Visiting Nice during Carnival

If you are following me on Instagram you could have caught a glimpse of Nice Carnival when I used Instagram Live for the first time. It was not the only reason to visit Nice but Carnival played an important role in making our visit even more special. Coming from London where winter sunny days are rare it was so inspiring just to see the mediterranean colours of the buildings and to fuel my mind and body with some sun.

The above view over the old city of Nice is from Castel Hill - it's possible to take a free lift or climb the stairs to go up.

I couldn't get enough of the colours of Nice Old Town - it's narrow streets and brightly coloured facades that reflect the colours and style of Sardinian architecture.

I have to be honest - I don't normally like big crowds of people and was a bit sceptical in the beginning about visiting Nice Carnival. I was surprised how well it was organised and how much fun it turned out to be! We visited on the day of Light Festival. It lasts for 2 weeks and there's also a Flower Parade and lots of other events - more info can be found here.

I was a guest of Cote d'Azur tourism. All opinions are my own. We stayed in Hotel Ellington that has a perfect central location - a few minutes walk from the old town and Nice Carnival events.

Beautiful Dordogne Valley Part 1

A few weeks ago when it was still warm and sunny I had an opportunity to explore Dordogne valley - an area in south-western France most known for medieval castles, historic villages and beautiful landscapes. I have been to many other regions of France before but I was truly amazed how unique and untouched by modern architecture this area is!

The first village that I visited, Collonges-la-Rouge is the only village in Dordogne valley that is entirely built with red sandstone.

Curemonte, it's castles and cows :)

The village of Carennac was occupied from the Gallo-Roman period and early Middle Ages. Many buildings were destroyed during the Hundred Years war but some have survived from as early as 11th century!

Rocamadour is probably one of the most visited villages in the region as it has been an important pilgrimage destination for centuries. The village also has a beautiful setting climbing up a cliff side. Flights of steps ascend from the lower town to the churches, built half-way up the cliff. The pilgrimage church of Notre Dame contains a wooden Black Madonna that became famous for its healing powers and soon became a popular stop on the pilgrimage path to Santiago de Compostela.

I have so many photos from this trip that I had to divide them into 2 posts! Second post to follow very soon.