Mmmm…imagine sunshine, the scent of lavender and rosemary, parasol pines, olive groves, sunflowers, and the Mediterranean…you are experiencing the South of France. But Provence and the Cote d’Azur offer much more than that. Think of hill towns, charming markets, art galleries, sailing, scuba diving, star-gazing (movie star that is), swimming and soaking up the sun, […]
While nearby St. Tropez seems to get all the attention, both Saint- Raphaël and Fréjus are fantastic destinations in their own right, brimming with southern French culture and charm. For the first few months I lived in Gassin (just southwest of Saint- Raphaël and Fréjus), I knew these two cities only as quick stops on […]
Drat! Cannes is one of the most popular and glamorous resort towns in Europe, or the world for that matter. Many describe it as a breeding ground for the upscale and superficial. Cannes’ landscape and climate easily matches its extravagance and glitz. Backed by gentle hills and flanked by the Estérel coastal mountains in the […]
Why I love the street musicians in Europe: January, 1999: I’m 19 years old and in Paris for the first time. As I scuttle down into the Metro to escape the winter wind, I hear the strains of an accordionist playing Edith Piaf’s “La Vie en Rose.” I am transfixed and my love affair with […]