After experiencing snow in the middle of spring, I was in dire need of sunshine so decided to head to the French Riviera or la Côte d'Azur for a bit of sun, sea and not a lot of sand. With too much to see on one of the normal weekend breaks, Easter seemed like the perfect amount of time to chill and hop on the trains up and down the coast.
Arriving on Friday morning (6 April 2007), the first thing that I did was walk out on the balcony of my hotel room and look at the sea. Gorgeous blueness and the small of sea air immediately assaulted my senses and filled me with a sense of Summer, which had me gabbing my things to head to the beach and explore the town. That evening I fell in love with the gorgeous streetside cafes, laid back waiters and carafes filled with frisky French wine.
After a morning run and the obligatory espresso (I never realised what an Italian influence there is here), I headed to Cannes in search of the chic side of the Côte d'Azur. Chic beach cafes made me want to while away the afternoon over a lazy bottle of wine, but I decided to explore the promenade and shoppers heaven more.
Leaving Cannes and the home of the infamous film festival, we headed for Grasse. Grasse, the home of perfume proved less luxurious in appearance, but after a tour of the Fragonard perfumery, I left on a cloud of Jasmine after managing to resist buying some perfume. We then wound our way up into the mountains towards the town of Gourdon, which is literally perched on a rocky outcrop. Liz (a South African girl that I met en route) and I explored the medieval cobbled streets before finding a littlecafe over looking the valley for some vin rouge and tapas type meal. Satiated from lunch, we then headed for the Provencal town of St Paul de Vence for an hour or two exploring the paved streets and art galleries of this gorgoeusly quaint fortified town. After exploring, we settled at a little cafe for an apperitif and to watch the locals playing petonque. Little did we know that we would be drawn into a game, which proved rather amusing.
Sunday Morning, I headed out on a train along the spectacular coastline between Nice and Monaco, glimpsing the ancient villages and modern marinas as we trundled by. The Bay and Citadelle of Villefranche was a gorgeous and worthwhile stop, before I jumped off at Eze. This medieval village perched on a hill, with its artisan shops and breathtaking views was really something. Really just enjoyed strolling around the town, before taking a guided tour of a perfumery. Boarding the train again, I headed for the Old Town of Monaco to see the Palace, A.F.C. and catch the legendary Changing of the Guards. The Grand Prix circuit and Casino Square in Monte Carlo made me dream of fast cars and James Bond. Hmm..
My final day was spent chilling on a lounger, sun shining and with book in hand and cocktails on call. This is the life.
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