Grasse, the perfume capital of the world...

Grasse is a town situated about 18 miles north of Cannes in the Cote d'Azur and is to be found in slightly hillier country.  It is quite a large town which sprawls down the mountain from a lovely old cobbled centre, with a myriad of shops, restaurants, galleries and squares where you can easily while away a few hours whilst people watching over coffee and pastis or a glass of the local rosé wine.

Its main claim to fame is as a production centre for perfume. Two old perfume houses still operate here and both offer tours to show and explain the production process.  Galimard and Fragonard are both well recognised names in the perfume world.  The area around Grasse supplies the flowers and most importantly the orange blossom which provides the most often used basic substance in perfume.  It is said that it takes 1000 kilos of blossom to make one kilo of oil.

In the old town there is the opportunity, should you so wish to have a break from Provencal cooking, which as good as it is, to allow local ex pats in need of a curry or a taste of something more spicy occasionally.  Grasse serves that need with an Indian restaurant called Le Punjab(!) and very close by is a Vietnamese restaurant, both are located on an atmospheric little cobbled street in the old town, with Le Punjab also having a very pretty enclosed terrace which is nice for lunch if you can face an Indian at lunch time!

In 2005 the old Perfume Line railway was refurbished and reopened as a passenger line.  It was closed during the Second World War and fell into disrepair, but now there are new stations along the route and it is possible to get to central Cannes in around 25 minutes, which opens up all the delights of that great town a to anyone staying in or near Grasse, without the need to drive and battle with the traffic and parking problems that can arise in high season.

Just 5 miles away is the lovely medieval village of Valbonne, with a number of cobbled streets surrounding a central square which is a glorious place to have lunch in the sunshine, even in January. There is a lovely market that runs on a Friday morning which covers many of the pretty side streets and most of the square and is very popular with the locals and the big ex pat community that lives around Valbonne.

Golf is available just to the north at the Grasse Country Club sometimes known as Clause Amic, but the fairways are narrow, so a good golfer would probably prefer either the course at Chateau Begude aka Opio/Valbonne or the Grande Bastide at nearby Plascassier.

Walking around the hills of Grasse of to be recommended, particularly over towards Gourdon, where a great number of tough walks are signposted, and where the views are particularly stunning.  In winter the nearest skiing is a mere 35 minutes drive, so it is possible to have a little ski and then get to Cannes for a late lunch on the beach.

Getting to Grasse is fairly simple.  I have mentioned the railway, but beware the station is at the bottom of the hill and the town at the top! By car it is well-marked at Junction 42 of the A8 where there is a dual carriageway known as the Penetrante which takes you directly to the town. 

We have some lovely villas in and around Grasse (check out www.larivolte.com!) and also our website on this link: http://www.cotedazurvillarentals.com/Holiday_Villa_Rentals/South_Of_France_Grasse_Cannes_Antibes.asp

Les Soldes!! The sales are on! Cannes it must be...

Whilst the sales are on here in France it makes sense to talk about Cannes - one of the most fantastic and exclusive shopping opportunities in the world. There is enough retail therapy available to satisfy even the hardened gold card shopper. The nice thing about it is that unlike most cities, all the shops are quite close together and visiting all the designer stores in one day (on foot!) is a possibility.

Look at the top designer names which have outlets in Cannes. Classic French haute couture designers Chanel have had a shop on the Croisette for decades. In fact the Croisette is THE address for the best designer shops. Armani have an outlet on this famous street, selling both ladies and gentlemen’s attire; Italian designer Bellenciaga is on the Croisette; just along from them is Louis Vuitton, famous for their luggage and hand bags. Hermes are there as are Max Mara, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana and Jacques Loup. Bvulgari are on the Croisette as are Jimmy Choo, the famous shoe designer.  Gucci are represented and Dior who have also made a name for themselves in the perfume world have many of the rich and famous visit their store.

The Croisette in Cannes is the road which runs alongside the promenade beside the sea and above the dozens of top quality restaurants that are located on the sandy beach, and offer a very attractive possibility for a lunchtime gourmet meal by way of rest and relaxation should this be required.

Cannes is a wonderful destination, winter or summer. In the summer it usually remains temperate with temperatures seldom above 28 degrees and even in the depths of winter one can enjoy warm sunshine during the day when even the odd sun bather can be seen. Enough of the weather, and back to the shopping...

For those who cannot afford to or don't want to pay the inflated designer prices charged on the Croisette (my hand is raised!), there is the Rue d'Antibes. This runs parallel with the Croisette, and is a mere 100 metres or less away from it more illustrious cousin. It has an array of shops with the emphasis on clothing. Zara has two stores here, plus Diesel, Mango, Esprit, Madura, Diesel and Kenzo.  There are hundreds of other names you may not have heard of, but this is a more normal shopping experience. For the men there is Darty and FNAC with a wide array of electrical goods and gadgets.  This is much more the domain of the majority of us mere mortals who have to think about how much they are spending ;-)

Further along the town behind the port there is an even cheaper street with bargains galore.

