The playground of the rich and famous, is the way best to describe elegant Canes with every top designer brand on display and some pretty classy hotels facing the tree lined wide promenade beach front. Saint Tropez on the other hand is a colorful show offish marina town, with yacht owners screaming out my boat is bigger than yours and so is my sun tan. We sat with the rest of the holiday makers in one of many cafe bars that line the marina, this is the place to be seen, the paparazzi walking around with camera snapping shots of (I guess someone of notable fame). Leigh spotted some famous English ex footballer at the next table There was a continuous parade of people going by, many dressed up to the nines, dining and drinking at one of the bars or joining one of the moored boats for pre dinner champagne drinks (french of course) served by uniformed private bar staff. This marina is a few meters away from the small but charming picturesque old village of St Tripez;I could think of worse ways to spend the afternoon and could quite easily spend a day or two soaking up the atmosphere. But be warned, don't come here for the beaches!! You can't beat the Aussie beaches; a good combination would be their predictable summer weather and our glorious beaches. That would be a marriage made in heaven!!
We enjoyed our next destination in Aix-en-Provance, we spent a couple of days here enjoying the sites and also visiting the neighboring seaside port of Marseille, where we had a very memorable late evening dinner at a quaint local seafood restaurant overlooking the small boat harbor. The red evening sky on this barmy summers night was perfect and so was the food and company.
Nimes was another place worth visiting with a Romanesque amphitheater (colosseum like structure) in the middle of their city. What a surprise; they produce two bull fights a year here, which apparently is well supported by the locals, well I never!! They also boast a Emperor Auguste temple. That's history for you!! Montpellier is equally note worthy for its historic buildings such as the 1757 amphitheater, now a hotel, the statues and the fountains and the Louis XIV Arc de Triophe.
Our final destination in France is Perpignan where we say goodbye to our gorgeous girl Steph who is off to Barcelona and then onto Greece. We have really enjoyed her company, and she was of great support to Leigh with her innate ability of directions and reading maps; whew, that lets me of the hook, she obviously doesn't follow her mother's directionally challenged abilities, lol. Ok Mark, no comment from you.
Lots of love to you all, hope you are all well, and surviving Melbourne's winter. Speak soon xxx