St Tropez
Saint-Tropez
in France calls to mind glitter and glamour, celebrities, yachts, white sandy
beaches, exclusive clubs and beautiful art all at the same time. The wondrous
little town is located in the South of France along the Mediterranean coast
roughly between Marseille and Nice. In the summer months, Saint-Tropez is
flooded by jet setters from all over the world that come to enjoy a luxurious
holiday. The tourists increase the town’s population by about 10 times in
summer. When you want to be in the middle of it all, and dance the night away
surrounded by celebrities in one of St. Tropez’s famous clubs, the summer
months are the time to visit. However, if you prefer a little peace and quiet
and would like to discover the Saint-Tropez that has attracted so many famous
painters over the years, then make sure to visit the town off-season. Whether
you choose to come in summer or in the other seasons, Saint-Tropez is a town
you simply cannot miss when you visit Southern France!
We
took a ferry from Nice to Saint Tropez and hired a motorbike in St Tropez. We
felt this was the best way to explore the city and of course this was the
highlight of St Tropez for us. I was a bit hesitant to get a bike at first
since we are South African and are at a disadvantage by driving on the left
side of the road. My husband managed to convince me to do it and off we went
exploring the city on the bike and the first turn off we took was on the
highway. That’s right in a foreign city where people drive on the right side of
the road, don’t speak much English and (to be quite honest) are not the
friendliest off we are on the highway with no English signs – quite a laugh. We
somehow managed to take a u-turn and off we went back to the city on the
bicycle lane. I must admit once we were in the old city of St Tropez it was a
breeze riding around town exploring the narrow alleyways, street café’s, luxury
brand stores and once again all the beautiful people. The best part about these
narrow alleyways is that no cars allowed so you surrounded by other bikers and
people walking the streets. We took a walk on the famous promenade covered by
street artists and performers entertaining all the café visitors. We eventually
set off further out and found these amazing wine estates which reminded me a
lot of home (Cape Town); ocean on one side and wine-lands on the other. Again
when you hear of St Tropez you think extravagance, money, materialism, etc and
its only when you go off exploring the street to you find the true beauty.
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| The Castle from the Man in the Iron Mask |
Antibes
After a few days of touring the French Riviera we were in dire need of some rest and relaxation. Anitbes is one of the few places where you can find a sandy beach and a day at the beach was just what we needed. Everything about this quaint
little town is mesmerising. From the walk along the harbour to the numerous
squares that house cute little cafes and restaurants doling out exquisite
dishes, Antibes is magical. We loved it and could fully understand why Pablo
Picasso spent six months in a sea facing Château painting master pieces. The
same Château is now a musuem dedicated to the world-renowned artist where you can see an impressive
collection of his paintings and sketches. Once you have sampled your fair share
of art, walk over to the Provencal market in Cours Massena in the Old Town to
savour some fine food. We found the best ice cream shop in Anitbes with and had
the most delectable pistachio flavoured ice cream on the French Riviera. There
were also some really quirky stores selling fantastic nautical outfits, hats,
haviannas and the most awesome men’s t-shirts.
