La Vie et Bien

Our stay in Saint-Raphael got off to a slow start with intermittent rain over the first few days. My CAO (Chief Accommodations Officer) did a great job however, securing a nice apartment less than 100 metres from the Mediterranean with a direct view to the sea, making it easy to head out for short walks around the town (40K pop.) when the opportunity arose. The seafront promenade went all the way to the adjoining city, Frejus, where we also ventured to see their Roman ruins (amphitheatre, aqueduct, wall) dating back to the 2nd century. 

Our first real introduction to luxury along the French Riviera came on a day trip to Saint-Tropez.....by bus, which is not how the rich and famous travel but it worked for us. Large yachts were parked in the centre of the marina for all to dream about and the main street was filled with Louis Vuitton, Gucci and many more high end stores for those who were in need of retail therapy. We walked uphill to the Citadel for some lovely views of the town (4K pop. but 6 million visitors a year) and surrounding area. Later at a late lunch in a square we watched the pedestrian traffic go by carrying their high-end store bags and the local men playing petanque (the French version of bocci ball). All is not well in the small town though. Louis Vuitton and his pals Moet (champagne) and Hennessey (cognac) started buying up property (including the top 2 hotels), as did other rich and famous people, driving many locals out of town. But the rich only stay for a few weeks during the summer, so when the tourists stop coming in the colder months the grocery stores have trouble staying open, as do other retail stores. The locals have started calling it LVMH-town.

The next day we took the train to Cannes, famous for it's film festival. The city was more crowded than anywhere we have been so far, even though it is an expensive place to stay. No complaints though, the food and wine all along the Cote d'Azur has been excellent and worth the money. Luxury yachts lined the harbourfront and we didn't come across anyone complaining about the cost of groceries or housing. Another day travelled inland to the mountain town of Grasse, now recognized as the perfume capital of the world. We took a tour in one of the more famous perfumeries, Fragonard, to understand the manufacturing process which provided a better understanding of why the cost is so high for a small bottle. The old town, with it's narrow cobblestone streets, was nice to stroll along providing you were heading downhill. 

The following day, with the temperature in the mid 20's we decided to take it easy and enjoy the sandy beach of Saint Raphael. The author even had a swim in the Mediterranean. On our final day we took the train to the seaside town of Antibes on the east side of Cannes. It's harbour was also filled once again with beautiful yachts. The highlight though was the Picasso Museum, showcasing his art from when he lived there for a short while (post WW2). We have always enjoyed his art which is unlike any other artist. We walked though the old town and then continued on to Juan les Pins, another seaside town on the opposite side of the Cap D'Antibes peninsula.

We loved our time in Saint Raphael. Being close to the train station made it easy for day trips and being so close to the beach and promenade was also a bonus. Our next short-term home will be further east along the coast in Villefranche-sur-Mer, on the east side of Nice. Stay tuned.

The view from our apartment in Saint-Raphael. We were also able to watch the sun go down in the evening.

Saint-Raphael also had an art walk through the town who had commissioned French artists to create murals on walls throughout the old town.

While on the art walk we came across groups of men playing petanque, similar to bocci ball, in an area designed just for that. We watched for a while and were impressed with the skills they displayed.

The sandy beach in Saint-Raphael, two hundred metres from our apartment, where we spent an afternoon on a 25 celcius day. The Mediterranean was cool to enter but once you were in it was comfortable. The sandy bottom made it easy to wade in.

While on our walk to Frejus and their Roman ruins we came across their North Harbour. It was a brilliant way to provide more docking spaces in a safe spot with easy access for those who lived nearby.

The view away from Saint Tropez from the hilltop Citadel. You will notice two very large homes, each with a pool, who were likely not owned by a local.

While strolling around the old town of Saint Tropez we encountered a popular oyster bar where the staff were doing the shucking and the tourists consuming their aphrodisiac.

The view of Cannes taken from the old castle on a hilltop. Just behind the yachts is the Palais des Festivals where the film festival is held every year. On the sidewalk at the entrance the stars handprints were visible on the concrete squares.

The harbourside area in Cannes filled with both restaurants and people. We later found out that the school children had started a two week fall break which helped add to the influx of people traffic.

