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Strung out between beach and mountain along the slender curve of the
corniche, the towns and villages of the Côte d’Azur and the exclusive
principality of Monaco have never lost their iridescence and allure. With a
reputation as the ultimate in sophistication and elegance clearly visible
from the luxury yachts, swish boutiques and clean beaches, it is easy to see
why the French Riviera and Monte Carlo has been a long wintering destination
of the well-heeled.
Between great isolated and untouched stretches of country you catch fleeting
glimpses of the pink and white belle epoque villas, hidden behind umbrella
pines and palm trees, residences turned palatial hotels beckoning at the end
of sweeping driveways and medieval walled villages including St. Paul de
Vence and Mougins, once frequented by Picasso and Cocteau. At every turn the
Côte d’Azur is a region that feels surreally exclusive and sublimely
glamorous.
Today it remains a magnet for those who come to see and be seen on the
sun-drenched beaches of St. Tropez, Nice and Cannes and the palm fringed
streets of Monte Carlo. The rich and famous are also attracted by its long
rounds of social events – Nice hosts the Mardi Gras each February with a
blaze of colourful floats and masked parades. Cannes is of course home to
the Film Festival which takes place every May, while Monte Carlo attracts
the crowds for the annual Grand Prix where the city’s streets become a
racing circuit. It is therefore not surprising that France tends to bring
out the sensualist in all of us with that seductive image of summer
liberation. |
