Tag: travel

Sunshine In Saint Tropez.

As someone who is a huge fan of Classic Cinema and Blonde Bombshells, one place that I simply had to visit during my stay in Cannes was the stunning, Saint Tropez. This beautiful place was made famous by French’s most famous Film Star, Brigitte Bardot and has also been her home for almost sixty years! 

Sadly, I may not have had the pleasure of seeing BB herself, but, it’s very clear how loved and respected she is by the people of Saint Tropez – her beautiful face is everywhere! One of my favourite French Films is probably Brigitte’s most famous and iconic one; And God Created Woman (1956) and as it was pretty much all shot in Saint Tropez, it was a pretty incredible experience to literally walk in the Sex Kitten’s iconic footsteps. I bet when Roger Vadim and Brigitte were making this movie over sixty years ago, they had no idea of the huge impact they were going to have on this small little fishing village!

One of the things I really wanted to see whilst in Brigitte’s chosen home was the Musée De La Gendarmerie Et Du Cinema, also known as The Gendarmerie and Cinema Museum. Currently showing there until January 2018 is the, Brigitte Bardot; Myth Of Saint Tropez, which is a whole photography exhibition dedicated to BB herself. This was an amazing experience for me to witness and it also featured a few of Brigitte’s actual film clothing, an original portrait and autographs! My only criticism was I wish it had been bigger – the more BB the better! Sadly, I realized after visiting that there was a second floor in the building which also featured a permanent Brigitte section with other French Actresses. Therefore, I may just have to return!

Walking around Saint Tropez in the beautiful sunshine was such a wonderful memory for me, it was truly like a treasure trove, with so many amazing spots to discover. Whilst exploring the streets of Saint Tropez, I stumbled across this incredible Artist, known as Cserg, with most of his work featuring Brigitte and autographed by the lady herself! Sadly, his shop was closed and I didn’t get to meet him, but you should definitely visit his website and appreciated his incredible work. 

However, even if you’re not a BB Fan like myself, Saint Tropez is so aesthetically pleasing and perfect for photographers or scenery lovers. Ultimately, I only wish I’d have been able to have spent more time there as I don’t feel I got to appreciate 100% of what Saint Tropez has to offer. Although, I did see so many amazing things in one afternoon – so, there is a silver lining! 

Overall, I was most definitely impressed with this beautiful village and it without doubt met all of my expectations. It’s truly so heartwarming to see how over half a century later, the citizens recognize how much Brigitte has done for their home and without doubt made it a household name. On Brigitte’s 83rd Birthday, Saint Tropez will be unveiling their sculpture of their Blonde Bombshell, which will reside outside The Gendarmerie and Cinema Museum – a beautiful tribute for a beautiful legend.

Follow me at;

For inquiries or collaborations contact me at;

meganmonroes@icloud.com

The Pink Palace of Dreams; Villa et Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild.

There’s simply no other way of describing this incredible building, it really is a Pink Palace of Dreams. The Villa et Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild is situated in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on the French Riviera and is truly like no other beautiful building I have had the pleasure to witness.

Owned by Baroness Beatrice de Rothschild, the Villa began construction in 1905 and finished seven years later in 1912. Furthermore, nine gardens surround this incredible historical beauty, which features a stunning fountain display and quite possibly the most beautiful roses I have ever smelt and seen. To say this home is a Paradise would simply be an understatement, therefore, a huge thank you must be given to the lady herself, Beatrice, for donating this unique beauty to Institut de France when she passed in 1934, making it open to the public.

It’s almost surreal when walking around this living dream to think that originally, the Villa was a home and the Baroness Beatrice lived, ate and slept here daily for many years! If I was fortunate enough to live in a place like this I don’t think I’d ever leave, it’s just too beautiful and awe inspiring to not be appreciated and explored on an everyday basis.

Dreams aside, we really picked the perfect day to visit, with it being in the height of Summer and the sun shining all day long. We spent the first half of the day walking through the many amazing gardens, each having a specific theme and style, until we arrived at the front of the Villa. Due to walking through the gardens first, I simply assumed I was continuing on through the beautiful scenery, as we arrived at this beautiful statue and long stream. There, right opposite the flowing water, was the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild!

