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French Italian villages near Monaco.

August 3, 2013 by David Herd

Beautiful French Italian villages only 30 minutes to the Côte d’Azur.

French Italian villages near Monaco, one of them Saorge is a very beautiful  village perched along a narrow rock spur that juts out into the Vallée de la Roya, high above the river. Saorge is classed as one of the “40 most beautiful villages of France“. The main village streets traverse narrowly between the buildings at very different levels, with smaller streets and steps leading up and down between them. The view from anywhere in the village is spectacular, looking outward to snow-capped mountains in the middle distance (into May and June) and the deep gorge and rushing white-water river below. My best travel tip for this area is to base yourself in the central village of Breil Sur Roya, from here you can easily reach all the wonderful surrounding villages similar to SaorgeSaorge is 11 km north of Breil Sur Roya where we were based. There are so many interesting French & Italian villages north of Monaco, you can spend weeks exploring this area.

Saorge, one of the beautiful French villages

French Italian villages near Monaco

One of my best trips was staying in Breil Sur Roya in the south of France, 45 minutes north of Monaco. Our landlord was Riny Doyle, who rents a cute 2 bedroom apartment in the village where we stayed, he has a 2 rooms B&B in his villa called l’Abricot. Riny  invited us on a couple of occasions to sample some local cuisine and barbecue at the “villa“, Riny & Susan are wonderful hosts, their hospitality was fantastic, I hope to visit them at Breil again sometime in the future. This is certainly one of the nicest French Italian villages near Monaco.

Riny Doyle’s home in Breil Sur Roya.

French Italian villages near Monaco

A beautiful setting foe a memorable lunch.

Lunch with Riny & Susan

French Italian villages near Monaco

Many thanks to Riny & Susan for their wonderful hospitality.

Riny’s B & B at Breil Sur Roya.

French Italian villages near Monaco

This is the great outdoor kitchen at one of Riny Doyle’s B & Bs on top of the mountain in Breil Sur Roya.

The French and Italian rail lines run through Breil so it is very easy to travel anywhere. There is a great market every Friday at Ventimiglia on the border 30 minutes drive or 20 minutes by train from Breil.  The lovely French village of Breil-sur-Roya is particularly known for trout fishing. The Roya river runs through town and is open to trout anglers from March to September. Part of the trout run is reserved for fly-fishing. Trout anglers share the river with white water rafters, another popular local sport. The streets are narrow and many of the old houses are nicely restored or truly ancient. On the main square you’ll find many buildings painted with trompe-l’oeil scenes. The heart of the town is the narrow old streets parallel to the river, lined with high buildings, and the even narrower connecting streets (ruelles) that pass as tunnels through the buildings.

Lunch with Riny

French Italian villages near Monaco

Riny was a great host, an Aussie who has lived in Europe for many years.

Looking across the lake in Breil Sur Roya

French Italian villages near Monaco

The village sits beside the lake below the mountains.

View from our apartment

French Italian villages near Monaco

The photo above is the view of Breil Sur Roya taken from the balcony of Riny Doyle’s 2 bedroom apartment.

Jodie O’Neill & Deborah Holliday

French Italian villages near Monaco

The girls are happy after their shopping spree at the Ventimiglia market.

Here is a video clip of Riny’s B & B.  

Riny's Bed & Breakfast in the South of France.
 

Airole

French Italian villages near Monaco

  One of the nicest French Italian villages 14 km south of Breil and 14 km north of Ventimiglia on the coast is Airole. A beautiful Italian medieval village with a population of 461, it has a delightful town square where the locals meet to chat, play chess & enjoy a vino or an espresso.

Cold beer in Airole.

 French Italian villages near Monaco

Enjoying a beer in the village square.

Australian blonds drinking wine in Italy

For a good room rate in this area just book through THIS LINK.

French Italian villages Roya Valley.

French Italian villages near Monaco

The Upper Roya Valley begins at the Col de Tende (1871 m) on the French-Italian border. It runs south about 35 km to Breil-sur-Roya and then another 8 km to where it crosses back into Italy. (The Lower Roya Valley flows into the Mediterranean at Ventimiglia.) The Upper Roya Valley is a region of mountains and valleys, with swift rivers, thick forests, and villages with an Italian flavor.

