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5 Essential Experiences for the South of France

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“Don’t forget to remove the magical France filter when you get home” — statement from one of my travel companions in jest as we all felt every photo seemed to look majestic. Turns out that France is on many people’s travel wish lists for a very good reason.

We were lucky to spend 7 days exploring Nice, Aix-en-Provence, Montpellier and then additional days on the Canal du Midi, Carcassonne, and Marseille….from all of those moments I pulled out 5 that are simply a must not miss {obviously through my filter of loving nature, movement and fun}.5 Must Visit Places in the South of France - great travel tips for what not to miss in the French Riviera

COLLINE DU CHÂTEAU PARK
Nice offers tons of green space throughout the entire city…kinda of a dream place for outdoor fiends like myself. From the Promenande du Paillon which is 12 acres literally through the middle of town to the massive promenade along the water. But what really captured my attention was The Cascade and surrounding park nestled in the hillside and providing panoramic views of the coastline and city.
Nice WaterfallCoastline of NiceOriginally part of a castle the area has been transformed in to a public garden with a waterfall you can see from the seaside, walking paths and large play areas for children. I honestly can’t imagine many free places like this in the US. You can easily walk to the park and depending on your mood enjoy the long hike to the top or take the secret elevator.
Playground at Chataeu ParkRead more about visiting Nice.LOCAL MARKETS
The brilliance of color, the variety of fruits and vegetables, the bouquets of flowers, it all just makes me a little dizzy with possibility…am I the only one who gets this excited for a farmer’s market?!

In each city there is at least one, but frequently 2 or 3 markets running daily. It’s no surprise that locals take full advantage of this shopping for fresh foods a few times a week and absolutely living up to the stereotype of buying their bread daily.

Nice France Farmers MarketFresh lavendar at marketEven if veggies aren’t your thing…they’ve got sweets and treats and local hand made goods. Stop buying cheap souvenirs manufactured in China and take home a real piece of the country. Handmade soap at marketMuCEM
In 2014, Marseille was awarded the European City of the year, which provided them with  funds to build this brand new modern MuCEM {Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations}. The entire city is a contrast of old and new with this being no exception as the MuCEM attaches via a walkway over the water to the Fort Saint Jean built it 1660 as a protection for the harbor. Marseille MuCem and FortThis great shot from my professional photographer friend Viv. Across the bay looking at the MuCem, Old Fort and Cathedral.

Since I’m not generally a museum lover, this might seem like an odd addition to the list…but here’s why:
– spectacular city and water views
– fabulous place to dine atop the museum
– unique art exhibits
– immediate access to explore the fort and nearby St Marie Majeure Cathedral

View of Cathedral from MuCem MarseilleHANDS ON – Soap or Perfume creation
I can’t say I’m enamored with soap or perfume, but when you are in the place which deigns to make the purest, highest quality around…well there is no better way to get excited than with a little hands on workshop!

Just get your nose ready for a little overtime as the scents abound!
Soap MakerIn Nice the Molindard {most sold perfume in the world} perfume store houses a mini museum showing the intense old school process that involved hundreds of women hand pressing flowers to make the original scents. Followed by a small workshop with over 90 ingredients available to develop your own unique scent based on your preferences and how it mixes with your skin. Molinard Perfume CreationIn Marseille, Grande Savonnerie owner showed us the only 3 ingredients needed to make pure soap and then allowed us to craft our own lovely bars. Who knew soap could be so exciting right?!
Marseille Soap MakingThree ingredients: water, sodium and olive oil — my kind of all natural product!! He showed us a small scale version of boiling the ingredients and letting the soap form, but they obviously do it in a large factory setting for true batches.DSC04534After getting the basic soap, it’s time to press it in to shapes {we did squares, hearts and cubes}, then stamp on our messages to make it look official.VINEYARD TOUR
I know I’m not a wine drinker, but I still love visiting vineyards. Particularly the Chateau De Paraza which we encountered during our boat trip down the Canal du Midi.
Chateau de ParazaTwo brothers are currently in the process of helping this long time family company to rebound by expanding in North America, revitalizing the historic home as a future B&B, creating a full blown wine tasting tour area and generally being exceptionally passionate and kind people.The interior of the main buildings is currently being restored and the original finishing’s are phenomenal from painted ceilings to tapestries on the walls…an amazing place that we likely never would have found without our boat tour! Go late in the day when things are quiet and after your wine tasting ask for the special tour…a jeep ride out through the vineyards where their passion is plainly obvious as they tell you the history of the land and all about their new project of beer!French Vineyard
These little moments don’t even touch on all the time you should absolutely spend exploring the old towns in every city! The charming streets will take you back in time and also make you appreciate A/C.Nice Old town

More: Eating with food allergies in France and a quick photo tour of the South of France.

