Côtes d'Azur, star studded
Being a fan of classic cinema, I loved Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief. Despite it’s dated humor, I was enamored by the aesthetic of the 1955 classic. The spectacular views of Bar-le- Soup, Cannes, Nice and Villefranche Sur. The portrayal of the dichotomy of class, luxury and status in southern France. The clear differentiation of what is American and what is French. Cheesy yes, but concepts and stereotypes that still exist today.
The Côtes d'Azur has a mystique in a way that few places do. Its relaxed vibe and easy pace of living perfectly compliment the understated elegance that the region exudes. The coastal buildings are painted in vibrant earth tones, oranges and pinks that pop out against the many blues of the Mediterranean. Beautiful but not saturated in colors. Tasteful yet worldly.
Celebrities of every stripe from Cary Grant to Adam Sandler have been littering the beaches of this region since the 1940s. Arguably the world's most prestigious film festival occurs annually in Cannes and has been running since 1946. It's hard to think of any region more associated with class than the French Riviera. And not the type of "class" that comes to mind when we look to places like Hollywood and Beverly Hills today.
The Carlton in Cannes was a central location in To Catch a Thief. During my stay, the reasons were apparent. Perfect beach front access, sweeping views over the bay and a type of luxury fitting of the 1950s. This is an epicenter of European yacht club vibes. A bay view room overlooking Cannes is a necessity. Watching the sunrise from our room was sublime albeit not photogenic.
Cannes has also been my personal favorite place to go for a swim in the midsummer Mediterranean waters. Unlike my experience in Nice, Cannes provided soft sands, gentle on the city dwellers feet. The water was perfect as well with clear blues and bath water temperature. This is the height of what one can expect from a non-tropical beach. The perfectly kept stretch of the Carlton’s beach front was exactly what was needed after a few hours of driving through Provence. Though the absurd 50 Euro price tag for hotel guests to rent chairs and umbrellas could have put a damper on the experience, it has been one of my favorite beaches to date.
As the sunset after my swim, we headed over to another one of my favorite French eateries, Le Pastis. Le Pastis is a gem of pan-European cuisine and though I rarely eat pastas these days, the truffle gnocchi was the highlight meal of my entire trip. Locals and tourists alike filled the bar with excitement as a soccer game seemed to drag on forever. Sports have a universal appeal and I'll never quite understand why. Though the excitement was tangible, the meal itself transcended all earthly distractions.
The Cotes d'Azur maintains its prestige despite its long established history of tourism. With an aura of being cultured, this area touts few selfie sticks compared to many other top destinations in Europe.
The only way to truly experience the region is by car. Though the road views are not quite exotic for many westerners, they enthrall all the same. During our last visit, we had the pleasure of renting a 1967 Citroën DS convertible. Suddenly the driving became a joy. We happily spent hours in the car travelling from one town to the next. This car is a pride to the people of France. We were stopped many times by locals, fellow motorists and even once by the police just to tell us "c'est magnifique!" Or to ask us something about the car. I had to explain, as best I could, that my French is terrible but that the car was a rental. It seems like this car was the ultimate disguise to seem like a local but as soon as I opened my mouth the illusion was over.
The exact Citroën we rented was used by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in a film called By the Sea about a cultured (perhaps pretentious) American couple vacationing in southern France. The owner of the car said the movie was terrible and not worth watching. To think my ass sat in the exact seat where Brad Pitt's ass sat. Star struck at its finest! Plus the convertible allowed us some bronzing. Maybe I could get ridiculously tan like Cary Grant?
New old car in hand, the Grand and Moyenne corniches became our best friends. These famous roadways offer sweeping panoramic vistas of the niçoise bays as they make their way eastward along the coast from Nice. Cutting across the classic towns of Villefranche sur, Eze, Monte Carlo and into the latest Riviera rock star town of Menton. Any further east and its "buongiorno" instead of "bonjour." I hope the pretense has become palpable at this point in the blog.
On a brief and accidental detour into Monaco, we got lost near the famous Monte Carlo casino. The country is famous for being a micro state of the E.U. but also as the racing and gambling haunt of the wealthy and elite. Being neither, wealthy nor elite and having no luck with gambling or racing, we spent little time in Monaco but were able to appreciate the city’s beauty. Our short visit to the nation of Monaco ended in us reversing down a one way street as a crowd of confused Monegasques looked on while we tried to find our way back into France.
Heading back up to the Grand Corniche, we made a stop at the somewhat famous view point shot in the picnic scene of To Catch a Thief. It's located on the Avenue des Combattants connecting the Grand and Moyenne Corniches. Hilariously, the view point is also now the location of a facility named the Adoma Residence Bellevue, described by Google as a homeless shelter. Though the view of the tiny nation of Monaco has changed considerably since 1955, it served as a great location to stop and take in the familiar view.
Arriving in Menton was a welcome respite from the road. We enjoyed another sunset over the Mediterranean and strolled along the boardwalk. Despite its growing Instagram presence, Menton struck as me as surprisingly empty compared to the other towns along the Cotes d'Azur, especially considering it was high season.
The following morning a bright sun rose over the Mediterranean and lit up the town. Another wrong turn landed us at the Menton Yacht Club where the gate locked behind us. We were treated to a delightful sunrise view of Menton littered with Yachts. The security gate kept us prisoner until a friendly club member came along to open the way for us. After our escape from the yacht club, we over ate at our sea view breakfast along the water. If you’re going to drive around all day, why not binge out on breakfast?
The towns around the bays, peaks and slopes of the Cotes d'Azur are small but halcyon and picturesque. This is one of the forgotten places of western culture. These towns are worth a quiet stroll. Two of my favorites, Bar-le-soup and Eze, provide stellar views that only locals are truly familiar with but anyone can access walking around the quiet lanes on two feet. The atmosphere in the residential parts of these towns is picture perfect southern European. An older lady pinning clothes to a line out her apartment window above a sunbaked side street while a small boy passes kicking an impossibly old soccer ball.
Coming from a man of the Americas, if you've gotten to know Paris and seen what European cities can offer, the French Riviera is a delightful journey into the world of European coasts. France is a crossroads of all European culture. It is a nation greatly adorned with a reputation for sophistication. But the southern coasts offer a friendly depth of character and a sunnier disposition then the French are known for. I can't recommend the region enough.
I ended my trip to Provence-alpes-côte in the city where many people begin it: the fabled town of Nice. The majority of visitors I spoke to seemed to enter the region through this city’s airport. Nice is a place where some visitors fall in love, get stuck in and never leave. Known for its holiday atmosphere, the beach vibes and the seemingly endless Promenade des Anglais, Nice reminded me of a beach town. Endless restaurants, stores, boardwalk and hotels. All I can recommend is that if you're visiting the area, get out of Nice and hit the open road, at least for a little while. It may be the most emblematic city of the coast but there is so much more to region. Exploration is key here. There is always more to see around the next bay.
This part of Provence is also a great jumping off point for visiting the Marseilles city area which I describe here. It is also a wonderful point of access for the more inland regions of Provence, such as the exquisite lavender fields described here.
