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C’estC’est lala vievie The French Riviera, popularly known as the Cote d’Azur, is synonymous with the high life. Kanan Fotedar, CEO and Founder of Travel ’n Living, encourages you to explore one of the most glamorous places in the world

he French Riviera often , offers silky sandy , conjures up images of an enjoyable old town, good hiking, and a glamorous cities like Monte great Picasso collection. The town’s exotic Carlo, Cannes and . But port glistens below its fortifications, with Tfor some of the Riviera’s best scenery and luxurious yachts and brightly painted an escape from the tourist rush, follow the fishing boats. coast road between Cannes and Monte In the 1500s, Antibes’ Fort Carré, Carlo. While it is easy to travel the coast by which now dominates the port, was the public transportation, a rental car gets you last French stronghold before the Italian quicker to inviting hill towns, colourful border. Today, its festive Old City is markets, and tucked-away museums. charming and its daily market, spread This coastline was one of the first beneath a 19th century canopy, brings modern resort areas. It began as a winter out the locals. Antibes sits atop the ruins health retreat for the British upper class at of the fourth century B.C. Greek city of the end of the 18th century. With the arrival Antipolis. The Museum of History and of the railway in the mid-19th century, it Archaeology, featuring Greek, Roman and became the playground and vacation spot Etruscan odds and ends, is the best place of British, Russian and other aristocrats. to get a sense of this town’s ancient roots and King Edward VII, —even without English explanations. when he was , spent time Sitting serenely where the Old City here. In the summer in the first half of the meets the sea, Antibes’ Picasso Museum 20th century, it also played home to many offers a remarkable collection of the members of the . master’s work—paintings, sketches, and Halfway between Nice and ceramics. Picasso, who lived and worked

76 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2015 | G2 Villefranche-sur- Mer, between Nice and , is a romantic’s top Riviera choice. Come here for upscale, small- town Mediterranean atmosphere. Narrow cobbled streets tumble into a mellow waterfront, a scenic walkway below the castle leads to the port, and fancy yachts bob in the harbour

here in 1946, once said that if you wanted to see Narrow cobbled streets tumble into a mellow work from his Antibes period, you’d have to do it in waterfront, a scenic walkway below the castle leads to lovely Antibes. Several photos of the artist make this the hidden port, and fancy yachts bob in the harbour already-intimate museum even more so. below. Pebbly beaches and a handful of interesting For a lazy afternoon in the sun, stretch out on sights keep visitors just busy enough. Antibes’ golden sandy beaches—the best lie between See the stunning interior of the Chapel of St. the port and Cap d’Antibes. Antibes is also the Pierre, Villefranche’s cultural highlight. Relax on the launching point for several scenic hikes along the harbour cruise. At the park, enjoy a lively game of rocky coast. boules (a grown-up version of marbles). Villefranche-sur-Mer, between Nice and Monaco, In the evening, your biggest decision will be is a romantic’s top Riviera choice. Come here for between a beachfront dinner or an ice cream-licking upscale, small-town Mediterranean atmosphere. village stroll. Fit in both.

77 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2015 | G2 St. Paul is part cozy hill town and part local art shopping mall. Meander into its quieter streets to enjoy its true beauty

Along with Antibes and Villefranche, there are several other delightful French Riviera towns. The hill towns of St. Paul and offer a break from the beaches. An easy 45-minute bus ride inland from Nice, St. Paul is part cozy hill town and part local art shopping mall. It’s appealingly artsy but inevitably gets swamped with tour buses. Meander into St. Paul’s quieter streets and wander far enough to enjoy the panoramic views. Or consider a steep 15-minute walk uphill to the prestigious (and high-priced) Fondation Maeght Gallery, with its world-class contemporary-art collection and pleasant gardens. still does not appropriately aggregate this Just a 10-minute bus ride from St. Paul, the hill town top South of resort. St Tropez is of Vence bubbles with tourist activity. Once a popular haunt a town 66 miles to the east of , of D. H. Lawrence, and , the town in the department of the - has a buzzing daily market and small with a fine Alpes-Cote d’Azur region of south Chagall mosaic. Matisse fans make the necessary pilgrimage eastern France. here to see the much-raved-about Chapelle du Rosaire with In the first half of 1900, St Tropez its stained glass and brooding tile sketches. attracted famous figures from the world Eze Village, floating high above the sea, is a spectacular of fashion like and Elsa medieval town mixing outlets, fancy boutiques, Schiaparelli, all contributing to what is outrageously priced hotels, steeply cobbled lanes, and jaw- now the many flavours of a diverse and numbing views. A 15-minute bus ride east of Villefranche, sophisticated gem. Eze Village makes a handy stop between Nice and Monaco. Starting with Bridget Bardot and Drop in on the Fragonard or Gallimard perfume outlets proceeding to present day big names, to watch the production process and shop for the fragrant St Tropez keeps on being the mid- collections. year home of the rich, acclaimed and Nearby hills provide ideal picnic perches. On a clear day beautiful. Its vacation spots are among you can see . It was frequented by artists and writers, the best on the planet and its harbour including , Henri Matisse, just falls short of Monaco’s noteworthy , Somerset Maugham and exhibit of yachts on show. Aldous Huxley, as well as wealthy Americans After World War II, it became an and Europeans. international , renowned principally because of the influx of artists St Tropez of the French new wave in cinema and Trop in French means ‘too much’. Fabulous, the Ye-ye movement in music. chic, rich, sunny, delightful—whatever It is now a resort for the European and modifier you use to portray St Tropez, it American jet set and hordes of tourists

