. They shape your gelato into a rose as well which makes for a pretty eat.

4. Maxi Bazaar/ 2€ Maxi Bazaar store

I do not know how I would survive without this store. There are many Maxi Bazaar stores located all around Antibes and let me tell you--they are definitely a bit bizarre. The store is seasonal and changes their contents quite often which is super useful. There is a large Maxi Bazaar store that has regular priced items for a discounted rate but there is also a 2€ Maxi Bazaar where everything is priced at 2€. A bit smaller of a selection than the regular Maxi Bazaar but nonetheless, they have practically all your necessities.

 

5. Lucky Break Café

There are tons of cute and quaint little cafés all around Antibes. Lucky Break Café, located near the Port, is a 2 story English speaking café. The food, coffee and service there is quite excellent. It is a great place to hang out with friends, study and do homework because they have free Wifi.

It is amazing how little time it takes to learn an area. After a couple weeks, I learned quickly which places I liked best and where people would find me most often.

If you ever end up visiting the South of France, make sure to check out these 5 of my favorite local finds. Hit me up if you are ever here, you will most likely find me eating my rose-shaped gelato near the letter statue... or something of that sort. ;)

Cici Holmquist is the Fall 2015 MOJO Blogger in the French Riviera. She is currently a Sophomore at Point Loma Nazarene University.