Come on girls!

I have lectures everyday apart from Thursdays, so Thursday has become my best day of the week. A day to have a break from learning (academic stuff anyway) and time to explore my surroundings! My housemate, my friend and I took the bus to Juan-les-Pins, a town in the west of Antibes.

Juan-les-Pins: sun, sea and shopping central!

Before heading to the beach, we took a stroll around the town. My American housemate (who speaks French) arrived in France a week before I did and stayed at a hotel in Juan-les-Pins, so he knows the area quite well.

Visiting the hotel: my friend's new best friend!

A beautiful park in the shade.

Even though I didn't have a bikini, I was still tempted to get in the water. I've never seen the ocean so blue before...

Fight the temptation, Gabrielle!

Wow, what a view!

A model in the making.

I'm trying so hard not to be jealous.

Luckily, the crave for food dragged me away.

Galette with cheese.

La Mikado: cream, white chocolate ice cream,

hot chocolate cause and Mikado sticks (oh, and a crêpe).

Complimentary cider (or cidre).

After a 3-hour lecture on Friday, I arranged to meet some family friends in Antibes for dinner who moved from England to the south of France last year. Little did I know how surreal it would feel... And I had the biggest crème brûlée ever.

And, of course, a photo to commemorate the moment.

As the boys had gone to Spain for the weekend, it was up to the girls to go on their own adventure to Nice once again! Our plan for Saturday was to go to Cap 3000, the largest shopping mall in the region. The only problem was we didn't know exactly where it was. We got off the bus, intending to walk and occasionally ask for directions until we found it.

It's like I haven't left England!

But as per usual, We got a bit sidetracked:

Bacon, steak and cheese baguette with homemade chips.

My future yacht.

Three hours later, we arrived at Cap 3000. We must have walked the whole length of Nice. We seriously wanted to kiss the floor when we arrived. My legs were killing me; I went to the toilet just to sit down!

Our final destination - Cap 3000 shopping mall.

It was worth it though:

"Muuuuum, I want this in my bedroom"

With our full tourist looks (camera in hand, gazing at the sights), we were firmly told "no photography allowed". My bad...

Living life the French way!

And so to Sunday, the supposed day of rest... not for us international students. We travel at every chance we get! To celebrate my housemate's birthday, the girls decided to visit "Marineland", an animal exhibition park in Antibes. 

An interesting breakfast: homemade doughnuts, a good attempt 

at making crêpes and microwave-cooked bacon. 

My friend's birthday cake (and our second breakfast).

Humboldt penguin.

South American sea lion.

And pose!

Baryonyx.

Apatosaure.

Coelophysis.

Omnisaure.

Triceratops.

Allosaure.

Triceratops.

It looks like it's singing!

The one and only T-Rex.

Dimetrodon.

Dilophosaure (or the chicken dinosaur to my friends and I)

It was so hot that even the T-Rex was sweating!

The famous Jurassic Park eye.

Our "scared" looks.

Poseidon, king of the ocean.

Titanic!

"I'm flying Jack, I'm flying"

Pingu!

Waddle waddle:

Mum and her pup!

"I can see you..."

The sea lion show (and yep, I got splashed):

Sea lion tricks!

And to my favourite part of the day:

Bottlenose dolphins!

Flips!

They lifted him into the air!

Then they pushed him back to the ledge.

Picture perfect!

My childhood is now complete.

I don't usually like coffee but this is something special!

I'm a turtle!

The real deal.

Dun dun, dun dun

Rrraaaawwrrrr!

A great way to end a great birthday and weekend!

The birthday girl in the middle!