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Fabulous French Riviera.

August 1, 2013 by David Herd

Fabulous French Riviera

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.

St Tropez Saturday market.

The biggest paella I have ever seen.

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Pebbles on the beach at Nice.

One of the most popular cites on the Riviera.

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.

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.

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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.