French Riviera (June)

We moved out of Villa Maye to base ourselves in the heart of old town Antibes. We planned to spend the week working on our projects. So it wasn't quite vacation week. I had fantasies of doing some serious writing during the day and in the evenings we'd go out and enjoy Antibe's vibrancy and beauty. When we saw our new place we immediately realized what a mistake it was to move out of Villa Maye. The new place was so tiny (appropriately named Le Petite Masion) and even though the owner had gone to great pains to decorate the place with interesting art and foreign acquisitions, it lacked the class and elegance we had enjoyed. The best feature was its location.

We were steps away from everything! The Antibes produce market, boulangeries, cafés, the ramparts, wine, everything we could want  - just around the corner from us. I loved going out to get my morning croissant - always still warm - every morning while Daryl made the coffee. We breakfasted out in the tiny upstairs terrace, grateful to be able to see blue sky above us.

Daryl was pretty disciplined about working on his research projects during the day. I, on the other hand, experimented with spending my days doing whatever the heck I felt like doing. During the school year my days are extremely structured and quite intense. There are always numerous unfinished tasks and many more that required planning. So having a week in which I could decide how to spend each moment was quite a luxury. Since we'd been to Antibes many times in the past, there weren't any urgent "tourist have-to-do's" either. I usually started each day at the market, marveling at the many cheeses, breathing in the aromas of the summer fruit, admiring the deep colors of the vegetables, sampling the many tapenades. I could never get enough of the place. I roamed the pedestrianized streets of the old town, stopped for gelato, considered purchasing provencal linen, and later in the day I'd rest up in our little apartment.

In the late afternoon Daryl and I would go to the beach and swim in the pleasantly cool water. I can never get over how sensational the experience is - not just the feel of the water, but also the beautiful views all around - the Alps in the distance, the curve of the coastline, the old stone fort, the masts of the yachts, the color of the calm Mediterranean.

After a swim, we'd shower, get dressed, and seek out a place to enjoy an aperitif. Old town Antibes buzzed with tourists and locals. Outdoor cafés were full of atmosphere. Sitting beside a fountain or in a big square full of other people enjoying aperitifs is one of the great joys of European cities.

Sipping a kir at the Royal Hotel Café right on the beach is my idea of sheer indulgence. Ambivalence tends to plague us during these occasions, though - glamor doesn't fit our self-images.

My friend, Venita, who lived in Nice for  a number of years and now lives in Paris, happened to be on the Cote d'Azur while I was there. We met up for lunch in Nice on a perfect summer Saturday. Over Chez Thereza'a socca at the Nice market on Cours Saleya, we had a good old chat about our lives in the last year. She was not her usual bubbly self, and confessed that she'd been out partying all night. After a full day of meetings in Monaco, she and her work colleagues had gone bar hopping all night. At each bar they shared a bottle of champagne and only returned to their hotel rooms at 5:00 A.M.! Talk about a life of glamor!!


Sauntering through the Old Town of Nice is most rewarding. It has a most distinctive character. I love its Belle Epoque architecture, its magnificent squares, its specialty cuisine, and of course, its huge outdoor market which draws crowds of people. I returned to Nice a few days later to immerse myself again in its quaintness. After meandering through the narrow, cobbled lanes of the center I braved the heat and walked up to the Colline du Chateau. From up at the top the views are sensational. The Baie de Anges sparkles in all its azure glory just like the tourist brochures declare. You can see the pebbly beach and the Promenade de Anglais stretching along the coast. As you follow the coastline you can see Cap d'Antibes protruding into the sea. Enormous hotels line the promenade, and the white dome of the Hotel Negresca juts out most prominently.

Cathedrale St. Reparaté

As you fight the crowds through the narrow streets of Nice you inevitably end up in front of this gorgeous baroque cathedral in a very busy square called Place Rosetti. I enjoyed a fine Nicoise meal beside a fountain in a quieter square to round off my Nice visit.

Tourists absolutely suffocate this town. I realized that this is because of the huge hotels along the Promenade de Anglais. Antibes and other neighboring Riviera towns don't have many hotels and can therefore maintain more of their charm. Driving in and out of Antibes, though, is no fun at all. The roads are jam-packed making it a real headache to get anywhere by car. The public transportation within the towns are fine, but intercity connections are infrequent and inefficient.

The sad truth is that the French Riviera is the vacation destination of just too many people. As a result it is overdeveloped, overcrowded, and the roads are always congested.

