Of azure and ochre

Day 1

The hardest part is renting the car. I had booked a compact, but there isn’t one available. After a 30-minute wait, an employee shows us a black Jeep. We walk around the vehicle together, and I spot a nasty gash in one of the tires. Goodbye Jeep. Another 30 minutes go by while they clean a different car. This time it’s a gray DS7. It’s big, but at least it looks roadworthy.

The drive to Nice goes smoothly. Hardly any traffic, and we arrive in Antibes at the end of the day. We drop our bags at the guesthouse and head out again to grab a bite. We find a pizzeria next to an amusement park.

Day 2

We park at the port of Antibes and wander through the old town. We see the colorful Provençal market and the view from the ramparts. A bit of rain falls as we get back in the car. We get traffic jams around Villeneuve-Loubet for a while before finally reaching Saint-Paul-de-Vence around midday.

I’ve never struggled this much to find a parking spot. The few lots marked on the map are full, and the narrow roads leading to the village don’t allow for roadside parking. At last, we find a place and start our visit under a downpour. It’s the perfect time to eat, but finding a sheltered table in a restaurant proves to be another challenge. We eventually settle under the umbrellas of a Thai restaurant terrace. Not exactly local, but delicious!

The rain stops just in time, and we stroll the little streets in the dry. The game is to find the spots where the crowd doesn’t go. Easy enough—just leave the main street! There are art galleries everywhere. Given the charm of the place, I can see why one would feel inspired. At the southern tip, we climb up onto the ramparts and circle back toward the entrance. One last walk through the center, and we return to the car.

We stop in Valbonne for tea and ice cream, then continue on to Cannes. We park beneath the Palais des Festivals and come out directly onto the Croisette. After enjoying the colors of the sunset, we eat a kebab on one of the piers.

Day 3

We arrive in Èze around 10 am. We climb up to the village and enjoy its charming little lanes. We visit the exotic garden perched above the rooftops, offering a stunning view straight down to the sea.

We drive on and have lunch in La Turbie. We wander a bit around town and end up on a path above the cemetery. From there, we get a fine view of Monaco: tall buildings, big yachts, and always the deep blue sea.

At last, we park in Menton. Rain starts just as we reach the center, so we stop in a brasserie. Everywhere around us, people are speaking Italian. The rain lightens, but the clouds linger. The patchwork of colorful façades must be gorgeous under the sun, but today we can only imagine it. We have dinner at a Lebanese restaurant and return to Antibes after dark.

Day 4

Back to square one today. Since we have some extra time, we take a detour through the Luberon. After a winding stretch between the hills, the road leads us to Roussillon. We find a spot and take a quick walk through the village, famous for its ochres. The sun is out, and the colors are brilliant! We also mail back the guesthouse keys—we forgot to return them this morning…

We finish the drive back and return the car 30 minutes late. Luckily, the rental company doesn’t hold it against us.