I have been loving this forum as a guest for some months now, and decided to make it ligit today. I am a Brooklynite living in Switzerland for some months and traveling mostly in short stints by car to France and Italy. Not exactly slow, but so much fun!
I have a question for this forum if I may. This weekend I plan to head to the Côte d’Azur and am looking for inexpensive accomodations (in the headlands perhaps?) and some lovely, less touristy things to do/see. For this time, outdoor experiences are preferred to museums.
To give an idea, last long weekend I spent in Provence--mostly in Luberon--and following advice I found here, I visited and *loved* Lacoste and Venasque (La Maison aux Volets Bleus is enchanting!). I did not enjoy as much Roussilon or Gordes, though they were beautiful, they also felt filled with tourists and tourist shops, too prefabricated an experience for my taste.
I am hoping that you may have some yeses or nos based on above clues, regarding these areas I have seen recommended here (or any others on the coast and headlands): Cap d'Antibes, Cap Ferrat, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Eze, Haut-de-Cagnes, St-Paul-de-Vence, Biot, Vence, Tourrettes sur Loup, Gorbio, Peillon, Menton, Antibes Juan-les-Pins...
Figure I'll perch somewhere and visit a handful of the above.
Originally posted by ~curious voluptuary~: This weekend I plan to head to the Côte d’Azur and am looking for inexpensive accomodations (in the headlands perhaps?)
What are the headlands?
Regarding the list "Cap d'Antibes, Cap Ferrat, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Eze, Haut-de-Cagnes, St-Paul-de-Vence, Biot, Vence, Tourrettes sur Loup, Gorbio, Peillon, Menton, Antibes Juan-les-Pins...", that is a huge list for a weekend. You liked Venasque, a quiet, beautiful jewel of a village, instead of the in-your-face Gordes. You seem to like something more withdrawn from the main routes but is still a "real" village with its own life independent of tourism. For a weekend I'd pick as a base: Roquebrunne, Menton, Biot or Cap Ferrat, especially Roquebrunne. Strike Cap Ferrat. Brangelina just moved in. My fave outdoor activity on the coast, besides going to the markets, is taking a long walk around those Caps - Cap d'Antibes, Cap Ferrat, Cap Martin.
As for inexpensive lodging… I always rent and don't know many hotels on the coast. My friends always liked Villa la Tour in the old town of Nice. www.villa-la-tour.com In my notes, another recommendation is Hotel des Deux Rocs in the pretty "village perché" of Seillans . I have visited and quite liked the village (a little inland, 40 min drive from Cannes), near a beautiful lake and far from the built-up coast.
First off, I think it will be hard to find one of those charming places on a short notice. You are traveling this weekend right? Cote d'Azur is busy in the spring. Cannes Film festival is soon so don't expect the area to be quiet.
It will be quieter if you get away from the coast but you will also have less services (restaurants, shops, etc). So it is a give and take. AiP's suggestions are very good. Wendy from UK has stayed at Les Deux Freres in Roquebrune. I visited Biot and thought it was very charming. It might seem a little touristy since it is also an art town (glass blowing) but it is quiet off the main street. I have a photo album of a walk around the town.
I've stayed in Vence before and enjoyed it. I like the old walled part of the city. Many of the hotels are outside the old town and might be an option. I stayed at La Villa Roseraie outside of town but I think it might be a little over priced for the quality. I would check our reviews on Slow Travel. I've also came across this hotel recently in St. Paul de Vence - Le Hameau. St Paul de Vence is very touristy but it can be enjoyable after the crowds.
Peillon is extremely charming but extremely tiny. There is only one hotel and restaurant - Auberge de la Madone. If you do stay there, there are hiking trails right out of the hamlet towards Peille or down to La Turbie. Be prepared for extremely narrow roads.
We stayed at Le Hameau, which is actually about a kilometer outside St. Paul de Vence. It was one of my favorite hotels of all time, although that was in 1999, so things may have changed.
I've just looked at the website, which is very much as I remembered it. Except the gift shop/art gallery. I don't think that was there.
Kim we are staying at a lovely B and B in Vence called Villa Canto Grihet.
Claude was very helpful and friendly.
We are staying in Venasque in June - I loved the look of La Maison Aux Volets Bleurs!
Can you recommend any of the restaurants in the village for lunch on our first day? I am looking for something quaint and traditional for a family birthday...
Posts: 150 | Location: South Africa | Registered: 21 January 2006
Americana in Parigi~ By headlands I meant the hills along the coast (sorry, a misused S.F. term...) Roquebrunne was my first choice as a base, glad to have it confirmed. Not Brangelina!
Marta~ Short notice and short trip--not ideal! And you are right, I tried Les Deux Freres-- booked. I will try Le Hameau and Auberge de la Madone. Thank you to Chris too.
Calzan~ I will check Villa Canto Grihet as well. Thank you!
I cannot say enough good things about http://www.maison-volets-bleus.com/ La Maison aux Volets Bleus. Martine and Jerome (and kitty Pepsi) have been in the area for 30+ years and hosting clearly suits them.
Martine is an excellent cook as well, and the view from their terrace is one I will remember. Very cozy air, flowers hanging from ceiling, fish in the pond, Jerome tossing your olive pits into the valley and promising you trees when you return.
Prior to this space they owned http://www.hotellesremparts.com Les Remparts, where we enjoyed a drink on the terrace. Otherwise, everything was still closed, sorry to say...
If you're looking to pick a base among the seaside towns, I would consider belle époque style Beaulieu-sur-Mer or Roquebrune. These are not undiscovered villages - just the opposite. They're also far from inexpensive. But you can't beat the views, the strolls along the villa-studded capes (Cap Martin by Roquebrune, Cap Ferrat by Beaulieu), the colors of the setting sun against the limestone cliffs.
Among the nearby perched villages, I enjoy Gorbio, St Agnes, Peillon for managing to stay small and authentic despite the region's popularity. It's a nice contrast from St-Paul-de-Vence and Gourdon, for example, that are gorgeous, but over-run with gift shops.
Many schools and public services will be closed on Monday, May 12 (Pentecôte) and Thursday, May 8 (1945 v-day). Some folks will take Friday off for an extra long weekend, so check for availability among the above recommended hotels.
I checked the hotel reviews on our main site: Slow Travel and noticed that we don't have a review for Maison aux Volets Bleu. Your stay sounds lovely. If you have a moment, we'd love to have a review. Here's a link to our submit a review page.
