A few days on the Côte d'Azur

…………where sports cars and ‘blot on the landscape’ motorboats are king -  until we arrive in our motorhome and expect to be able to rub shoulders with all these beautiful people!

We have started from Cavalaire sur Mer which is a short cycle ride from our campsite and we will progress eastwards towards Nice. 

We had a lovely walk from Gigaro beach around the coast path, it was a bit overcast that day and we just got back before the rain.   We certainly could have done with a coffee after all that exertion but no bars to be found here, just expensive restaurants which are closed until the evening…….. so unlike Portugal where coffee drinking is a very popular pastime with locals and visitors alike. 

Who is this man?

There are cycle paths a plenty and by using those it is quite easy to get from one beach to another so long as there are not massive hills in between.  Just leave the van in a supermarket carpark and hop on the bikes…..and that is how we arrived at St Tropez – the new shabby chic way …… by bike!   The local paper informed us we missed Rod Stewart’s visit by a day – or rather …. He missed us!

St Tropez ……..not really what I expected – almost swamped by the huge motorboats looking like cuckoo’s that have outgrown the nest, but I suppose that is where the money is.  Just along the harbour and climbing up to the citadel the view is much better.

St Tropez - original harbour view

 A few days on and we are enjoying our favourite moules and frites in a nearby restaurant and the sun is shining most of the time although there is a strong wind from time to time.

 

We have been told of a small beach quite near to St Tropez where there is overnight parking for the van right beside a lovely beach so we have changed our plans and decided to stay here for a while.   We paddled our way past the posh beach restaurants where sunbathing and eating seems to be a way of life and the motorboats anchored just offshore are offloading their human cargo for the next sitting!  But it’s back to the van for us for a glass of Rosé.

Not warm enough to swim yet

Moving on now to Frejus and a lovely campsite within walking distance of a beach and cycling distance to the marina with St Raphael just a few miles along.  But for today we are happy to just laze by the pool and get up to date with the washing. 

Frejus marina

St Raphael cathedral peeping out! 

We have cycled to Frejus and St Raphael today - Sunday!  so everywhere is very busy.  Bells were ringing from the cathedral, ( now squeezed in beside the Casino) just got there in time to see the youngsters coming out after their first holy communion celebrations .......  very cute.  

So lovely here at the campsite and the weather is fine so we have decided to stay another night before making our way at last to Italy.

Our updated map of our journey is below.