Moving In and Exploring the French Riviera 

The French Riviera is full of beauty and peace, which is what I needed after a long overnight flight from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Nice, France, with little sleep. At the Nice airport I gathered all my luggage and headed for the door labeled sortie (“exit” in French). I was greeted by a member of the CEA CAPA team and she helped me get sorted onto a bus that would take me to my apartment. 

Saying goodbye to Columbus (my home) and preparing to fly to Philadelphia 

Landing in Nice, France 

To my surprise, the apartment is located near the Mediterranean with a beautiful view of the water from the balcony. My roommates moved in shortly after and we got to work unpacking, shopping for home goods, and hunting down a place for dinner. Being in a new country and time zone felt both exhilarating and exhausting. Staying extra hydrated was a must and definitely a recommendation for all future trips.  

Exploring the coastline with my roommates (Photo taken by Robbie Kern) 

As we went shopping, we noticed there are many differences and similarities between the stores here and the ones back home. We started off at a store called Monoprix which is a general food and home goods store. It was divided into two sections with food upstairs and home goods and clothes downstairs. The packaging on everything was slightly different and in French so Google Translate quickly became a helpful tool. We wrapped up the evening with a quick bite of pizza on our way back to the apartment.  

First night in Antibes. We ate local pizza for dinner. 

Over the next few days, we met other students from the CEA CAPA group during orientation and together we all explored Old Town Antibes and the coastline. The beaches are fun and the water is a remarkable blue. Old Town Antibes is lined with shops and all kinds of foods and desserts.  

At the welcome lunch for CEA CAPA students  

A group picture of us CEA CAPA students 

Antibes is a fun place to roam around and explore. I’ve noticed that it is very quiet and peaceful here. The demographic is mostly older retired couples and time seems more relaxed. After 10pm there is very little noise coming from the streets. One thing that has been a real change for me is that people don’t typically eat dinner till later; 7-9pm seems like the norm here.  

Coastline view of Antibes 

Grande Roue Ferris Wheel in Antibes 

I have only been here for a week but it has been a week full of taking in the beauty and tranquility of Antibes. I am looking forward to spending the next few months here and learning more about the culture and history of the French Riviera. From the moment I landed to wandering the streets of Old Town Antibes, I have been amazed by this peaceful and beautiful place.   

Morning sunrise on the first day of school 

The beautiful buildings and streets of old Antibes