An affair with the French Riviera

French old towns and local markets, blue sea and the green mountains, gardens and fountains, harbours and yachts, plush resorts and villas, gourmet delights and the best wines, a romp on the sea beach or a long drive – all these conjures up to what can best describe “The French Riviera”. Set across the Mediterranean coastline, the French Riviera or the Cote d Azur includes many small towns and cities like Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Menton, Saint- Tropez, Eze, Villefranche – sur- Mer, Saint Paul de Vence, Saint Jean Cap- Ferrat, Grasse, etc. The micro country of Monaco is also a part of the coastline.

The drive from Nice to places like Antibes, Cannes and Gordon was a scenic cum romantic affair. As the car meandered through the Riviera road, I could not stop gushing of this enchanting seascape. The view from Antibes hill top, where the car paused for a short while offers a wide angle view of the gorgeous town. It is also the reason why most celebrities decide to sojourn and nestle in Antibes. Cannes is just twenty something minute drive from  there. Every year hundreds of cine stars flock Cannes to celebrate national and international cinema in the glamorous building ‘Palais de Festival’. Being star- struck, I felt privileged to be there.

In Cannes, a chair car, toy train sort of called as ‘Le Petit’ train took us to some important sights of Cannes- the Harbour Palm Beach, Notre dame de- Bon- Voyage church, Boulevard de la Croisette with umbrella pine trees, the Suquet Hill, the old port to name a few. ‘Promenade de la Croisette’ is an important road which houses an array of significant hotels like the Martinez, the Carlton- an abode to the premier of many Hollywood movies.

The experience with Grasse which is considered to be the perfume capital of the world was absolutely incredible. The amazing journey of the French Riviera reached its pinnacle in the medieval village of Gordon. Hundreds of metre high in the mountain is where this picturesque village is located. The magnificent feudal castle of the 9^th century, numerous shops and craft workshops, restautrants, Chapel of Saint Vincent and the medieval museum of decorative art indeed left an indelible impression on my mind. April 19, 1891 Queen Victoria of England visited this place and in her honour one of the area is called as Victoria Square from where one can have spell binding views of the green mountainous curves.

The last stop of the Riviera sojourn was Monaco. Be it the train ride or the bus journey, the view of Villefranche- sur- Mer one heavenly sight. White yachts stalled in the sun kissed ripples of the calm sea, against the back drop of the hills, is breath taking. Apart from Monaco Ville, Jardin Exotique, Larvotto beach and Palais du Prince there are four places which deserves a special mention.

First is the Monaco Grand Prix. It’s an adrenaline rush moment to see Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston Martin and many more desirable brands vroom past you. Second is the Rock of Monaco and the Ocenographic museum overlooking the Mediterranean sea one can have a walk around the building and experience the cool breeze sitting in the restaurant and see boats ply and sea gulls fly. Third is the city view point where the sea and city can be viewed in one go. The final and the best experience definitely is the ‘James Bond moment’- the stunning palatial Monte Carlo Casino. Make sure your pocket is stuffed with Euros in case you decide to play. However, entry is free.

City buses in Monaco takes you through the city and is the best option to go from one corner to the other. Every nook and corner is pristinely neat and city looks like a park. My brush with Monaco was regal and I felt like King in luxury.

There are some moments of life you like to hold on and this trip was indeed an affair to remember. I remember Ulysess who said, “I drank life to the lees” and I too felt the same. What more can I say.

Photo: Tomal Bhattacharjee