Antibes is another seaside town that started off as a fishing and trading center, only to turn into a resort area in the 19th century when wealthy Europeans began building summer homes. 16th-century ramparts surround the town. We caught the Marché Provençal on place Masséna in the old town. Among the slew of artists and […]
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Along the Côte d’Azur, France
After we left Marseille, we drove south then traveled east along the coast. Since we visited Nice and Monaco last year, we only drove as far east as Antibes then cut up to the Gorge du Verdon. We knew the drive would be picturesque, but this route has back-to-back jaw-dropping views! The Côte d’Azur is […]
St Tropez, France
So this is what all the fuss is about! I expected to be underwhelmed with St. Tropez, but was instead seduced by the charming fishing village-turned-luxe resort town. Artists were the first outsiders to flock to sunny St Tropez. Signac, Matisse and Bonnard all cherished the unique light and churned out a number of masterpieces. […]
Cannes, France
I expected Cannes to be tacky, full of aging, bronzed billionaires toting tiny dogs. While there was a certain element of that, there was also a lot of natural beauty all around. The sea was as arresting as I’d anticipated, and the swath of sand along the shoreline was pristine. The city is quite hilly, […]
Bandol, France
We like Bandol wines, so when we saw the sign by the side of the road, we had one of those “Really?! Really?!” moments. Alas, we did not have time to visit any wineries, but instead wandered through the very miniscule village, along the beaches and the harbor. The colorful seaside homes and crowded harbor […]
Hyères, France
This is the Côte d’Azur’s first resort town. The old town sits atop a hillside, about four km from the sea. The town is very compact with lots of narrow streets and old houses painted in typical Provençal pastels with contrasting doors and shutters. Famous residents included Robert Louis Stevenson, who lived at the Grand […]
