Walking through Mougins, France

My dad has a pretty cool job in the hotel industry (I could go into more detail than that, but that's not the point of this post) that means he gets to travel and stay in some really nice hotels. Right after my family was in Ireland, I tagged along on one of his business trips to the South of France. Could I get any luckier?!

We stayed in Mougins, France at an isolated golf resort. Because we didn't have a car, we relied on taxis, public transportation and Dad's work friend Nick who had a van to get us where we wanted to go. 

I had done research on the nearby cities of Cannes and Nice, but hadn't even thought that there would be something cool to do in Mougins itself. Man, was I wrong! On Thursday night, Nick, his wife Dorzin, Dad and I all went into the Old Village of Mougins for dinner. We parked and then rode an escalator up to the top of the hill. From the hill, all of Mougins spread out below us and the lights of country homes lit up the night. 

We chose a typical French restaurant in the center of Old Mougins for dinner. I had a risotto for my entree and Panna Cotta for dessert. Both dishes were absolutely delicious and set the tone for the rest of the trip; I was going to eat well that weekend! 

When I saw Old Mougins, I was itching to photograph it. So, I returned the next day with my camera and the intention of taking pictures of every nook and cranny of the medieval city while Dad, Nick, and Dorzin worked.

The city is a spiral of buildings and cobblestone streets. As I meandered around, I would wind through a new alleyway, twist through a new street, and still end up next to a familiar landmark! The city was tiny and I covered it quickly, but the warm sun (which hadn't visited Galway in a little while) and the shady streets kept me and my camera busy all day! 

(image source)

I was able to capture the circle of buildings on the hillside from the fringes of the city, but I think the aerial photo is a better descriptor, don't you? 

This is the first street I walked down in Mougin on Thursday night and I immediately knew I wanted to come back!

Stone buildings; knotted trees; outdoor cafe tables. I mean, what else could you ask for? 

Old Mougins is an art connoisseur's dream. Every side street and alley held multiple art galleries and shops. I popped into a few, nodded "Bonjour!" to the artists and browsed before heading back out into the sunshine. They were filled with incredible works! 

The old architecture fascinated me, especially the shutters! For some reason, I really like the peeling paint look on wooden shutters. It's not something I would want on my own house, but it's strangely beautiful. (My Grampy was a painter and he'd shudder to hear me say that! (See what I did there?)) 

Then again, freshly painted shutters are just as beautiful. Especially when they come in fun colors! 

I don't think there was a right angle in the whole city! Between the old buildings and the circular roads, everything had a slight bend to it. I loved the worn-in feel, but it was hard to imagine what the city was like hundreds of years ago.

How could it be anything other than a chic French city with sophisticated cafes, fancy restaurants, and expensive art galleries?

Oh yeah, and a few homes thrown in?

 Everyone deserves to enjoy some French Country Living at least once in their life!

I told you I had a thing for the shutters in France...

But I haven't told you about the mopeds yet! I really wanted to channel my inner Lizzie McGuire and hop on the back of some beautiful stranger's moped and take it for a spin around the South of France. But I watch WAY too much Law and Order: SVU to do something that stupid. So I settled for a few pictures instead.  

And then, because I'm a little nosy, I had to find out what was down that alleyway and past that house. I stumbled into an adorable cottage and then another winding street that brought me back to the first road, as if by magic.

When midday rolled into the afternoon, the shady streets were becoming a little chilly and my flip-flop'd feet were starting to get really cold. So, I wandered into a cafe called Zest. The owner of the shop, who also owns a nearby art gallery, is Canadian and could tell by my shoes that I was an English-speaking customer. Since my (very) elementary French had semi-isolated me throughout the day, I was thrilled to chat with someone who spoke English fluently. 

I learned that in France only certified and trained bakers are authorized to sell bread and croissants so Zest sources their pastries from a baker down the road. Brad Pitt is reportedly a huge fan of this baker and the bakery has pictures of him visiting the shop. Brad and Angie have a house not far from Old Mougins on "Millionaire's Hill." So naturally, I had to order a croissant. If it's good enough for Brad Pitt, it's certainly good enough for me. And it was delicious! 

After warming up at Zest, I continued my stroll through the shady streets. I loved the sign painted onto this old post office! 

This photo was taken from the same overlook as the night before. It's amazing how much more you can see in the daylight! I could see both the mountains and the sea (two of my favorite places) from this vantage point. How cool is that?!

It was a great first day in France and I'll be back as soon as my finals schedule allows to tell you all about the rest of the weekend!