France - September 2011 - Part V

The French Riviera: Saint Raphael, Frejus, Auribeau and Pegomas

Plus Beaune -- on the way to Paris

Entrance to our second villa

Bonjour! By this time on our trip, I'd become incredibly French. Almost fluent! (Yeah, right--I'm dialect impaired for those of you who do not know me well.)  We packed up and left our villa in Saint Cyr sur Mer in the middle of the week. We drove several hours further east to a little village called Auribeau http://www.beyond.fr/villages/auribeau.html. It was near Grasse and Cannes--where the Cannes Film Festival is held. This villa sat on a hill. The roads were one-lane, very narrow, and windy. I was surprised when the GPS took us right to the entrance. Farigoulet http://selfcatering.travel/le-farigoulet was tastefully decorated in most of the sleeping rooms; the living areas were outdated, but we spent very little time there. The perks of this villa were Internet access in the dining area, our own private pool, and a tennis court. The bedrooms were large and most had a private en suite bath. Nothing went wrong at this place and we were able to enjoy the rest of our trip without incident.

view of Auribeau from our patio

From the patio we saw the village of Auribeau. In the evening, we'd enjoy a glass of wine (or diet Pepsi) or another refreshing beverage (and eat French cheese), watching the sun go down. Great sunsets! We were pestered by no-see-ums. I'd never heard of these annoying little insects, but they dined on all our ankles and legs. We bought bug spray to keep them at bay, then went to dinner in Pegomas--the closest town with restaurants. Pegomas also had a large grocery store where we stocked up on beverages and snack items. At the local patisserie, we bought chocolate croissants every morning--a new mandatory tradition.

one of the doors in Auribeau

So many of the buildings had old doors and flowers and made me think of my favorite fairy tales. The structures were built so close to the roads it was amazing more accidents didn't happen. Whenever we were within a city's limits, John and I parked and walked. As far as we're concerned, that's the best way to see a place.

an Auribeau street

our group of nine in Auribeau

I wish I could describe each little village without sounding redundant. But they were all unique and charming and quaint. I loved them all. You must go, visit, and experience them for yourself.

church in Frejus

One day we drove east to Frejus and Saint Raphael. I'd been there with my friend Diana when our cruise ship docked in Cannes a few years ago. At that time, it was November. The weather was chilly and the towns were in the process of holiday decorating--which was a wonderful treat in itself. This time--a September trip--the weather was warm, lots of flowers were in bloom, and people still frequented the beaches. I couldn't resist taking pictures of streets, churches, towns, the ocean, shops--and especially the signage.

streets of Frejus

Frejus Butcher Shop

love the signage!

Saint Raphael is a great coastal community with a promenade along the water. There is a huge casino across the street from the water. Even though I suggested John go play some cards, he decided to hang with me. The town has restaurants and shops, and like most French towns, a carousel near the waterfront. We took the opportunity to sit and eat at a cafe on the beach--a perfect spot to people watch.

driving along the Mediterranean

Carousels throughout France--
this one in Saint Raphael

a group of windsurfers being towed to shore

our hotel in Beaune

On our last day in the French Riviera, we drove to Antibes to lay on the beach. Again, people watching is a great past time in the Mediterranean. After a relaxing morning, we headed back to the villa to pack. The next morning we drove toward Paris. But we had one more stop before we picked up the key for our apartment near the Bastille: Beaune, near Lyon. http://www.hotelpaix.com
I found this boutique hotel on tripadvisor. The rooms were spacious and nicely appointed. The bathrooms were clean and roomy too. We only had one night there, but we took full advantage of the time. We wandered streets that looked like old movie sets, got lost, ate dinner outside, watched children play, and window shopped.

charming buildings in Beaune

our bedroom in Beaune at de la Paix

wrought-iron door

Pastries!

Beaune had everything a person could want in a village: shopping, pastries, cool architecture, accordion players, a carousel, and great walking. I wished we could have stayed longer. Apparently, this area is known for Burgundy wine. I'm not a wine connoisseur  but I did notice a couple wineries on our hike through town. Many travel agencies advertised vino tours. With more time, I might have considered one. France is a large country. There are so many wonderful, unique, charming regions. I felt our trip had variety, but there was much more to see. I guess that gives us an excuse to return. We spent the final leg of our trip in Paris. I can't wait to tell you all about it. Au revoir for now.

Accordion player

More Beaune