La Brique

French Italian villages near Monaco

The village is both pretty and interesting, with colorful buildings, ancient churches, arcades, vaulted passages, streets to explore, and the pleasure of a fast-flowing river that’s joined by a mountain stream in the center. The stream is called “Rio Sec”, or dry river, but was full of spring water when we were there. Many of the buildings are of natural stone and many are nicely renovated with pastel facades and green doorways and steps. The 14th-c medieval Chateau des Lascaris perched above the village is in ruins, with only some walls and a tall, round donjon tower remaining. Partial reconstruction, however, has been started, and the castle is used for medieval festival weekends. Reconstruction will be followed by archaeological digs on the site.

Fanghetto

French Italian villages near Monaco

  The tiny village of Fanghetto in Italy is 10 km south of Breil & has a population of 10 people, and the only reason I include it in this post is there is one delightful restaurant that only opens for 3 or 4 evenings each week for dinner. It is like eating in somebody’s home, the food is wonderful.

French Italian villages

French Italian villages near Monaco

Great food, Veal Escalopes with Mushrooms in Fanghetto, magnificent.

Sospel in the south of France.

French Italian villages near Monaco

Sospel dates back to the 5th century, when it served as an important staging post on the royal road from Nice to Turin. The old toll bridge used by travellers to cross the Bévéra, built in the 13th century, still stands. It was bombed by the Germans during World War II to prevent contact between the French Resistance (“The Maquis”) and the Italians. Much of the town was destroyed. Renovated after World War II it now houses the tourist office. Ruins of a tower, part of a château belonging to the counts of Provence, are all that remain of the 14th century city walls. (From Wikipedia)

For an excellent room rate is Sospel or nearby just book through THIS LINK.

Deborah, Riny, Jody & David Herd.

French Italian villages near Monaco

Welcome drinks at the local railway station.

Super travel tips.

French Italian villages near Monaco

Breil Sur Roya is the perfect place to stay if you want to explore the French Italian villages in this wonderful area. So convenient to take the train or drive to the French Riviera or Cinque Terre in Italy, or you can just spend  days wandering around all the wonderful medieval French & Italian villages perched on top of the surrounding mountains. Book your hotel here for guaranteed lowest rates + you decide when to pay, now or later.

 

Accommodation. To rent a very nice two bedroom apartment in Breil Sur Roya email Otherwise you can have  B&B rooms at the Villa l’Abricot  on top of the hill with great views, email [email protected]

 
Hotel bookings. Here is a great site , book now & decide when to pay, now or when you check out.
 
The French Riviera is at your doorstep and offers all the pizzazz, style & opulence you could ask for. I suggest however you also consider the lessor know Italian Riviera, specifically the Cinque Terre. I’m surprised how many people I speak to who don’t realise this wonderful area exists, do yourself a favor and check it out. However please remember you can spend weeks exploring the many interesting French Italian villages north of Monaco.
 
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1g Duck

 

               

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Fabulous French Riviera.

August 1, 2013 by David Herd

Fabulous French Riviera

St Tropez

Fabulous French Riviera or Côte d’Azur, what can I say that has not been said or written about before. So I guess I’ll just highlight my favourite parts of this famous coastline, and try to pass on some travel tips and advice. For the best deals on hotel bookings with a choice of when to pay + a lowest price guarantee, just click here.

Magnificent motor yacht 

french riviera

One thing is certain, no matter how big your boat is, someone will stop beside you in a bigger one. The wealthy are always trying to out do each other, well good luck to them, I like most people love to see how the rich & famous live. That is not an example of the rich & famous below, that’s me David Herd and my friend Jodie O’Neill from Australia.

St Tropez

french riviera

Strangely enough my two favourite places are at opposite ends of the Riviera, St Tropez for sheer opulence, people watching, & great restaurants and bars. Beside the Italian border is Mentone a much more subdued city but with many things to offer the tourist. You can leave your car at the hotel and jump on a train to have lunch at Nice or Monte Carlo, or go the other way into Italy. St Tropez is not on a railway line so once you are there the car is your only option. The photo below is the St Tropez flea market open every Saturday at 6.30 am, these are the biggest Paellas I have ever seen.


St Tropez Saturday market.

french riviera

The biggest paella I have ever seen.

Pebbles on the beach at Nice.

french riviera

One of the most popular cites on the Riviera.

  This does not look comfortable

Fabulous French Riviera

 However I would be very happy lying beside her, I would gladly put up with the pain from the pebbles.

