Travel with us!
Beyond Voyage
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Destinations
  • Gallery
  • Pack
  • Tunes
  • About

Days 52-54: Ritz & Glitz in The French Riviera

7/6/2013

3 Comments

 
After 3 wonderful days in Provence, we headed for the coast to check out the world famous French Riviera, or as the French say, Cote d'Azure.  We left on a Sunday, and on our way we stopped in Cassis to have lunch on the beach. It was so incredibly crowded that we left immediately. We went to nearby Ciotat beach which was also packed, but not as bad as Cassis. People literally sat inches apart on the beach. We quickly ate our lunch outside on the rocks while enjoying the cool breeze coming off the sea. 

Bastide Valmasque
Summer is high season for this area, thus it is full of people from all over the world. We were lucky to find a really cute B&B near the small town of Biot called Bastide Valmasque.  It's owned by a lovely couple named Claudia & Philipe who were both very helpful with providing information about the area. They met in India as they both worked in the textile industry, so while the B&B is a French country house, its interior has a lot of Indian influences making it very different from most of the places we had seen in France. They still have a a stake in a business in India manufacturing scarves and other textiles, and sell some of their designs at the B&B.  As a parting gift, Philipe gave us a little travel laundry bag made from one of his patterns.  We loved eating breakfast in one of their many garden nooks and we also enjoyed snacks in the evening sun on the patio. While this place isn't located right on the beach and doesn't have a pool, it's about a 5 min drive from the beach.  You'd pay significantly more money to stay right on the beach and you definitely would not get the charm that the Bastide Valmasque offers!  
Picture
Bastide Valmasque - our "home" in Cote d'Azure!
Picture
Our room
Dining Out vs. Picnic
We arrived in the late afternoon and after we settled we went out to dinner at a cafe in nearby Valbonne. This was a very small village, but it was completely full of people - locals and tourists alike. There were four cafes in the plaza and we went to the one that our B&B recommended, which also happened to be the one with the lowest prices and the most patrons. The food was OK - nothing special - but it was expensive.  After eating out a couple of times in Southern France we found that the food didn't justify the cost. We actually ate better when we shopped at the local markets which are filled with amazing produce, cheeses, breads and tapenades for a fraction of restaurant prices. 

Saint Paul de Vence
The morning of our first full day, we visited Saint Paul de Vence, one of the oldest medieval towns in the French Riviera. This town came highly recommended by Mom & Dad Barbier as they fell in love with it during a visit in the 90's. It did not disappoint! It is adorable, picturesque and choc full of art galleries. We really enjoyed strolling through the streets and wandering in and out of the galleries. It's definitely worth a visit if you are ever in this area.
Picture
A typical gallery in Saint Paul de Vence
Picture
View from Saint Paul de Vence
Picture
My favorite house in Saint Paul de Vence
Antibes:
After visiting Saint Paul de Vence we were ready for the beach! We went to nearby Antibes which has two beaches on either side of a peninsula  We went to the first beach which is half public & half private (private means anyone can go, but you pay a fee and get a chair and umbrella in return).  While the beach was decent, it was incredibly windy.  There were several yachts anchored in the water which is typical in the French Riviera. At one point, one of the yachts came loose and started drifting towards the shore. The lifeguards sprung to action and soon a ton of emergency vehicles were at the beach. A couple of people went out to the boat but not much happened after that. The emergency crew stood by waiting for the yacht to come closer, but it never did. Tired of the wind, we left for the beach across the peninsula, which was a peaceful public beach - no wind, no waves, and no rogue yachts! 
Picture
Rogue yacht on the windy beach in Antibes.
Picture
Calm beach in Antibes.
The next day  we toured a couple of the ritzy towns along the Riviera - Nice, Monaco & Villefranche.  

Nice:
I had been to Nice in college and Chris wasn't that interested in visiting the museums there so we just did a drive by. Chris got to see the coastline and some of the plazas just in from the beach. Nice is a great place to stay if you are willing to spend more on a hotel room, especially if you can find one along the coastline. There is a really long stretch of beach from Antibes to Nice which is nice because you can find a little privacy with all that space. Also, if you are into art they have a wonderful Chagall and Matisse museum. I highly recommend it! 