While dining in one of those Cannes waterfront restaurants we enjoyed a tasty meal of slightly grilled tuna, chicken salad and grilled vegetables, complemented by a nice bottle of Provence wine.

Inland to Grasse we toured the famous Fragonard parfumerie. In this area the perfected eau de parfum was being bottled (in aluminum where it will last up to 6 years) and packaged for distribution.

While walking around the Antibes harbour, Pocahontas thought this beauty would help her navigate the waters more easily than the canoe we once owned (McKenzie Lake cryptic).

Cows from Heaven

 Our fall trip got off to a wonderful start with a visit to our Swiss daughter and partner's home. It was a very short stay as the next day they took us into the Swiss Alps to the Alp Abzug festival in Prattigau (one of many in Switzerland), where it was time to celebrate the cows returning from their summer high Alpine pastures and back to the their cozy winter homes in the valley. The cows were decorated with flowers and wore large, noisy cowbells as they paraded along the town streets. Several thousand people ascended on the small village for the spectacle which also included local food, drink and music. We had an overnight stay nearby where our balcony had fabulous views of the Alps and the valley below us.

Saying goodbye, we left Basel and took several trains into France to the southern region where we rented a small house apartment in Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer (Saint Cyr by the Sea), our base for the week. The Mediterranean seaside cities and towns we visited all had low 20's C temperatures so it was a nice introduction to the Cote d'Azur. Our French is slowly coming back to us and I have stopped responding in Spanish which we have used more often in the recent past. We have enjoyed many meals around the various harbourfronts, eating fresh seafood and watching the promenade activity from our table. Our day trips included visits to Cassis (busy marina area, even in October), Marseille (old port area, climb to Basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde for great views), and Toulon (large harbourfront filled with restaurants, Hotel des Artes for some contemporary art).

Our hosts treated us very well, greeting us with local Provence wine and later homemade vegetable soup (au pistau), while also offering us use of their hot tub whenever we wanted. Saint Cyr turned out to be a terrific place to stay. Beyond the seaside walks we tripped over the popular 20th Alsatian Market festival where food and wine kept everyone in a good mood. It was a wonderful start to our French Riviera adventure and more lies ahead as today we moved east along the coast to Saint-Raphael which will be our next Cote d'Azur base.

Au revoir

The Alp Abzug festival we attended in Switzerland. With their large cowbells ringing, it became very obvious the next herd was right around the corner.

When the parade ended, the crowd moved from the streets to one of two food and drink areas where local musicians (under the tent) entertained those who wanted to listen.

The view from our balcony that our daughter booked for our overnight stay in the Swiss Alps. The base of a ski hill was right behind us, and was busy with mountain bikers using the snowless ski runs.

The marina in Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer which had a population of 15K. There was a nice boardwalk that went all the way to the villages on either side of the town which we walked on different days. 

While out on a long walk one day I tripped over an annual festival in Saint Cyr celebrating food and drink from Alsace, a province in the NE of France. With almost every stall selling wine, beer or Alsatian food the audience was all in a good mood.

The Cassis harbour. Cassis is nicknamed the small Saint-Tropez and the seafront promenade was filled with people enjoying the seafood restaurants or just having drinks and observing the foot traffic and views.

The Grand Staircase outside of the Marseille Saint-Charles train station. The detailed sculpture work on the sides dates back to 1848.

A view of the Basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde in the background overlooking the city of Marseille. Our workout for the day delivered a stunning interior of the church.

A view from the Basilica to some outer islands. The small island in the middle was a former fortress turned into a prison. In the Count of Monte Cristo, the prison was featured as the place where the Count spent 14 lonely years.

One of the many wall murals found in the artsy Le Panier neighbourhood of Marseilles. It is the oldest

 section of the city, first inhabited by the Greeks.

The lovely seaside promenade in Toulon with a statue letting everyone know on which side the water was.

While seated by the water in Toulon we both ordered mussels for lunch and each received a pot

 which had to contain at least 6 dozen fresh mussels. It took quite a while to consume them and we almost required a second bottle of wine to go with them.