Spring in Provence #bestholiday

A couple of days ago, I was talking to a friend about favorite places and holidays. And surprisingly I found out that she never left Cannes and Nice for a detour to the little towns above. “It’s not that far”, I tried to convince her. And it worths the 40 minutes on the road. And then I wondered: maybe there is a common mistake that everybody does, thinking that Provence is only Orange, with the castles and lavender fields (as the A Good Year movie and book showed), and the Côte d’Azur means only the beautiful Croisette of Cannes, the taste of money in Monaco and the shopping streets in Nice. But there is more than that, I told my friend. And I advised her to forget about Côte d’Azur, just for a minute, and turn the car towards Les Alpes Maritimes. Pin the next names on GPS route and you will find the most amazing views, with splendid narrow streets, intoxicating smell of violet flower and lavender and a lot of small and cosy restaurants.

Tourette Sur Loup: for the violet syrup, for some pastis bottles and for an incredible view over the coast (yes, you can see the Cannes far, far away).

Georges sur Loup – for the Florian Confiserie.

Eze: for the old city, with charming hills, Fragonard store and showroom.

Vence: for all the typical provencal afternoons, spend in the center, with a big glass of rose, watching the locals playing bulles (or petanque, if you prefer that name).

Saint Paul de Vence: for the many art galleries (with new and old artworks, including some Picasso or Miro drawings).

Valbon: for the incredible fresh fruit market, for some antique bookstores and for a specific 365 fromages boutique. Delicious!

Antibes Juan le Pins: for a day on the beach, at Plage Keller.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer: for a delicious meal at African Queen.

And because a picture is more than a thousand words, here we go: 25pictures of some chic corners of Alpes Maritimes.

Pics: @dreamingof.net