My French Summer....

....three long, hot and blissful weeks on the Cote d'Azur....

for 21 whole days

we had sunshine and blue skies

we ate ice cream

we bought fresh baguettes every day

ate pain aux raisins for breakfast

we swam in the clear blue sea every single day

we watched the boats, the yachts and the super-yachts

we ate lots and lots of delicious creamy french cheese

family time - and lots of it....

my children ate snails and asked for more

we watched fabulous fireworks at 10pm in the harbour in monte carlo

our favourite ice cream flavour was lavender and honey (me) and lemon and basil (them!)

i read 14 books

my son played for one whole day on the beach with a little french boy, only speaking the words "oui oui" the whole time :)

we rode the fabulous double decker train to monaco

my son learned to swim

we ate pizza on the beach at night under a very starry sky

we talked and talked and talked

i gawped at admired the french and italian women who surrounded me daily on the beach....

all i will say is that they are a species all of their own (a whole other post!)

and they clearly don't eat bread and cheese every day like i did ;)

21 wonderful days

this is the view from the railway station

I first discovered Villefranche-Sur-Mer some years ago when I was a student in France and we passed through the train station whilst on a long week-end away....I fell in love with it and knew I would return.

My family love it and I think we have now spent 7 out of the past 8 summers there :)

It's just a beautiful and unspoilt place....we rent an apartment there (always a different one)....we cook, shop at local markets, spend a lot of time at the beach and totally relax.

It's a relaxed and simple France....

no hustle and bustle, time to think, to visit the markets, to sit and take your time....perfect. 

The Cote d'Azur is both glitzy and glam, the villas and locations are stunning....

this holiday definitely gives us a little bit of everything.

Although we are returning to the same place, each year feels different....I've been there with one child, pregnant, with two children, loaded down with the beach paraphernalia of a toddler and a baby....

Each year we have also stayed in a different apartment - this years apartments were the best yet....

This was our longest stay there and we stayed in two apartments, moving halfway through our stay to Beaulieu-Sur-Mer, just 5 minutes away....this summer both our apartments were fabulous, definitely our best yet.

Villefranche-Sur-Mer is an old fishing port, the Old Town has tall narrow houses and apartments, cobbled streets, steep stone stairs and no cars. The oldest street there dates from the 13th century and it's the type of place where you can imagine the fishermen trudging up from the port back to their homes....full of character, this is where we have always stayed, overlooking the bay towards exclusive and peaceful Cap Ferrat.

Beaulieu-Sur-Mer is literally 3 minutes away by train in the next bay but it has quite a different feel....it was once the favourite holiday haunt of European royalty and, although it is a fairly small town, it has a genteel atmosphere. It has beautiful buildings, hotels and homes and the most fabulous views of the mountains.

In Villefranche we stayed in a beachfront apartment from which we had perfect views over the sea and the boats.....in Beaulieu we stayed in an apartment straight out of Elle Decor, tiny French balconies in each room, all white walls and the highest ceilings I have ever seen. The building had previously been a hospital and then a hotel, it was fabulous!

We spent most of our days on the beach either at Villefranche or Cap Ferrat....but we also visited Eze, worth the trip for its stunning views alone, and Monaco which is only 15 minutes away by train.

I love Monaco....we visit every year and it's always fun to be there.

It seems very crowded compared to where we stay.....so many tall apartment blocks everywhere.

I love the way the harbour - with the most amazing super-yachts you will ever see - dominates Monte Carlo, the streets and the buildings are spotlessly clean, the sun always shines and - even though I am so not a car person - you do see the most amazing cars there!!

We went to the Musee Oceanographique which my children loved, saw the Royal Palace and Cathedral and saw Princess Charlene's beautiful Armani wedding dress which was on display.

It's an absolutely and unashamedly glamorous place to be be, a sight to see for sure.

so, there it is....my happy place

another summer, lots more wonderful memories....

i'm already planning next year :)