Off the track
Occurred around August 2007
We left Marseille in the morning and drove the Riviera enjoying stunning views along the way. So too, it seemed, did everyone else. Lots of trouble trying to find a bed for the night, even though it was only 5.00 pm. One hotel in St Tropez offered us a room with a small balcony for 320 Euro. It was facing a busy road so we declined. Cannes was impossible unless you had very deep pockets.
At the inspired suggestion of my travel partner we turned off the coast road and headed inland and soon came to a town called Grasse. Why we'd never heard of this place surprises me as it's quite beautiful and takes the title of being the perfume capital of the world. History has it that the perfume industry began here over 400 years ago. It flourishes to this day. If you're lucky enough to arrive in Spring or Summer you'll find the hills covered in flowers, all there to produce oils for the perfume industry. If you had to have an industry close to where you live this is the one. We stayed at a great B&B called Clos des Cypres (details in Accommodation review) which had quite beautiful gardens itself, as well as stunning views across the heavily-scented valley.
Grasse has a large mediaeval old town where we spent many happy hours exploring – and getting lost. Narrow lanes criss cross the village, through tunnels and past ancient stone buildings, then suddenly, you emerge into a square. Our favourite was the main square, the Place aux Aires with its delightful fountain and shopping arcades off to the side.
An interesting find is just off another square, this one the Place du Petit Puy where you'll discover the Notre Dame du Puy cathedral, distinguished by its huge clock tower. Step inside and you'll find three paintings by Rubens, as well as other notable works. Such riches were totally unexpected. Probably the best way to explore is to pick up a free walking map from the tourist office. Just follow the numbers. You can also rent a portable CD to talk you through the walk if you prefer, but we found the printed information most useful.
Cannes is about 15 km away and Nice about 25 km. There's a regular bus service to Nice which is preferable to driving as parking can be impossible. We enjoyed our swim and sunbake, a drink (about double price of Grasse) in a bar overlooking the sea, but were happy to get back on the bus for our quiet B&B at Grasse.
For those of us who are interested in boats you'll see more magnificent yachts in the stretch of coast between Cannes and Nice than just about anywhere else. Be warned, you'll be weak with envy. Super yacht after super yacht. Surely there aren't that many billionaires in the world! The largest marina is a stunning natural harbour at Antibes and it was here that I overheard an American tourist comment to his girlfriend, 'Lot of drug money floating out there!' I make no comment other than to observe that a wage-slave like me would take a couple hundred years solid work to afford anything like these. But go have a look anyway.
We ended up staying at Grasse for four very enjoyable days. And the lesson we learnt was that sometimes being away from the bright lights allows you to see better, and certainly pay less.
Submitted by Melbourne2007 - 09 Oct 2007