78 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2015 | G2 in search of a little provencal authenticity and an occasional celebrity border, the sun drenched shores sighting. and Mediterranean waters of the French Riviera form the Nice backdrop for Cannes, the fabled Think about the South of France and Nice comes decisively in mind. With playground of the beautiful its wide boulevards, wide clearing inlet and brilliant it is not difficult and wealthy. It is synonymous to see why in the range of 3 million individuals visit Nice consistently. It with glamour thanks to its is only that rivals it as a vacation destination. With the acclaimed world-famous film festival. Its , the Matisse gallery, the Russian Cathedral and Boulevard de la La Croisette, Vieux Nice, there is such a great amount of to do and see. curving along the coast, is lined With its unusual mix of real-city grit, old-world opulence, year-round with sandy beaches, upmarket sunshine and exceptional location, Nice’s appeal is universal. Everyone boutiques and palatial hotels. from backpackers to romance-seeking couples and families love sitting at a It is also home to the Palais des cafe on Cours Saleya in Vieux Nice, a bench on the legendary promenade Festivals, a modern building Promenade des Anglais or a smooth pebble beach for an epic sunset. Eating options are stupendous, the nightlife buzzes and the local arts scene is thriving.

Monte Carlo The world’s most diminutive sovereign state after the Vatican, Monaco, whose capital is Monte complete with the legendary red Carlo, is located between the foot of the Southern carpet and Allée des Stars–Cannes’ and the Mediterranean. It is the world’s walk of fame. Each May the Festival playground for the rich and famous. The history of International du Film Cannes attracts Monaco itself really started in the 13th century. On attracts members of the jet set and Hollywood’s elite to Cannes.

Toulon The old town of , the historic centre located between the port, the Boulevard de Strasbourg and Cours Lafayette, is a pedestrian area with narrow streets, small squares and many fountains. Toulon is known for its fountains, Toulon Opera, the Place de la Liberte, the Grand Hotel and the gardens of Alexander and Cathedral. Toulon harbour is one of the most natural anchorages on the Mediterranean and one of the largest harbours in Europe. Mount Faron (584 m.) dominates the city of Toulon. The top can be reached by cable car. The road is one of the most challenging stages of the annual Paris-Nice and Tour Mediterranean bicycle races.

Ajaccio Ajaccio is a French commune, prefecture of the department of Corse-du- Sud, Corsica region and head office of the collectivite territorialde corse on the island of Corsica in France. Napoleon Bonaparte was at Ajaccio in the same year as the battle of Ponte Novu, in 1769. The Bonapartes at that time had a modest four storey home in town, which is now known as Casa Bonaparte Museum. They had a country home in the hills, north 10th June 1215, the Genoan family of the Gibelins of the city, now site of the Arboretum des Milelli. laid the first stone of the castle, which is still today Ajaccio is located on the west coast of the island of the Prince’s Palace. To attract new inhabitants, the Corsica, 210 nautical miles south east of . initial masters of the Rock offered advantageous It has a diverse potential with both a conditions to new-comers: territorial concessions cultural framework in the centre of the city and a and tax exemptions. For 700 years, the history of natural heritage around the coves and beaches of the Monaco has been linked to that of the Grimaldi . G2 Dynasty which celebrated in 1997, the anniversary of its accession to the Principality of Monaco. The official language is French, although Italian and English are widely spoken. Deo Juvante (with God’s Help) is the motto of Monaco. Catholicism is the state religion. However, freedom of worship is guaranteed by the constitution and several religions are represented in Monaco. Benefiting from an ideal geographical location, the Principality of Monaco enjoys very mild winters and remarkably sunny summers, which tend not to be exceedingly hot.

Cannes Glimmering between St Tropez and the Italian

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