After following the stream down towards the Villa and watching the fountain display, Laura and I went inside the Baroness Beatrice’s home. Amazingly, we were allowed to take photos through all of the rooms and I’m sure you will agree when I say the building is truly a work of art. It’s so wonderful to see how well preserved and looked after the Villa is, plus, I’m sure Beatrice would be very proud of how the Institut de France have kept the authenticity of her property.

I found it very special to have the privilege to learn about Beatrice and her life whilst walking around the surroundings in her home. She seemed like a woman most definitely ahead of her time and I loved hearing about her unique ways and quirky behaviour, she definitely left her mark on the world! Beatrice had amassed an amazing collection of porcelain dinnerware, so much so that whole rooms were dedicated to these beauties! Furthermore, within her home she even owned items that belonged to Marie Antoinette!

It’s clear to anyone witnessing the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild that Beatrice’s favourite colour was pink, not only is it the colour of her home but, it features prominently throughout the interiors, with lots of feminine decor. As pretty and pink is definitely my style, I did fall even more in love with the historical building. However, if this isn’t your thing, then fear not – with the Villa overlooking the Bay of Villefranche and the Bay of Beaulieu, plus it being situated 10 kilometers from Nice and Monaco – you definitely will see and have many wonderful experiences!

I can’t thank Laura and Paul enough for introducing me to this amazing place and arguably the most beautiful building I’ve ever seen. I truly hope I will be able to go back and visit again someday!

Follow me at;

For inquiries or collaborations contact me at;

meganmonroes@icloud.com

Carry on Cannes.

If someone had told me a year ago, that I’d be travelling to France and staying in Cannes for almost a week, I’d have never believed it in a million years. However, thanks to my amazing friends, Laura and Paul, that dream became a reality and in July 2017, I visited France for the first time in nineteen years!

As someone who adores Old Hollywood – I’m sure that’s not new information, Cannes is a filled with history from the Golden Age of Cinema. Films like To Catch A Thief (1955) and Stars like Brigitte Bardot are instantly linked to the beautiful French Rivera with the Cannes Film Festival still being one of the hottest events in the world of Movies. Therefore, getting to visit such an incredible place was simply beyond amazement and you guessed it, I became the ultimate Tourist, which is great if you’re a Blogger like myself, or you appreciate Amateur Photography.

For the six full days we were there, we stayed in Cannes and used it for our home base for when we weren’t travelling around seeing other amazing locations. If you know anything about the French Rivera, you’ll be aware that there’s a so many places to visit and let’s just say we definitely made the most of our short but sweet Holiday! I shall be writing a mini series of posts on the places we visited during our time in France, with each one focusing on a specific destination. So of course, it’s only natural that I start the first chapter with the beauty that is Cannes!

We stayed in a lovely apartment in a huge hotel that was only a fairly short walk away from the main attraction – La Croisette. This street is home to many designer stores, beautiful bakeries and of course, just a hugely famous place called the InterContinental Carlton Hotel, which you may have heard of. As you can probably guess, it’s most definitely aimed at the rich and famous, but don’t be deterred if you can’t buy anything – window shopping is always free and pretty fun!

There are so many unique and incredible sights to see at the main tourist attraction in Cannes, La Croisette. Not only is there an absolutely stunning beach, well actually, there’s multiple – the Carlton does have it’s own private beach where a 19 year old Brigitte Bardot caused a huge sensation in 1953. However, the public one which I experienced, is very appealing also. Furthermore, just a few yards away from the beach is where the iconic Cannes Film Festival is held each year at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrés, an admittedly fairly mundane building for such a grand event. Sadly, the Festival is held earlier in the Summer, so I didn’t see any Celebrities. However, the building features many hand prints and signatures of huge stars, all on the floor around the building – so, major silver lining!

If you continue walking right to the end of La Croisette, you get to admire arguably one of the most incredible murals I’ve personally been fortunate enough to witness. Unfortunately the name of this hugely talented Artist is unknown, as is the name of this very famous work, so Hollywood Film Legends shall have to do. Being that Cannes is known for it’s world famous Film Festival, it’s only fitting that the town is full of amazing murals, scattered around in the most random of places! The Hollywood Film Legends piece resides opposite a handful of Bus Stops, yes, you really did just read that! This beautiful work truly leaves you in a state of awe and amazement, so many of my favourites feature; Marilyn, Jessica Rabbit, Cyd Charrise, Fred Astaire, Lauren Bacall and Humprhey Bogart – you name it and they’re on it! 

