LAVENDER FIELDS OF PROVENCE
The price of lavender oil skyrocketed during the late 1890’s as the French nation caught the craze for using perfume products. Lavender production is very seasonal and the entire village would come to the lavender fields and help to harvest and distil the crop. It lasted for about six to ten weeks, then it was finished until the next season. The village women would cut the lavender spikes. They would then spread them to dry in bundles. The men collected the lavender bundles and handled the heavy barrels. The village teenagers kept the wood-burning distilling machines fed with fuel. Today, the production of lavender oil and lavender essence is highly automated. The best time to see the Lavender fields in bloom is July to mid-September. Harvest time varies due to the weather and altitude of the fields. You see many fields high up in the mountain villages.

SAINT TROPEZ
I was very pleasantly surprised at how beautiful St Tropez was. From its reputation I was expecting a typical over priced touristy south of France seaside resort, known for topless bathing. What I found was a wonderful preserved mediaeval port and city with charming old streets and restaurants. It is one of the nicer places on the Cote d'Azur. During the 1960s, Saint-Tropez became a favourite hangout for the international jetset transformed by the Brigitte Bardot 1956 film "And God Created Woman". Prior to this it was just a sleepy fishing village frequented by painters and writers.

There are many eating places in Saint Tropez. Be wary of hidden costs. A reasonably priced pizza will become and expensive meal when the cheapest bottle of wine is three times the price of the pizza. check for a sensible option. Take a coffee or beer in one of the cafes around Place des Lices, the central square of Saint Tropez and watch the world walk past. Then have a stroll around the old port and marina. Have another drink and watch the beautiful ships entering the bay. The houses have colourful fronts in shades of terracotta, beige, orange and rose pink. It's not too hard to climb the stairs to the 16th century fortress - La Citadelle. You will be rewarded with a beautiful view of St. Tropez and the surrounding sea. La Citadelle, is a museum, la musée de la marine, showing the naval history of Saint Tropez. Be prepared for the big traffic jams in the summer especially on Saturday which is Market day. Go early to avoid the traffic and find a parking place.

ANTIBES
Over 2000 years ago the Ancient Greeks colonised the site of Antibes as the jewel of the Cote d'Azur. I was very pleasantly surprised at how beautiful Antibes was. It has many preserved historic buildings. I enjoyed walking around this town much more that Cannes. My favourite thing was the stroll around the walls of the old town especially along the coast. The star shaped fortress walls were designed by Vauban the master architect and builder in fortifications all over Europe. In the inner centre of Antibes you enter a labyrinth of streets and alleys lined with many cosy restaurants and cafe's. A cafe table in the old section of Antibes guarantees you a ringside seat to view the rest of the world as it passes by. The cobbled streets are really colorful because of the many flowers in flower-boxes

The main town square, the Place Nationale, is lined with a selection of restaurants, cafes and brasseries. There are always plenty of places to sit and enjoy a salad or brushetta and a glass of wine, and watch the ever-changing people scenery. On Sudays, between the shade-giving plane trees, market stalls come out for you to browse an interesting array of bricabrac, books and antiques. Look out for the interesting Marche Provencal. This is a covered market where you can buy flowers, food, spices. As you walk the narrow streets stop and try one of the delicious French crepes pancakes. The are sold with all kind of fillings. The more popular being chocolate, jam, ham and cheese.

The Old Antibes beach Plage de La Gravette has a small, sandy, pleasant beach which faces west into the sun. It is sheltered from waves by a small breakwater and this makes it particularly safe for children. The only disadvantage is that it can be crowded. Outside the city walls Antibes has wonderfully sandy beaches which have given it the reputation as the most enjoyable place to be along the whole of the Mediterranean French Riviera. Don't miss Port Vauban, Antibes harbour and especially its famous 'Billionaires Quay' Le quai des milliardaires. Antibes is the largest pleasure harbour of the French Riviera and is the home of the largest yachts.

The Château Grimaldi was built on the former Greek Acropolis in the 12th century as a residence for the Princes of Monaco. In 1946 Picasso used part of the castle as a studio. He produced 26 paintings and 43 drawings in five months of intensive work. As a tribute a Picasso museum is now housed in the castle and includes most of those works of art. Please note that it is closed on Mondays and public holidays. The Musée d’Archéologie (archeological museum) at the Bastion St-André displays many finds from the various invaders like the Ligurians, Greeks, and Romans.Most of the objects were salvaged from shipwrecks The museum is open Monday - Friday, 10am - 12pm, 2pm - 6pm. If you are on holiday with your children Le parc de la mer et de l'aventure Marineland is just outside of Antibes about 4 km. The are several shows/displays throughout the day featuring killer whales, sharks, dolphins, elephant seals, and sea lions. There is also a water park with a wide range of water games.

