Villefranche to St Tropez...

We decided that no trip to the south of France was complete without a trip by boat along the Riviera.   I did a bit of research (ie looked at every boat hire company on the planet)  a couple of months before we left Perth and found one through boatbookings.com.  They were great to deal with and even booked our lunch and sun lounges at Le Club 55 in St Tropez. Le Club 55 is the original private beach club on the Riviera, opening its doors in 1955 to provide food and beverage for the cast and crew of the Brigitte Bardot flick, And God Created Woman.  Since then it has formed the hub of the St Tropez beach club scene, where it plays host to the rich and famous on their summer holidays (not to mention the odd Aussie tourist).

We met our skipper Stefan in Villefranche at 9.15 and advised him that we had banana lounges booked from 11am and lunch at 1pm.  He said something about needing to get a move on as we got on to our boat for the day.  After a few minutes cruising out of the harbour (and the obligatory photo session) , our skipper suddenly hit full throttle.  As all thoughts of a leisurely champagne brunch vanished from our minds, we braced ourselves for what became a rather bumpy ride to St Tropez.  We later found out that our lovely skipper Stefan simply wanted to ensure that we arrived on time.  WE DID!  With promises of a leisurely ride back after lunch, Stefan handed us over to the Club 55 staff who took us into shore on their small "tender".

Soon after arriving we were set up on our shaded banana lounges.  After the bumpy ride in the boat, I sank into my lounge and wondered if I could ever extract myself to go swimming.  It was so relaxing,  and with my lounge buddy Cicci beside me, I was rather a bit partial to some social commentary of the eclectic bunch of people that surrounded us.  Bit of bling here, bad plastic surgery over there, sugar daddy over to the left.   But alas, one was at a beach club and the turquoise water was inviting, and we had just enough time for a frolic in the Mediterranean before lunch.  It was a delight, and it was from this point that the day just got better and better!

Lunch at Le Club 55 was a real treat.  The surroundings are understated and despite it absolutely heaving with diners, the service was friendly and prompt.  We had heard that the food was overpriced and overrated.  We did not experience this at all.  Husband ordered mussels to start and it was one of the better mussel dishes I have tried.  We all had veal Milanese for main and it was quite good.

Before we knew it, 3pm came around and it was time to rejoin Stefan on the boat (cutely named the "lollipop").   Eating and drinking at the club had got us all hot and bothered so as soon as we got on board, we peeled off the layers and were once again frolicking in the Mediterranean Sea. It was so deep it was impossible to see the bottom, bliss!

Soon after we headed back along the coast towards Villefranche, this time more leisurely, and hearing more about the sights we passed, and Stefan taking us for another swim in an alcove along the way.  We arrived back, sun kissed and satisfied, another memorable day on the south of France.

Pics below of a great day...check the first one with my name on the place card at Le Club 55... I have decided its my European royalty name. Xoxo.

From Riviera With Love...

I've arrived, I have found the meaning of life, I understand what the fuss is all about..... Hello South of France!!!

As we disembarked the A8 motorway, four and a half hours after leaving Lyon, we caught our first glimpse of ocean since leaving wintery Perth some weeks before.  The heart swelled a little at the sight of it, then sank a little at the sight of Nice, a drab and unsightly city from behind, rather grubby and killing my buzz in an instant.  Thankfully I had heard that this place was not a true reflection of the region and held hope for what lied ahead.  To be fair, I later was afforded the benefit of some of the prettier parts of Nice.

Our destination was St Paul De Vence, some 5 or so km from Nice, as the crow flies, but 20-30 mins by car (summer traffic permitting).

Saint-Paul or Saint-Paul-de-Vence is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. One of the oldest medieval towns on the French Riviera, it is well known for its modern and contemporary art museums and galleries such as Foundation Maeght which is located nearby. It is a postcard perfect village with cobbled walkways lined with quaint shops, flower boxes, and stunning sculptures around every corner.  

Our villa Mandarinette is literally at the doorstep of the village, with stunning views across to the village and beyond to the Mediterranean Sea.  It's location gives us the perfect combination of village and coastal lifestyle in this most beautiful part of the world. 

The villa, designed by the "queen of white interiors" Jacqueline Morabito, is everything we had hoped for and more.   Over three levels, we and the kids have the top level consisting of three rooms each with ensuites and views to the village and ocean.  The mid-level (street level) consists of open living space with chefs kitchen, dining area, and versatile living space and terrace.  The lower level consists of large studio with ensuite, stunning gardens, and pool all overlooking the village and the ocean, complete with multiple garden "rooms" and hot/cold outdoor shower.  Upon settling in, we wondered if we might just stay right there in the confines of our villa for the week, blissfully unaware of the world outside.  This is living.... Xoxo

See below pics of the villa and the stunning village just a few steps outside. 

