Summer is here!
My partner and I were so excited! We usually go on our summer holidays before the school vacation period starts, so we prefer to travel from mid-June to early July.
The South of France is one of our favorite holiday destinations. We love it for its sunny Mediterranean climate, prestigious coastal towns like Saint-Tropez, Cannes, and Nice, and its picturesque hilltop villages such as Èze near Monaco and Gassin near Saint-Tropez, both famous for their fragrant jasmine bushes the line many of the narrow streets.
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| Nice |
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| Saint-Tropez |
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| Monte-Carlo, Monaco |
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| Èze |
We also adore Valensole in Provence, renowned for its breathtaking lavender fields, and the region’s natural wonder like the Gorges du Verdon - also known as the "Grand Canyon of France."
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| Gorges du Verdon |
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| Valensole, Provence |
We feel incredibly grateful that in both 2024 and 2025, we were able to explore all of the areas mentioned above across two perfect summers.
So, let the story begin! I’ll start with this year.
Love is in the air in CANNES
On Monday morning, June 16th, 2025, my partner and I flew from EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg to Nice Côte d'Azur. The flight was smooth, punctual, and only took about 53 minutes. From our window seat, we even had stunning views of the Alps, which was such a treat!
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| The stunning view of the Alps |
As soon as we landed, we headed straight to the car rental counter. We had originally booked a small automatic car, but were pleasantly surprised with an upgrade to a larger vehicle - a nice way to start the trip!
We kicked off our holiday in Cannes, world-famous for the Cannes Film Festival. Traffic in the city was pretty heavy, and many of the roads were quite narrow, so we had to take a few detours before finally reaching the Promenade de la Croisette.
The Croisette is a glamorous boulevard known for its luxury hotels, high-end boutiques, and of course, the Palais des Festivals, where the film festival takes place each year. After circling for a while, we found parking at the Palais des Festivals.
We then headed off to lunch. We ordered Salade de Chèvre and an Omelet, and naturally, an Aperol Spritz. We were surprised by how huge the salads were - but happy that we were eating something fresh and healthy!
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| Lunch in Cannes |
Next, we went to the iconic InterContinental Carlton Cannes for drinks. Since my partner had to drive and take a business call, I was the only one who could enjoy a cocktail. I ordered an Old Fashioned at Bar 58, tucked inside the elegant Carlton.
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| InterContinental Carlton Cannes |
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| InterContinental Carlton Cannes |
We stayed for about an hour, soaking in the prestigious atmosphere of the hotel and watching the busy scene unfold. It turned out the hotel was hosting the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025, so the place was buzzing with professionals from brands like LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok.
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| ''Old Fashioned'' at Bar 58 |
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| Bar 58, InterContinental Carlton Cannes |
An hour later, we left the hotel, returned to our car, and continued our drive toward Sainte-Maxime, often referred to as the “little sister” of Saint-Tropez.
Travel tips: Have patience with traffic in Cannes
SAINTE-MAXIME: A little piece of paradise
It took us just about an hour by car to reach Sainte-Maxime. After the hustle and bustle of Cannes, it felt wonderful to arrive in this serene coastal town, where the atmosphere was noticeably calmer and more relaxed.
That said, we did run into one small hiccup: our hotel didn’t have any parking! So, I hopped out of the car to check-in while my partner drove around to find an hourly parking spot - which he totally failed to figure out how to pay for at the machine. Fortunately, the receptionist helped with an app. The parking fee could only be paid for via an app Flowbird. (Ah, the joys of modern travel!)
We stayed at Hôtel Les Palmiers - Sainte-Maxime. It was tidy and well-kept, the receptionist was friendly and helpful, our room was quite spacious, and the bathroom was even more so - a pleasant surprise for a town-centre hotel so close to the harbour, we were really central!
After cooling off from the warm afternoon sun, we had a bit of a rest before heading out for an evening walk along the port. I wore my new blue-and-white twirly dress, and my partner also dressed in the same colour. We took some lovely photos as the sun sank behind the masts of the yachts and the light turned beautifully golden.
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| Port de Sainte-Maxime |
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| Photoshoot in Sainte-Maxime |
We watched the sunset, took in the charming harbor views, and ended our evening with a delicious Tapas dinner. The highlights? Manchego cheese, spicy fried prawns, half-seared tuna, and a glass (or two) of red wine. Every dish was full of flavor.
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| Dinner at El Taller de Tapas |
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| Manchego cheese |
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| at El Taller de Tapas, Hotel Les Palmiers (back), Sainte-Maxime |
Not a bad start at all for the first day of our trip - we managed everything smoothly and felt ready to recharge. Tomorrow, we'd be heading to Saint-Tropez.
Travel tips:
- Download the app Flowbird
- Travel with boats from Sainte-Maxime to Saint-Tropez is possible
Good to have it written down 😁 now I'm im the mood for S-France ❤️
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Satine <3 I'm pleased you like it, and hope it helps for the Sud de la France trip :*
DeleteI love the way you have captured so much detail of this beautiful place. The memories come flooding back! Thank you
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, babe <3 Your comment means world to me <3 Indeed, the sweet memories come flooding back <3
DeleteStay tuned for the next post ''Glam in Saint-Tropez'' :D
ReplyDelete