September 2024
My September visit was centered on Paris and felt like a classic first deep pass through the city. I moved through major transit anchors like Gare du Nord, Gare de l'Est, and Chatelet-Les Halles, then spent long stretches around the Seine and the historic core. The route through Pont au Change, St-Michel-Notre-Dame, and the Louvre complex gave the trip a strong "old Paris" arc.
The middle and end of the visit stacked one highlight after another: Tuileries, Musee d'Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysees, Champ de Mars, and the Eiffel Tower at night, plus Montmartre around Square Louise Michel. It felt like a high-energy city week where every day had a distinct set of landmarks but still fit into one continuous story.
March 2026
My March return to France had a different tone, focused on the French Riviera rather than Paris. I came through Nice Airport (Terminal 1) and explored Nice, Antibes, Villefranche-sur-Mer, and nearby coastal towns. The rhythm was slower and more coastal, with time around Jardin Alsace Lorraine, Promenade des Anglais, and the Quai des Etats Unis.
Highlights this time were less about monuments and more about atmosphere, with stops like St Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral, Albert 1st Gardens, and scenic waterfront areas around Villefranche and Beaulieu-sur-Mer. Compared with 2024, this visit felt less like a checklist and more like settling into the landscape.