Le tour de Lyon

After years of late night viewing of Le Tour (husband), it was with excitement that we arrived in Lyon to watch the finish of the Lyon stage of Le Tour on the race's 100th anniversary.

After catching up with cycling fanatics,  (and sometimes residents of France) the Jones's, we got excited to explore Lyon and prepare to catch the Tour.  Lyon revealed itself as a pleasant surprise on our travels through France. We stayed in a central location (ie. the hotel was crap but the location was brilliant) between where the rivers Soane and Rhone meet. It was a great location, short walking distance from key locations. Lyon is like a smaller version of Paris and we just fell in love with the place, deciding we would fly straight in there on our next visit to France.  It just oozes beauty, culture, and the food is to die for and a fraction of the price of meals in Paris.  In fact, one of our best meals in Lyon included three courses of the most beautiful food (terrine, canard margret - duck, and  tart) for 18 euro per head!

The tour was a great experience. We had been given the heads up by seasoned followers of The Tour (the Jones's), that it was essential to get down early to get "swag". Swag? About an hour or two before the bikes come through, all the sponsor vehicles come through, decked out like show floats, tossing out freebies to the crowd. It's great fun, particularly for the kids and really adds to the excitement of the event.

Watching the bikes come through was a brief but exciting experience which left us buzzing as we strolled back across the river with the throngs of punters. As we crossed the bridge back to our hotel, and the late afternoon sun sparkled on the river, and bathed the city of Lyon in its golden light, I longed for a few more days in this city.......xoxo

Pics below... Lyon and Le Tour....

In the night garden....

My sadness at leaving Paris was forgotten the moment we pulled onto the long winding driveway, flanked by dense forest, to find Chateu du Breuil awaiting us for our stay on the Loire valley.  It was just as I had hoped, a quaint historic building, stunning both outside and in.

The rooms were beautifully appointed with modern provincial furniture and styling, and the rest of the chateau (including huge outdoor heated pool on the edge of the forest) were maintained tastefully.    It was hard to leave for our day trip the next day.

With literally hundreds of Chateau and wineries in the Loire valley, and only one whole day to visit them, we decided to do one Chateau (Chambord) and one winery (Domaine De Montcy - Cherverny) during the day, allowing us some down time by the pool in the afternoon before heading out again in the evening.

Chambord Castle is stunning and it was a joy to visit a castle out of Paris, no crowds!

Chambord is the largest château in the Loire valley.   It was built to serve as a hunting lodge for Francois I. The original design of the Château de Chambord is attributed, though with several doubts, to Domenico de Cortona.  Though some say that Leonardo da Vinci ( who retired to the area) may have had some influence on the design.  

Chambord took many years to construct (1519–1547).

After Chambord we visited the beautiful town of Blois where we at lunch and had a wander about.  We took in the St. Louis Cathedral and the beautiful cobbled streets.  

Right across from our Chateau was the organic winery of Domaine de Montcy.  We had tried their rosé    the night before (I am so in love with rosé right now!) and it was divine so decided it would be our winery of choice. It was an understated cellar door but we were greeted by the most delightful fellow who treated us like old friends for the duration of our visit.  We tried many varietals  and were blown away by the flavours.  On site they grew: Chardonnay, savignon, Pinot noir, gamay, and the local grape Romorontin. Their organic blends resulted in some delightful wines, many of which we took with us to share with friends on the riviera next week (including a couple of bottles of kids champagne "sans alkool" which our "friend" had been pouring Fin throughout our visit). As we popped into the warehouse to pick up our wine, we noted a wall absolutely covered in awards.
Ken asked him why they kept the awards out the back away from view. He said "we want our visitors to decide for themselves about our wines, that is what it is all about". Great philosophy.

After afternoon swims and snoozes, we headed out to a delightful town on the Loire River, Amboise. Stunning town in the shadows of the Chateau Amboise. With bellies full we then drove to Chateau Chenonceau, which reopens at 9.30pm during July and August to show off it's castle and gardens by night, flooded in light.  It was so stunning. The kids ran through garden mazes which had just the right amount if light hitting them, spotting a deer in the forest as they came out the other side.

A short walk through the forest the took us to the castle, bathed beautifully in golden light and classical music echoing out of it. It was magical.  The Manicured gardens and fountains surrounding  the castle were also tastefully lit up and we spent some time soaking up the beauty of it.
It was 11pm by the time we left, feeling that we had visited a special place.  We were delighted to see as we watched the Tour de France the next day, that this very castle was featured, as the riders went speeding past.

Pics below: Our Chateau Du Breiul, Chambord, Kids and I in Blois, and Our night visit to Chateau Chenonceau.... Xoxo