GRASSE
The old town of Grasse is up in the hills behind Cannes and Antibes. In my opinion it should be put on your do not miss list. Grasse is situated on the border of the Cote d'Azur and Provence. It is famous for it’s perfume factory tours but the old town is a gem. There are tiny streets that wind around between old buildings and up and down narrow steps. Some pass through arched tunnels and sometimes open onto large squares with cafes. A walk through old Grasse is a joy for the eyes and ears, as well as for your nose. Flowery and parfum scents are changed by food and fish.

All great perfume companies such as Chanel, Sabatini, Dolce & Gabanna order their essence from companies in Grasse. They just name the product after changing it a little bit. The perfume "factories" that produce the real thing are called "usine". Fragonard and Molinard are the most popular and they run tours through their laboratories. In the right season the tours visit their flowerfields. Grasse has two local museums. The "Musee d'Art et d'Histoire de Provence” covers Provence art and history. The "Musee Provecnal du Costume et du Bijou restores and displays the dresses and jewelry that belongs to this region. Both are situated in the old town of Grasse and are definately worth a visit. There is a third museum the Grasse naval museum based around the life of a famous local admiral. Check opening times as I have tried.

CANNES
I was disappointed by Cannes. Having been to Grasse, St-Tropez and Antibes I knew where I would rather be. Yes it had some grand old (extremely expensive!!) hotels along palm tree lined Boulevards. But the ambiance of this seaside resort was spoilt by the “Bunker" on the seafront. It is the nickname given to the centre for many international conferences, music concerts, and of course the annual film festival in May each year. It is too modern and ugly. You are going to have to pay 20-30 euro and upwards on one of the many hotel owned private beaches for a sunlounger and the all important shade of a parasol. Here waiters will fetch you drinks at very inflated prices. What ever happened to free public beaches!

NICE
Nice is an attractive Seaside resort with elegant Art Deco hotels that spread along the 5km long beach. There is a very long wide ‘promenade de Anglais’ behind the beach for those that want to walk along the beach taking in the sights. At the eastern end of the town you will find the small port and charming old town. Wander the lanes and soak up the atmosphere of Old Nice. They are full of little boutiques, patisseries, restaurants and cafes. The old town is the very essence of Nice. The smell from the many shops selling Provencal lavender sachets and scented soaps perfumes the air. It is a wonderful place to wander out at night. These little streets really come alive. You can relax as it is a safe area where you can take families. The old, crooked streets with brightly painted buildings hark back to a simpler time. If you want Chic and Gorgeous go to the Massena area of Nice but Vieux Nice, Old Nice, is where you'll find atmosphere and character. Cours Saleya is where daily markets are held including an evening arts and crafts market and it is lined with cafes and restaurants.

The beaches of Nice, and along the coast to Antibes, are shingle (smooth stones). From Antibes-Juan-les-Pins to Cannes, the beaches are sand. I recommend buying some nice plastic shoes if you want to go swimming to save your feet from the pain of walking on pebbles. Most of the local shops sell them. Topless sunbathing and swimming is quite common - probably about three quarters of the women (of all ages and sizes) go topless. Most people are blase about it but you do get a few onlookers, some with video cameras and cameras on the promenade. This can be unnerving at first, but just forgot about them and enjoy the sun.

MONTE-CARLO
Apart from the royal residence and the Casino area I was very disappointed with Monte-Carlo. It is full of ugly 1960’s tower blocks with no character. Yes it is interesting to walk around the Grand Prix track so you can say ‘I’ve been there’ when it is next shown on TV. Once you have seen these sights get out and go to Menton the next seaside town along the coast as you head towards Italy. It is much more attractive.

MENTON
Now this is what I thought Monte-Carlo was going to look like. It is an attractive south of France seaside charming resort with a marina full of expensive boats. You can park along the Quay Napoleon harbour sea front which lies directly next to the old town. The view of the old town set against the mountains is classic France. Parallel to Menton’s seaside frontage the Baie du Soleil is the pedestrian only Zone Pietone Rue St Michel where you can shop to your hearts content without having to worry about being run over. Menton has an easy-going genteel atmosphere. There is a large food market near where the Promenade du Soleil meets the Quay de Monleon. Outside you will find an art and antiques market. There is a long stretch of beach along the Boulevard du Soleil The Beach is gravel, not sand, but is ideal for children as it is on a very gentle incline so the water depth changes very gradually. At the harbour stands the old 17th century bastion fortress that watched over the ships that anchored at Menton. It was built for the Grimaldi's Monaco royal family. The harbour is a joy to walk around and discuss which yacht you would by if you won the Lottery. Monton is famous for its parks and gardens that are open to the public. They offer green oasis that invite you to relax and sit down.

MARSEILLE
You have to go to Marseille to say you have been but I think you will be disappointed. Apart from a few streets around the harbour it is ugly and dirty. It is only worth a day trip. Walk around the harbour, the fortress