Antibes Mediterranean resort is on the Côte d’Azur between Cannes and Nice. I enjoyed a nice Spanish Paella for lunch followed by a few hours exploring this delightful seaside resort town.
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.
Stones instead of sand
Like the majority of Mediterranean beaches you have to tolerate rocks instead of sand unless you are somewhere like Nice where they import sand for some of the private beach areas where you have to pay for the luxury.
This does not look comfortable
However I would be very happy lying beside her, I would gladly put up with the pain from the pebbles.
Warm sun & calm cool water
No sandcastles here. 🙂
Toys for the boys.
There are so many beautiful boats on the Riviera all along the coast from St Tropez to Menton. There is only one problem facing many of the owners, no matter how big your boat is soon somebody will arrive with a bigger one, see below. 🙂
The Sultan arrives, chopper on-board of course. 🙂
Some of the wealth on display is astonishing.
An Aussie in Antibes
Good name for a boat. 🙂
Antibes Mediterranean resort there is No Compromise
All you need is money, a lot of money. 🙂
Fort Carré d’Antibes
The Romans probably built the first fortifications at Antibes. In 1553, a tower called la tour Saint-Florent was built around a preexisting chapel. Henry III had four bastions added in 1565, whereupon it became Fort Carré (the squared fort).
Portofino wealthy holiday resort, if you want to see how the rich & famous live in Europe just take a wonderful one hour walk fromSanta Margherita. The homes are truly magnificent, prepare yourself for a great experience when you arrive at the beautiful waterfront village of Portofino. The buildings, the boats, the restaurants, it’s all there. Just make sure you have your credit card and a wallet full of Euros.
Bella bella!
Portofino is an Italian fishing village, and upmarket resort famous for its picturesque harbour and historical association with celebrity visitors. It is a comune located in the province of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. The town is crowded round its small harbor, is closely associated with Paraggi Beach, which is a few minutes up the coast. Other nearby beaches include Camogli, Chiavari, Lavagna, and Sestri Levante.
An amazing destination
Just sitting in the morning sun, sing it for us Otis. 🙂
You can smell the money here. 😎
This is a fascinating place to visit, it is however very expensive as you can imagine.
The Portofino wealthy Italians arrive
I wonder if he can afford to buy everyone lunch? The truth is he can probably afford to buy the damn restaurant.
Lunch, nice but expensive.
If I remember correctly my seafood soup was 26 Euros.
King of the hill
The sheer wealth here is astonishing, I imagine most of these homes have been handed down through families for centuries. If walls could talk there would be some fascinating tales to be told here. 😳
Same house different aspect
No matter which way you look at this home it is simply breathtaking, I wonder which boat is theirs? My money is on the red one.
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This is the Club Mediterranean yacht.
Quite an amazing looking yacht.
Some people really struggle in life, others don’t.
Naturally there is a helicopter aboard.
And the beat goes on.
Now this is what I call a great boat.
Portofino wealthy holiday resort
Global inequality is certainly growing, in 2015 half the world’s wealth is in the hands of just 1% of the population.
Can you imagine the cost to fill the tank?
Imagine this, you pull into the dock and say “fill it up please”, it would cost as much as an around the world air fare.
Big Daddy
No matter how big your boat is I guarantee someone around the corner someone has a bigger one.
For the budget minded like myself it makes more sense to stay at Santa Margherita and visit Portofino on foot or by ferry. The Lido Palace is on the beach if you want to go upmarket, my hotel was one block back and reasonable priced, with free car parking, The Mediterraneo.
Thanks for visiting my Portofino wealthy holiday resort photo blog.
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
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
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.
However I would be very happy lying beside her, I would gladly put up with the pain from the pebbles.
The harbour at Nice.
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.
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
Menton was a real surprise packet, a great place to be based, close to Italy as well as the French Riveria.
Art gallery Mentone
Lots of interesting shops in Mentone
The Sultan arrives, chopper on-board of course.
There is so much wealth here on the Fabulous French Riviera.
Paella in Antibes
Great food, here I am eating Spanish food in France.
Antibes
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.
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.
People watching is the main pastime in St Tropez.
St Tropez’s most famous face, 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
Thanks for visiting my Fabulous French Riviera photo blog.
Lets finish how we started
It’s a long way to Byron Bay. 🙂
That’s all folks
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