Destination Antibes and Nice: 3 Nights on the Cote d’Azur, Antibes, France

Getting out of the car in Antibes, I encountered a touch of humidity and crowds in the streets. Cliché perhaps, but I had driven just over two (2) hours to the Côte d’Azur. This town was a different part of Provence than the one that I left behind.

The crush of humanity was explainable on a Sunday evening. After a hot summer day at the beach, families and sports fans gathered at local bars to watch World Cup soccer. However, more surprising was the fact that some of the retail stores were open on a Sunday evening.

Easily walkable Vieil Antibes is a treasure trove of pedestrian-friendly streets and plazas filled with restaurant tables shaded by oversized umbrellas. There are winding alleyways with Azaleas flaunting their dazzling flowers against stone walls. Down these lanes are surprises around every corner like a carved door from the1500s, an almost hidden chapel, and stunning sea views.

The old town is surrounded on two sides by restored rampart walls. Outside the one-time defensive walls is Port Vauban “Europe’s largest marina” this is where vessels of every size and shape moor – from superyachts to fishing boats. There must be a “pecking order” to determine which boat gets dockside access, but that is not for this non-seafaring girl to sort out. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).