My mother had booked her ticket a few weeks after our arrival in France and was very excited to make the trip over. She planned for an October timeframe when the weather was still quite nice (sunny with highs into the low 70s F). She flew direct into Nice which was convenient given that it’s the closest international airport to us with US direct flights.
On the agenda for her stay we planned visits within our region comprising historic towns, seaside hikes, and spending quality time with the grandchildren. We got off to an ambitious start in her first week and checked out a few places, some of which we grew to love prior to hosting guests. We paired the historic towns of Pierrefeu-du-Var and Cuers in one day and in the process found a new restaurant we really loved (La Grange). The narrow streets in both towns were indicative of their very old past with homes having been built during 16th-17th centuries. Much of their charm also extended to the views offered by their hilltop settings, overlooking the Provençal landscape.
Hyères, Encore et Encore (Again and Again)
Intentional or not, we paid several visits to Hyères (a town my mother loved for its simple yet raw beauty), and as a result we finally ascended to the hilltop castle vestiges that had eluded us on previous visits. The castle’s origins can be traced to the 11th century and it remains one of the largest fortified Provençal châteaux. Within the past 20 years, the town of Hyères renovated the castle’s three towers which can be seen from miles away. We made our way to the top where the views stretched endlessly in all directions, reinforcing the beautiful landscape tapestry weaving together mountains, historic towns marked by clay rooftops, and the blue Mediterranean. The 25 minute hike to the castle was well worth the effort!
“I like South Beach but I’m in Saint-Tropez”
As a day trip, we hit up France’s renown and ritziest French Riviera town of Saint-Tropez. I had always heard that it was a summer destination for the rich and famous which had created a certain perception of it in my mind. To amplify this, upon our arrival we noticed the streets and our parking lot overflowing with Porsches and I couldn’t help but think this town had some serious income inequality issues. It was unreal! There were probably more Porsches in our parking lot than at a Porsche dealership. Thankfully, as it turned out, the day of our visit happened to be Paradis Porsche 2021, an annual event designed to attract Porsche owners from all over for a weekend of fun.
Saint-Tropez’s history is as interesting and colorful as its modern day port that sees traditional wooden fishing boats alongside multi-million dollar yachts and everything in between. The town is named after the martyr Saint Torpes whose decapitated body ended up in the town’s current location (after being set at sea from Pisa during Nero’s reign in Roman times), so legend has it. Nevertheless, the town has seen various settlers over the ages from Greeks to Romans, Saracens to Genovese and others. Until the 20th century it served as a fishing village and military outpost. Interestingly, it was the first town on the French Riviera to be liberated by the Allies during WWII and it always seemed to have attracted artists and famous folks (before and after the war). Movie stars and pop culture have helped preserve the town’s chic image and appeal over the decades, seeing it featured in classic films and having songs written about it by major artists (like Pink Floyd, Aerosmith and others).
We kicked off our day with a visit to the town’s citadel (great views from there), which was converted into a maritime history museum highlighting Saint-Tropez’s past and present sea culture. After a laid back lunch and wandering the colorful old town streets, we checked out the old port, the place to see and be seen. Seemingly the pervasive pulse of Saint-Tropez emanated from here (with packed restaurants, loads of foot traffic and a busy water scene). We even spotted a Lamborghini purring its way by the old port, flying in the face of all those other fast car drivers.
The Porsche event made it clear that even during low tourist season Saint-Tropez is still abuzz and has plenty to show off.
Our Provençal Year 
Beautiful! Thank you, Alex!
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