Living in the UK, weather is infamously our favorite subject to make small talk about.
Living in Scotland you just get used to (usually) having more or less just one season throughout the year.
Going abroad for some sun becomes that extra special.
Going abroad for some sun in the winter months goes beyond the ‘extra special’.
For the last three years I have been very fortunate to spend a little time in February/March exploring a small town of Frejus in Côte d’Azur and having just returned from this wonderful place again, wanted to share my five reasons for why you should be booking your tickets for next February NOW!
Coffee.
Because you’re guaranteed a good cup of coffee and a nice bun wherever you place your hat.
Croissants, pain au chocolat, tropezienne, lemon meringues and a vast variety of other beautiful desserts await to accompany your fragrant cup of joe.
I usually claim to not have the sweetest of teeth, but certain places have definitely got me dreaming of cake and South of France is one of them.
Some coffee-related tips - do not order a ‘noisette‘ hoping for a hazelnut-flavoured drink, be careful of ordering just hot milk with syrup instead of a latte and a cup of espresso with the tiniest dash of milk instead of a latte (can you tell I like a latte?).
To be fair, I could probably write a whole blog post about food in general (a lot of amazing, fresh seafood and vegetables), but maybe another day.
Weather.
Bar a rogue ‘Beast from the East’, end of February/beginning of March see this region bask in some gorgeous sun. We enjoyed temperatures of 17/22C during the day and, of course, paraded around wearing short sleeves and tights-less legs.
You are likely to spot locals wearing furs and UGGs well into spring, but don’t be fooled, for us, Northern folk, summer is here!
Children.
This may or may not be of interest, but if you have children and decide to take them with (you may fancy an adult’s-only holiday here - I think the place is well-suites for either!), you won’t stick.
Not quite as warm to the little guys as we found Lisbon (to be fair, the Portuguese were probably unbeatable!), but you never feel unwanted or not welcome.
Nobody bats an eyelid when your little hurricane is making noise or a mess. People are generally very curious and pleasant to anyone with a child and the kids themselves.
We often found ourselves in ‘conversation’ with passers by (we don’t really speak French, so a lot of nodding and ‘oui’s) about the toddler and baby alike!
Carnivals.
The first time we went, it was an accident.
It just sounded intriguing and we had nothing better to do.
The next time we went, we planned the trip around it!
February/March is the season of winter carnivals in the South of France.
You can take your pick from the Nice Carnival, Fête du Citron, Fête du Mimosa
There are parades, floats, hot air balloons, avalanches of confetti and an abundance of flowers!
Take your pick from the festivals and events within them, I felt like a kid again every time we went.
Yellow.
Of course, the turquoise of the sea along the coast is world-renown.
Did you know that Azur in ‘Côte d’Azur’ stands for the blue?
But in the early months of the year another color explodes and paints the hills of the area.
It is the mimosa yellow.
Mimosa is not just a fancy cocktail, it is a tree that blooms clusters of puffy yellow flowers in winter and in the South of France there are a number of forests lining the hills. The Mimosa Route and Fete du Mimosa celebrate this beautiful plant and - obviously - February is the best time to enjoy the views and fragrances of this magnificent event.
I am a little disappointed that our plans to drive the route and walk one of the forests was scampered due to the baby getting sick, but these things can’t be helped and it just means we’ll have to go back next year!
I am pretty confident that you didn’t even need to read the above to consider Nice, Cannes, St. Tropez, Monaco and the surrounding areas for your next holiday, though, perhaps you wouldn’t have considered travelling there so early in the year.
If you’re seriously thinking about it, I recommend you check out this blog by Gemma Griffiths, the South Wales Family Photographer. It has all the information you will ever need to make your trip easy, memorable and enjoyable!
Chtefan. Photography is a family portrait and commercial business photographer based in Laurencekirk, Aberdeen - Scotland.
I specialise in beautiful, natural photography of newborns, children and families and professional and environmental portraits and headshots.
Chtefan. Photography covers the following areas: Montrose, Inverbervie, Arbroath, Ellon, Westhill, Banchory, greater Aberdeenshire area and available to travel on both national and international assignments.