Sospel

We whiled away a few hours in this cute mountain hamlet called Sospel. Just an hour's drive from Nice along winding mountain roads, it feels utterly remote. With its mountain backdrop, interesting architecture spanning a few centuries, and the River Bévéra bisecting the town, Sospel is quite picturesque. After a stroll through the quiet streets, we had a leisurely lunch at a café beside the river.

We had studied the menus of all the restaurants along this stretch and were dismayed at the lack of vegetarian options. The place we settled for had homemade pasta with vegetables. Unfortunately the pasta was stodgy with no sauce to compensate. But we did enjoy the bread and wine. And the setting, of course.

On our last evening in Antibes we hiked around the cap one last time. The beauty, the temperature, the air, the smells, sounds, colors, light - I wished I could bottle it all up. Afterwards we found a spot beside the water to enjoy a picnic dinner. We have picnicked out here many times in the past, and it always feels just as magical as the first time. Across the turquoise water we could see Antibes town, and Nice in the distance. We munched the regional specialty - pissaladiére -and salad in contentment.

Two weeks was definitely the right amount of time to enjoy this area. We were ready to move on to the next destination.

Antibes in June

What is it that draws us again and again to this part of the French Riviera? We fantasize about setting down roots here, living out our retirement years immersed in the dreamworld of the South of France. I first visited this area twenty years ago when I backpacked around Europe. I chose Nice as a destination because my South African friend Venita lived there at the time. Venita, unfortunately, had been away in South Africa the week I'd arrived. But, thoughtful, sweet person that she is, she had arranged for her friends, all graduate students at the University of Nice, to look after me. In those four days, with Sandrine and Jean Francois as my guides, I wandered through the vibrant streets of Nice in a state of dazed stupor. I hadn't prepared myself for the Riviera's magic. How could I not have realized that this had been the home of Matisse and Chagall and F. Scott Fitzgerald? Famous places like Monaco and Cannes were here. Ever since that trip, the Cote d'Azur has been like a magnet to me. Naturally, Daryl has fallen under its spell too.

Typically we book a vacation rental somewhere close to Nice/Antibes for a week and spend each day exploring a different part of the area. Relatives usually stay with us and our days tend to be absurdly busy. So many exquisite towns, such a lot of breathtaking countryside, and of course lots of beaches, hikes, museums, the list goes on and on. When the week is over we heave regretful sighs, wishing we'd had more time to just hang out and soak up the beauty around us. So this time we decided to spend two weeks here, basing ourselves in Antibes.

On the last day of school - June 7 - I jetted across the Atlantic and arrived at the Nice Airport in the middle of the night. Daryl, who had arrived earlier in the day, was there to pick me up and take me to our accommodation. We stayed at Villa Maye, midway between Cap d'Antibes and Le Vieil Antibes (the old town). The owners live on the ground level and rent out the very tastefully decorated upstairs. We had spacious rooms, a well equipped kitchen, and a fantastic terrace for outdoor dining. The beach was a five minute walk from here.

Plage Salis was the closest beach to us. To reach the center of Antibes we walked along this beach and  up the ramparts. The views from here are fantastic. We could see the snowcapped Alps in the distance. Expensive yachts bob on the water and the old fort squats over at the other end like a giant punctuation mark.

In our first week we were surprised at the very mild temperatures. It was the second week of June and in the past we've always found the daytime temperatures a tad too high. The cooler days were perfect for walks down and around the cap and for exploring the town.

Troy and Jon were with us during our first week in Antibes. This was our opportunity to spend quality time together.

Our typical day went something like this:
Coffee and croissant on the terrace (Daryl nipped out to the bakery every morning); then a morning hike - mainly around the cap; back home for lunch - fruit, baguette, cheese; siesta; afternoon stroll or drive to some nearby attraction; back home for aperitifs with olives; long dinner which was, of course, accompanied by good French wine.

Trail along Cap d'Antibes

Exploring the cap was a highlight of that first week. Around the tip of the peninsula the coast is very rugged. A well defined trail, paved much of the way, makes it really easy to enjoy this most stunning part of Antibes. As you walk around you are treated to different views. The water changes from green to turquoise to blue. There are many hidden coves along the steep cliffs. Far away from traffic and modern sounds you hear just the lapping of the waves and rustling of leaves.