:)

The harbour at Nice.

french riviera There are thousands of boats of all shapes and sizes along the whole French Riviera, no matter where you go you can smell the money.

Monte Carlo harbor & Castle.

Monte Carlo Monaco At the end of the 12th century B.C., the Romans occupied the region. Monaco is part of the Province of the Maritime Alps. During their occupation, the Romans erected at La Turbie, the Trophy of Augustus, which celebrates the triumph of their military campaigns.

Mentone

Fabulous French Riviera

Menton was a real surprise packet, a great place to be based, close to Italy as well as the French Riveria.

Art gallery Mentone

Fabulous French Riviera

Lots of interesting shops in Mentone

The Sultan arrives, chopper on-board of course. :)

Antibes Mediterranean resort

There is so much wealth here on the Fabulous French Riviera.

Paella in Antibes

Spanish Paella

Great food, here I am eating Spanish food in France.

Antibes

Antibes French Riviera After the disintegration of the Western Roman Empire, various barbarian tribes seized Antibes. This resulted in destruction and a long period of instability. In the 10th century, Antibes found a protector in Seigneur Rodoart, who built extensive fortified walls around the town and a castle in which to live. For the next 200 years, the town experienced a period of renewal. Prosperity was short-lived, as the whole region fell into disarray for several centuries. The inhabitants of Antibes stayed behind their strong city walls as a succession of wars and epidemics ravaged the countryside. In the 1244, Antibes’s bishop moved his see to Grasse. By the end of the 15th century, the region was under the protection and control of King Louis XI of France. Relative stability returned, but the small port of Antibes fell into obscurity. From around the middle of the 19th century the Antibes area regained its popularity, as wealthy people from around Europe discovered its natural beauty and built many luxurious homes here.

Cafe de Paris in Monte Carlo.

Cafe Paris Here are my friends Jodie O’Neill & Deborah Holliday putting on the ritz at Cafe de Paris in Monte-Carlo.

Another Cafe de Paris in St Tropez.

The Cafe de Paris St Tropez

People watching is the main pastime in St Tropez.

St Tropez’s most famous face, Brigitte Bardot.

Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot; born 28 September 1934) is a French former actress, singer and fashion model, now an animal rights activist. She was one of the best known sex symbols of the 1950s and ’60s. Starting in 1969, Bardot’s features became the official face of Marianne (who had previously been anonymous) to represent the liberty of France. Bardot was an aspiring ballet dancer in early life. She started her acting career in 1952 and, after appearing in 16 obscure films, became world-famous in 1957 with the release of the controversial film And God Created Woman. She later starred in Jean-Luc Godard’s 1963 film Le Mépris. Bardot was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress for her role in Louis Malle’s 1965 film Viva Maria! Bardot caught the attention of French intellectuals. She was the subject of Simone de Beauvoir’s 1959 essay, The Lolita Syndrome, which described Bardot as a “locomotive of women’s history” and built upon existentialist themes to declare her the first and most liberated woman of post-war France. Bardot retired from the entertainment industry in 1973. During her career in show business, she starred in 47 films, performed in several musical shows, and recorded over 60 songs. She was awarded the Legion of Honour in 1985, but refused to receive it. After her retirement, Bardot established herself as an animal rights activist. During the 1990s, she generated controversy by criticizing immigration and Islam in France, and has been fined five times for inciting racial hatred.

Nice & Antibes are very nice places, Monte Carlo is unbelievable and over the top as you would expect, and as for Cannes in my book, forget it, unless you are there for the film festival. Below is the world famous Monte Carlo Casino, perhaps the most famous landmark on the French Riviera.

Monte Carlo Casino

Monte Carlo Casino

Thanks for visiting my Fabulous French Riviera photo blog.

Lets finish how we started

Fabulous French Riviera

It’s a long way to Byron Bay. 🙂

That’s all folks

Playing Blackjack sexy girls

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Super travel tips.

Hotel bookings. The best deals including your choice of when to pay, now or later, + best price guarantee.

A good hotel in St Tropez is Les Palmiers, 150 Euros per night. Click here.

One of Europe’s best markets is in Ventimiglia over the border from Mentone every Friday.

You can fly Singapore Airlines from Asia to Nice via Milan.

Lots of tourist information here on this very good site.


La mer - Mr. Bean holiday

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