Monaco:
We spent a half day in the principality of Monaco. It was my second time visiting and Chris' first time.  We parked the car in a garage midway up the hill and walked down to the marina to see all the giant yachts. Then we walked back by the Monte Carlo casino. The building itself  oozes opulence and everything surrounding it is waiting to pounce on the casino's patrons - the Lamborghinis parked outside, the ultra high-end jewelry stores, and even some heavily made-up young women standing around in short skirts and 5 inch heels at 11am.  Instead of bear bottles scattered in the streets, Monte Carlo has champagne corks. Seriously, we saw them everywhere.

For such a small place, there is actually a lot to do in Monaco - one could stay busy sightseeing (or shopping) here for 3-4 days.  We enjoyed our half day there and decided that we'd come back here one day if the opportunity presented itself.  However, if we do go back we'll have to pack a lot more than just a backpack! 
Picture
Monaco! Standing by some of the smaller yachts.
Picture
Monte Carlo Casino
Picture
Villefranche:
This is a nice little town on the coastline that is a popular stop on cruises. We drove through town and walked around a bit. Driving here was a little complicated, as the streets are very narrow. The town was very crowded with people from the cruise ship so I don't think I'd recommend staying here if you are looking for someplace quiet. It might be worth a visit for breakfast or dinner when there are less day-trippers. The views from the top of the town are beautiful!
Picture
Villefranche
Picture
Picture
Villefranche
Paloma Beach
By afternoon, we were ready for another beach.  We had read good things about Paloma beach, which was not too far from the area we were exploring.  Supposedly, celebrities frequent this beach from their yachts, although we didn't spot any while we were there. It's another beach that is half private and half public. The private side was really packed - chairs just inches away from each other. We opted for the public side and had a lot of space to ourselves. The beach was very nice and the water was great for swimming!
Picture
Paloma Beach
Picture
Paloma Beach
Picture
Yachts near Paloma Beach
After a day in the sun, we went back to our B&B and enjoyed a picnic on the patio. Thus ended our time in the French Riviera. Despite the crowds, we enjoyed it very much. However, I think the best way to enjoy this coastline is from a giant private yacht!! A girl can dream...
3 Comments
Mom Barbier
7/7/2013 01:30:13 am

Just caught up on all your blogs since Barcelona. Such amazing experiences. I love the photo of your rosé cooling in the water. Can't wait to share some wonderful times with you in Italy. See you soon!

Reply
Chris & Eva
7/8/2013 05:05:45 am

Thanks Mom! It is true that rosé tastes even better when chilled in a Provence river. See you in a few days!!!

Reply
cristal champagne price link
8/11/2013 08:19:16 pm

I'm glad you tried good quality champagne.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    Eva has been traveling for 15+ years, including an 8 month journey around the world.  

    Archives

    October 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Amalfi Coast
    Amazon Rainforest
    Amsterdam
    Argentina
    Art
    Aruba
    Asia
    Austin
    Australia
    Austria
    Award
    Baby
    Bali
    Barcelona
    Beijing
    Belize
    Berlin
    Bogota
    Boston
    Brazil
    BVI
    California
    Cambodia
    Cambridge
    Canada
    Cape Town
    Caribbean
    Cartagena
    Central America
    China
    Colombia
    Connecticut
    Costa Rica
    Cuba
    Culinary Delights
    Cusco
    Europe
    Family
    Family Travel
    Flights
    Florence
    Florida
    Food
    France
    Germany
    Hawaii
    Hong Kong
    Hotels/resorts
    Iceland
    Indonesia
    Ireland
    Italy
    Itineraries
    Lake Titicaca
    Live Like A Local
    Luxury
    Machu Picchu
    Maine
    Malaysia
    Massachusetts
    Mexico
    Nantucket
    New England
    New York
    New Zealand
    North Carolina
    Pacific Northwest
    Pack
    Paris
    Peru
    Pisa
    Planning
    Prague
    Provence
    Puerto Rico
    Puno
    Rhode Island
    Rincon
    Rome
    Rtw Trip
    Safar
    Safari
    Shanghai
    Sharks
    South Africa
    South America
    Spain
    Switzerland
    Thailand
    Travel Education
    Travel Tips
    Tunes
    Turkey
    Usa
    Vermont
    Washington
    Where To Stay

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.