Have you ever been to France? What part?
Is it a bucket list travel place for you?

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Disclosure: RTTF received free travel to France in advance of this post.

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Posted by amanda Categories: France, travel

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Zina Cappiello says

    August 3, 2017 at 3:21 am

    Really nice article on the south of France! I am thinking of going in Mid April 2018. Although I heard it could be quite cold any comments on that time of year to visit?

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SHARE THE ONE that resonates most with you. 🏃‍♀️🏃🏾🏃🏽‍♂️
 
It’s true, I’ll never stop talking about the warm up 😂. But right now the idea that running is HOPEFUL really strikes a chord.💜
 
We show up mile after mile always looking to what’s ahead and what’s possible.
 
Which one hits home for you?
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#runningmotivation #runninginspiration #medalmonday #fitnessmemes #runningmemes #runningquotes #runnerslife #runnerlife
AVOID HITTING THE WALL (save this and review befor AVOID HITTING THE WALL (save this and review before races) -AKA  Bonking. UK friends giggle at that, but it’s a term just like fartlek.
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It’s that painful moment when your mind tells your legs to stop and it feels like there’s nothing you can do to turn the tides. It leaves emotional scars!🥵
 
WHAT TO DO!
1️⃣Train differently - seems obvious, but consistent training that follows a plan which progressively and smartly builds your miles and strength and speed...ya it works.
 
2️⃣Fuel, fuel, fuel - force yourself to eat before races and long runs even if not hungry.
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Starting fueling sooner than you think you need to and keep doing it. During races your body is running on more carbs and needs that steady flow of energy. 
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🧠 Your brain functions on CARBS, stop depriving it or it will tell you to stop running. If food while running is an issue for you, checkout something like @genucan.
 
3️⃣Pacing - Stop going out too fast because you’re excited, it absolutely catches up to you. Ideal is even pacing start to finish.
 
4️⃣Pay attention to your brain. @fitzgerald.matt in How Bad Do You Want it does a great job of showing how the brain can limit performance if you don’t know what’s happening up there.
 
5️⃣Recover better - Stop over training and give your body tools to help it destress from all the work...the best one is SLEEP. I also love @resiliencecbd to help with nerves prior to a race and quality sleep during training.
 
❓❓Helpful?? Have more race day questions?? Or an epic story of hitting the wall?? I wanna know.❓❓
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Thanks to @moxie82co for capturing this weird moment, it worked great for this post.
HIT THOSE HIPS!!! I’ve given you a couple hip mo HIT THOSE HIPS!!! I’ve given you a couple hip mobility workouts, now we add strength!
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🥳For the next 30 days in the Virtual Run Club we’ll be going hard on all the pre-hab work for hips, glutes and abs. Because running isn’t just about the miles.
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That’s one of the reasons I’ve been consistently doing @insidetracker bloodwork since 2015.
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It’s helped me identify low Vitamin D causing fatigue or catch my wayyy high cortisol to embrace easy runs as key part of the process.
📌 (Save this post because the last screen has a 25% off discount code and you can get free access to the 30 Day March Challenge.)
👉LINK IN BIO FOR BOTH
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3 CORE MOVES
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You can use these as a progression or do all three, they’ll target the hips, glutes and core in different ways with each variation.
 
Aim for 15 reps prior to a run or do multiple rounds as part of a workout!
 
1️⃣Side Plank Kneeling Hip Raise - Really focus on your core engaging to raise up and keeping your elbow under your shoulder.
 
2️⃣Side Plank Kneeling Leg Raise - Again core should be tight to keep hips lifted, not sagging towards the ground. Then focus on your hip and glute to raise the top leg.
 
3️⃣Straight Leg Side Plank Leg Raise - Engage the core to keep hips high and press the bottom foot in to the ground to really engage your glutes. Slow and steady to remain stable while raising and lowering top leg.
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Let go of the pace.
Let go of the distance.
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Just run.
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Where in the world are you running today?
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EMOJI POLL: Round or no? ⏰ give me whole numbers EMOJI POLL: Round or no?
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