I flew through the night and arrived the same day, winging my way from my new life in Nice to the familiarity of my previous life in Minnesota. I opened up Facebook to kill time while waiting for my ride from the airport, and it slaps me in the face: “Anthony Bourdain – RIP”. This one […]
How to Apply for a French Long-Stay Visa – Part Deux
Last year I applied for a French long-stay visa and I really screwed it up! As a result of my stupidity, I was approved for only a nine-month visa in my one-year restricted passport. However, this long-stay visa also came with restrictions, the most important being it’s not eligible for “Cart de Sejour” – meaning the […]
Eze Village – a Fascinating Day Trip from Nice
Located just down the road from Nice is an enchanting medieval village perched high on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. As you look to the left from this “eagle’s nest”, you get a glimpse of Italy in the distance. To the right, the Rothschild’s estate stands out on Cap Ferrat and, beyond that, Mont […]
How to Create a Perfect Cinque Terre Travel Plan
Many years ago, I visited Cinque Terre for the first time and I really screwed it up. I arrived in Italy with no real plan and ended up sleeping on a cold, hard bench in the Pisa train station while waiting for a midnight train to anywhere. This time, I vowed, I would create a […]
10 Cheap (and free) Things to do in Nice
“Cote d’Azur”. “The South of France”. “The French Riviera.” These descriptions of my new neighborhood just SOUND expensive and conjure up images of movie stars and fast cars. But since I’m not a movie star and live on a budget, I’ve found ways to cope with prices slightly higher than what I left behind in Taiwan. Last […]
How to Apply for a Long-Stay French Visa (& not screw it up!)
Just over six months ago, I fell in love with Nice, France and decided to make it my new home. Many people warned that getting a French visa is not an easy process and they were right. It’s time-consuming and incredibly stressful, but if it were easy I guess everyone would do it. So, before […]
Live Music in Old Town Nice – Places and Faces
Last year, I made an impromptu trip to Nice to visit my friend Maureen and escape the cold, dreary English winter. I had very low expectations and simply wanted to bask in the sunshine and sip a glass of delicious French wine. One day, Maureen and I did a day trip to a nearby village, […]
Surprising Barcelona – Travel Tips to Find the Magic
On a rainy Sunday afternoon in Nice, my feet feel a bit itchy so I jump on Skyscanner flight search and type in “Nice” to “Everywhere”. The rain makes me restless and I feel a need to escape. The Skyscanner search pulls up the cheapest flights from Nice to anywhere and leads me to Budapest, […]