“The French Riviera is a place where the combination of sea, sun, and the simple pleasures of life never fail to inspire.” – Brigitte Bardot

British and Russian aristocrats started arriving on the Cote d’Azur in the 19th century. Its’ fame began not as a summer destination…but winter. In the early 20th century, Picasso, the Fitzgerald’s, Hemingway, and many other luminaries started arriving… and the rest is history. Sleepy French fishing ports evolved into destinations for the rich and not so rich to luxuriate in the sun. Our friend Philippe told us we needed to visit Cannes many years ago, as did other friends from France and Sweden. It didn’t take much convincing as we have returned many times afterwards.

The photo above shows the Port de Cannes and the historic old district, “Le Suguet”, on the hill.

I’ll begin my post on favorite places on the French Riviera with…Cannes. This is where our love of the Cote d’Azur first began. We will return again for a long overdue visit later in the year. The famous Croisette is shown above.

We have stayed at a number of hotels but we prefer renting an apartment near the Midi beaches. Marla is happily hunting for tasty items in the Marche Forville. The large market has lots of wonderful produce, meats, fish, cheese, and flower sellers. There are many food shops nearby. It is open from 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM every day except Mondays when it turns into a brocante market.

Nearby Rue Meynadier is a pedestrian street full of fabulous food shops.

Marla stops to admire a wall sculpture on Rue Saint-Antoine. The Lane winds up the hill from the port and is full of nice restaurants. We have many great memories of dining in the area with good friends and clients.

Beautiful bougainvillea cover the walls in the historic area of Le Suquet.

An early photo of Marla and me at a Cannes beach club.

Marla and our daughter Stacy connected with son-in-law Stan and me in Paris after our Tour de France bike tour one year. Stan and I cycled some of the iconic routes of the race before the pros arrived. After a short visit to Avignon we went to Cannes to relax and unwind.

A very nice AIRBNB apartment rental facing the Midi beaches of Cannes, our favorite area.

We love the town of Menton which has great charm and is usually a little quieter than many seaside towns of the coast. The colors of the old town are simply beautiful!

The famous zig-zag staircase up to the “Basilique Saint-Michel Archange de Menton.“

Marla is next to one of our favorite restaurants in Menton. Since the town is in walking distance to the Italian border there are many good Italian restaurants.

Ancient and very atmospheric lanes in the old town of Menton.

A stunning aerial view of beautiful “Eze” with the “Le Jardin Exotique” at the summit with many tropical plants.

I spotted this while walking to Hôtel Château de La Chèvre d’Or in Eze. It’s such a gorgeous area.

Marla and I on our way to the terrace at Hôtel Château de La Chèvre d’Or with Kathy and Philippe for cocktails before dinner in the fabulous restaurant.

Cassis is a beautiful fishing port in southern France. Overlooked by a centuries-old château, it’s known for pebbly beaches and its “calanques”, narrow inlets framed by steep, limestone cliffs.

The port of Cassis looks right out of a postcard.

They found the perfect spot to enjoy Cassis!

Petanque (a form of boules) Is very popular in the South of France as well as Paris.

Marla walks on Promenade Maurice Rouvier not far from Beaulieu-sur-Mer on Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Once a sleepy fishing village, the Cap became a destination of royalty, aristocrats and their gorgeous villas.

The protected harbor of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.

A few years ago we rented a villa overlooking the beach and the bay of “Anse de Renecros” in Bandol with our oldest daughter’s family.

The view from the second floor was stunning!

The master bedroom.

Our friend Philippe hosted a dinner for us at his nearby hotel, “Hotel & Spa Ile Rousse Thalazur Bandol.”

Antibes and the Cap D’Antibes are a beautiful and historic area between Cannes and Nice on the Cote d’Azur. My grandson Paxton and I were on a walk by Plage du Ponteil toward the old town when we came upon this plaque with a picture of a painting by Claude Monet of Fort Carré. You can see it in the distance.

We loved exploring Antibes!

Antibes’s old town is very popular with many fun restaurants.

While walking by the Antibes’ famous Marche Provencal we were amazed to find dancing girls parading around with music. We found out later thery were advertising a soccer match.

Antibes beaches made famous by Pablo Picasso, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and many others in the 1920’s, have definitely evolved into the crowded mess you see above! Marla and I reserved at Plage Keller next to Plage de la Garoupe, but really didn’t enjoy it.

The nearby coastal area and the path of “Arbre Sentier de Tire-Poil” is much nicer.

Antibe’s historic resort, “Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc” is stunning and luxurious!

We are enjoying the fantastic ambiance at the hotel’s Champagne Bar on the terrace!

There are so many absolutely beautiful seaside towns on the French Riviera, and we must add Villefranche-sur-Mer to the list.

The town was having a market and of course I had to visit. I purchased a fantastic “millefiori” Venetian Champagne glass for our collection of unique single champagne glasses.

It is easy to see why the French Riviera has such a magical and magnetic pull for famous artists and writers, along with tourists from around the world seeking the fantastic azure sea, the special light, and the wonderful weather. It continues to capture me and I can’t wait to return!

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission.