Colorado comes to France

"One of life's sweetest rewards is the intimacy and joy experienced through the unique fellowship known only to those who abide in Christ."

Ryan and I were gifted with this reward last week when our two dear friends from college spent a week with us in France. Brian and Stacie are their names. Funny huh?! (The guys thoroughly enjoyed the fact that they only had to call out one name when us girls took too long meandering through the shops or snapping the perfect photo.)

Anyway, Brian and Stacie informed us this summer -before we signed and knew where we were going- they were coming to visit us no matter where we ended up. So, from the moment we got off the plane in southern France we've anticipated their arrival. We anticipated not only all the beautiful sights we would discover and explore, but more importantly the laughter and fellowship as that mentioned above. An iron sharpening iron kind of fellowship.

Looking back, it truly was a gift to have them here sharing our home, praying with them and laughing with them.

God knows we needed it. Sadly, when their trip was done, we dropped them off at the train station, but we left feeling encouraged and blessed by their stay.


Now, let me fill you in on some of the amazing sights we saw...

Our "big" trip was a couple days spent down in the French Riviera. It was nothing like we've ever seen before!

We left later in the day after Ryan's basketball tournament and didn't arrive in Nice, France 'til dark. But we found a local pizzeria and indulged ourselves while admiring the city and its' lit-up harbor.

Early the next morning we trekked through the city looking to rent bikes but had no such luck. Instead, we hopped in the car drove along the coast to make our way to Monaco and Italy.

A view of Nice from the top.

Villefranche. This was a gem of a town. Our favorite. Nestled in a quiet bay of turquoise blue water where we took our first dip into the Mediterranean Sea. It is not too touristy and it's quaint character still remains. 

In the morning we drove through Villefranche, but loved it so much we ate dinner in this town on our way home.

After Villefranche, we made our way into Monte Carlo, Monaco. Wealth is really the only word I can think of to describe this place. So wealthy in fact, that I felt the need to change from my wife-beater tank and shorts into a less casual tank and skirt. Or it may have been because we parked in the worst parking lot possible. Our little 1998 Renault was literally surrounded by Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, Astin Martins, Ferraris, and the nicest of Mercedes. 

But we still enjoyed it all while eating our Gelato:)

 

 

Views of Monte Carlo from the top. Breathtaking.

More driving! More sight-seeing!

Entering Italy!

A proud Italian husband glad to be back in his roots.

Another major day trip the four of us made was to a town called Nimes, France. It is a city that dates back to the Roman Empire. 

This is the Maison Carree. A Roman temple dedicated to Agrippa's sons around 19 BC.

The entrance to the Jardins de la Fontaine.

The is the Roman amphitheatre located near the center of the city. It's one of the best preserved Roman arenas in France. They still use it today for bull fights and concerts.

 

We had such a fun adventure with Brian and Stacie! Thanks for visiting us and come again!:)