Cannes is within easy driving or taxi reach of Nice airport which has daily or regular flights to and from all the 4 major London airports, Bristol, Manchester, East Midland, Leeds Bradford (in summer) and Liverpool, plus from many of the major French cities. There are even daily connections to New York and Montreal and several flights a week to Moscow and Dubai.

If flying is not your thing, why not consider the TGV.  It makes it easier to take back all those goodies you have acquired! You could get the Eurostar to Lille and then get a direct train to Nice or Cannes, or even stop off in Paris for a bit of a retail whetting of the appetite?

 

The real Provence...

What says more about the South of France than Provence. Images of lavender fields, olive groves and rows of ripening vines, street cafes in medieval market squares and red mountains glinting in the sunset, and best of all – it’s all still here!

This is the real Provence, made famous by the books of Peter Mayle but still as alive and vibrant as it was centuries ago. A holiday in Provence is a holiday to remember. Villas are stone ‘mas’, spacious and exquisitely restored houses, bathed in the scent of rosemary and lavender and overlooking the miles of rolling countryside. From here you can explore the historic centres of Aix-en-Provence and St Remy de Provence, the amazing Cathedral des Papes at Avignon or the dominant fortified towns of Gordes, Bonnieux and Roussillon. There’s so much to see and do that you will always return to this stunning region.

We have an ever increasing number of beautiful villas, town houses, mas & farmhouses in this area. To view the whole collection have a look at this link - Provence Villas


A lovely villa which still has some good availability in Summer 2013 is Mas de la Ferme in Maussane.

This charming 17th century farmhouse has been totally renovated with respect given to the original architecture and authentic Provencal materials have been used to maintain the property`s character. To complete the transformation, a host of modern amenities have been added to ensure the most comfortable and relaxing of holiday.

The courtyard garden is surrounded by pink roses, cypress trees and the scent of jasmine. The outdoor furniture includes wrought iron chairs and loungers.

Ground floor
The main front door opens into a large welcoming entrance hall. Small comfortable living room with wonderful fireplace. Very spacious open-plan living and dining room with fireplace and seating for up to twelve. The fully equipped kitchen, which forms part of the living and dining room has a double-oven industrial stove. Guest bathroom with shower, basin and WC. Laundry room with washer, dryer and extra fridge/freezer.

First floor
Spacious Master bedroom with 180cm bed (or twin) and en-suite double bathroom with bath, walk-in shower, basin, bidet and WC.
Double bedroom with 180cm bed (or twin) and en-suite bathroom, walk-in shower, basin, bidet and WC.
Double bedroom with 180cm bed (twin) and en-suite bathroom with walk-in shower, basin and WC.

Guest wing, with separate entrance or accessed in the property, which comprises of a kitchen, living room, double bedroom with 180cm bed (or twins) and en-suite bathroom with walk-in shower, basin and WC.

The living room does have a sofabed which can sleep two.

If you would like to see our availability or book this charming farmhouse please click here

Summer in Sizzling Hot St Tropez!!

St Tropez is probably one of the most recognized playgrounds for the rich & famous in the world. For many years it has been synonymous with the jet set lifestyle that most of us aspire to. St Tropez is a riot of decadence in the sunshine and much loved by the rich and famous as it is by those less wealthy amongst us who love to come and see what is going on!

Located on the Mediterranean coast an hour’s drive from Cannes and Nice, it was originally a harbour town and this is still the case today, although now a days the port is full of swish yachts rather than the small fishing vessels that would once have been its bread and butter. The town grew up around the port and as a result there are a number of great restaurants alongside small shops offering an astonishing range of merchandise. This ranges from local produce such as olive oil or the local wines (the rosé is very good!) but extends to clothing and designer shops much loved by the clientèle who can afford to stay in St Tropez!

There is a strong artistic thread running through the town with galleries on every corner and connections to many great artists who came here or painted here at some stage in their careers. Beautiful scenery abounds around the village and with the sparkling sea as a back drop many an artist has been inspired by the local beauty.

Pampelonne beach is a 4 km sandy beach, abound with beach restaurants.

This is the beach which epitomizes topless sunbathing! In fact it is said that Brigit Bardot strolled out of the Voile Rouge restaurant and removed her bikini top (after first alerting the entire words press as to what she intended to do) and the result?  St Tropez was suddenly on the map!

There are all the usual attractions which come with a beach location & all kinds of water sports are available. If you venture out a little there are breath taking views to be had from many of the hills around, where walking and hiking is popular. Horse riding, bounding, swimming, even scooter hire and plane rides around the area can be found within 10 km’s of the centre.

Beware of the traffic in high summer - it can take up to 2 hours on a busy day to drive from St Maxime which is about 12kms around the coast. It is best to take the boat which is much quicker and just as pretty a ride.

We have LOTS of amazing villas in St Tropez - have a look now to secure your dream holiday villa.