Jardin Thuret

On the way to the cap from Villa Maye there is a botanical garden called Jardin Thuret. This place was set up as an experiment to grow exotic trees. We strolled through these peaceful gardens and saw enormous cycads and eucalyptus. Walking along these roads on the cap you see some impressive estates. We were reminded of the homes in Montecito, with similar landscaping. Purple and red bougainvillea draped walls and other familiar Mediterranean vegetation grew in the pampered gardens.

In the early evening we sat in the garden sipping rosé. If the owners were around they would strike up a conversation with us in their limited English. They had lived abroad in various African and Latin American countries for many years and had lots of interesting stories to share.

We made meals in the spacious, modern kitchen with produce acquired at Antibes's famous bountiful market. White asparagus was still in season so it featured in quite a few meals. We splurged on some good red wines and a couple bottles of champagne since we were in a celebratory mood. I bought a selection of cheeses (mainly chèvre) and olives from the market. Crusty baguette was always on hand to sop up the sauces on our plates. Great food, divine wine, animated conversation, and the opera Simon Bocanegra in the background made these evenings quite special. Of course, sitting out in the terrace, the sun lingering until 9:00, and the temperature just perfect helped with the sought after ambience.

Fondation Maeght in St. Paul de Vence

We drove into St. Paul de Vence one afternoon to visit the Fondation Maeght. This village, like pretty much all Provencal villages, sits atop a hill and looks stunning as you approach it. The central cathedral sticks out from the middle and the rest of the medieval buildings huddle around the main square. Inside the walls the cobbled streets are pedestrianized. From here there are jaw dropping views of the Mediterranean.

St. Paul de Vence

The Fondation Maeght is a modern art museum just outside the village of St.Paul de Vence.

We enjoyed strolling through the gardens, marveling at the enormous Miro sculptures. The front garden displays Giacometti sculptures and primes you for the modern art inside the building designed by a Catalan architect (Josep Lluis Sert). There are works by Bonnard, Chagall, and Braque, as well as exhibitions of contemporary artists. We were a bit disappointed because a lot of the permanent displays had been put away to make room for some contemporary American artist that we didn't care for.
Still, we enjoyed our visit and it made going up to St. Paul de Vence a lot more meaningful.

Another excursion we went on was a drive to the Grand Canyon du Verdon.

Grand Canyon du Verdon

We drove inland via Grasse (famous for perfumes) through mountainous landscape and pastoral countryside to the Grand Canyon du Verdon. Along the way we stopped at a goat farm to buy cheese for a picnic lunch. We felt like travelers rather than tourists when we followed the hand made sign pointing the way to "Fromage". We followed a narrow, rutted road and came to an old stone farmhouse. A herd of goats were resting in a corral. A few ducks clucked at us and a shaggy dog barked in annoyance. The baldheaded farmer appeared and escorted us to a small refrigerated room where he kept his home-made cheeses. When we pointed to the two we wanted he insisted we taste them first. He flashed a bright smile at our expressions and carefully wrapped up our purchases - a fresh, creamy one and an aged, crumbly one. We also bought a dozen eggs. I mean who can resist fresh eggs? Back in the car we continued on our route, eyes peeled for the perfect picnic spot. This appeared pretty soon.

As if on cue we spotted an old stone bridge, with a gentle stream flowing underneath. It came complete with a parking spot, lots of pretty trees, and not a human around. Could we ask for anything more picturesque? We had brought baguette and fruit with us, so the chèvre balanced out our meal.

Back on the road after lunch we started to see glimpses of the gorge.

We stopped at the many viewpoints to take in the beauty and capture the magic on film.



This stunning gorge, about 700 meters deep, has steep limestone cliffs and the river down below is turquoise.

We went to the restaurant at the "balcony" and sat on the terrace. Over refreshingly chilled beer we took in the incredible beauty of the French Grand Canyon.

We spent a most enjoyable afternoon/evening in what I think is the most romantic town in the world: Villefranche sur mer. This tiny medieval hamlet is just a joy to stroll through. Much of it is perched on cliffs with the Mediterranean just down below. Orange and pink pastel hotels and restaurants line the waterfront. Bright bougainvillea spills down the banks and small boats anchored at the little harbor add to the charm.

After a stroll along the ramparts and under the medieval arches and through the town we sat beside the water and enjoyed aperitifs. Later we dined at one of the waterfront restaurants, seated at a table right at the water's edge. It was pure magic. As usual the temperature was perfect. Troy, Jon, Daryl, and I enjoyed a pasta dinner and chilled wine in this unforgettable setting. The food wasn't anything special, but the experience certainly was.

The week came to an end too quickly and Troy and Jon returned to England.