Although this mural is without doubt, one of my favourite artworks I’ve ever seen, the one I was most looking forward to witnessing and have truly loved for many years, is of course The Marilyn Mural. Featured on the Cannes Riveria Hotel, I think it’s fair to say this is a hugely iconic feature in the French Riviera and the photos simply do not do it justice. As someone who is hugely fussy with Marilyn Artworks, I can hand on my heart confirm that this one simply has no flaws – it is beyond perfect and one hundred percent does Marilyn justice. 

Having Cannes as our home for six days was simply a dream come true and I can’t wait to share with you all the incredible places we got to visit during our stay in the idyllic French Riviera!

Follow me at;

For inquiries or collaborations contact me at;

meganmonroes@icloud.com

A Blonde In Barcelona.

Barcelona is known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and after being fortunate enough to visit it last week, I can most definitely agree with that statement! Best known for being the home to Gaudí’s incredible creations, Barcelona is an architectural enthusiasts dream and definitely worthy of the term aesthetically pleasing!

Personally, if I’m lucky enough to be able to visit a new City or Country, I like to make the most of each day and see as much as I possibly can. I think it’s safe to say I am the definition of a sight seeing lover of all things tourist related. Europe is probably my favourite place to visit and explore, so discovering Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter was an absolute dream!

The first day of my visit was spent seeing the beautiful city itself and what is the best way to do that? A Sight Seeing Tour Bus! I honestly think this is such a wonderful invention and whoever came up with this idea – thank you. This is a great way to discover all the wonders of any place you’re visiting and learning which are the best spots to experience. Plus, as I was only there for four nights, it was wonderful to be able to see places I sadly wouldn’t have the time to visit, such as the incredible Park Güell. A week has gone by and I’m still upset that I missed out on visiting this masterpiece! After familiarizing ourselves with the wonders that Barcelona has to offer, we stopped for some lunch in Barcelona’s Hard Rock Cafe, a restaurant truly like no other!

Continuing my adventures in Barcelona, Saturday was spent visiting without doubt, the main attraction and one of the most famous buildings on Earth; La Sagrada Familia. Gaudí’s most famous work began development in 1882 and encase you’re not aware, (I wasn’t..) is still being built! Funnily enough, as soon as I spotted the towers through the trees, I noticed the construction scaffolding and thought to myself, “Great, the one time I get to see one of the most amazing buildings on earth, it’s being renovated.” Little did I know construction is not going to be complete until 2026 – one hundred years after Gaudí’s passing.

Just being able to view this masterpiece in reality was without doubt an experience like no other, the intricate details and unique design leaves you in absolute awe. Gaudí devoted 43 years of his life to creating La Sagrada Familia, he even went so far as moving into the building! Now that is what I call dedication. Each piece of the Minor Basilica has a story to tell, with the front depicting the Crucifixion of Christ and the back showing the Birth of Christ, with each part of the monument displaying the moments which lead to these life changing moments.

The interior of La Sagrada Familia was inspired by nature, with each of the columns representing trees and branches. The ceiling is designed with geometric shapes and the four evangelists are pictured on the columns in the centre of the Church. Each detail has been intricately thought out and designed by Gaudí and the time and effort put in to creating this masterpiece is truly incredible. It’s poignant to think by the time of Gaudí’s death less than a quarter of his creation had been constructed.

Ultimately, it’s wonderful to see Gaudí’s incredible work all around Barcelona, my favourite building of his being the absolutely beautiful Caso Batlló. It’s something truly unique and the pastel colours which dominate the overall detail is just spectacular! If I’m ever fortunate enough to return to Barcelona, I hope to go inside the building and spend some quality time viewing it.

Barcelona is filled with so much incredible aestheticism, even the simplest building look like works of art, it has to be one of the most photo worthy places on earth and in all honesty, my photos don’t do it justice!

Where are your special places to visit? Do you have a favourite Gaudí creation?

Follow me at;

For inquiries or collaborations contact me at;

meganmonroes@icloud.com