Along the French Riviera

The French Riviera is one of those opulent places that everybody seems to like. It’s easy to get seduced by the yachts, the designer labels, the kind of wealth that bleeds into every corner. But beneath all that polish, there are old stones that still beat to something real. I’ve been here several times before, but it’s nice to revisit old favorites as well as discovering new locations.

The city walls of Antibes.

Antibes is older than most town’s claims to fame. The Phocaeans called it Antipolis. Through centuries of sieges, sun and salt, massive walls were built, and parts of them still stand. Perfect for long walks where your feet and your mind both get the work out.

Looking north across the harbor, the Fort Carré sits there like something from a story, once featured in the Bond movie “Never Say Never Again” from 1983 as Largo’s “Palmyra” fortress. The harbor also has a large sculpture by Jaume Plensa and was once the location where Captain Cousteau’s famous ship Calypso set out.

The busy streets of Juan-les-Pins.

Juan-les-Pins was once a pine-covered area where the inhabitants of Antibes went for a walk. Now it’s cocktails and neon-lit nights at sea’s edge. But in early dawn, with the salt mist still rising and the fishermen hauling in nets, there’s a pulse you can only catch if the crowds haven’t yet claimed the shore.

Vieux Port in Cannes.

Cannes is the glamour headquarters. Every year the film festival rolls through and suddenly everybody with ambition or ego shows up. Big yachts, bigger egos. Cameras flashing. Champagne bottles. The town itself is not that bad, but lacks the historic charm of Antibes.

This stretch of coast will seduce you with its wealth and possibility. But stay awhile. Walk the old walls. Sit by the harbor at dawn. Notice the people who live here quietly, who rise before the sun, who’ve seen more sunrises than visitors. Because in those quiet moments, when the light catches just so, that’s when the Côte d’Azur stops being a postcard and starts being something real.