Sympathy and Savoir-Vivre for the Boatless Nobodies in Cannes

It’s almost May, and that means only one thing: time to put on your white pants, coral-colored Polo shirt and Prada sunglasses, climb aboard your producer’s yacht, scarf down a few raw oysters and flutes of Champagne and wait for the next screening to begin at the Palais des Festivals.

Yes, the Cannes Film Festival is almost upon us, and no, you and I won’t be anywhere near the yacht basin or private screenings.

Tant pis, tant mieux. As a boatless nobody, I somehow manage to live the high life all the same on the Riviera, in its most chic hour, by enjoying the area’s true gems and leaving the jet-setting claqueurs behind.

Cannes, to me, is a game of petanque with old men on dirt courts in the shadow of the Palais des Festivals, sipping a glass of pastis. My ideal afternoon in Monaco doesn’t include the pleasure of valet parking my Dubai-registered Ferrari in front of the casino, but rather a walk in the foothills above the principality, watching the mountains crash into an azure sea. For me, the entire South of France boils down to one medieval village, Biot -- just outside Antibes, where you hike up steep, stone alleyways strewn with bougainvillea and stray cats, and order a Nicoise salad or a merguez-sausage sandwich at an outdoor bistro where waiters write the plats du jour on your tablecloth with a crayon.

May is a superb time to visit this place, not only because the beaches are just starting to spring to life and there is still plenty of space under the umbrellas, but also because the whole area is sizzling with the electric anticipation of another summer. The following are five of my favorite springtime venues and activities on the Riviera, sprinkled with a few more French phrases so you’ll never find yourself at a loss for the...the umm...well, for the right word at the right time:

Ditch Polanski for Picasso:  The real reason people crowd the red carpet in front of the Palais des Festival, and why they match handprints with those of famous directors on the cement tiles outside, is an underlying desire to surround themselves with greatness, something the French deride as the folie de grandeur. If it’s greatness you’re after, why not surround yourself with true genius at the Picasso Museum in Antibes? This is one of the most significant collections of art in the South of France, loaded with priceless works from the Spanish cubist. If you are planning a trip here soon, however, keep in mind the museum is being renovated through 2008.

Glass Blowing in Biot: Picasso also spent time in the magical hilltop village of Biot (pronounced Bee-YOTT) along with other artistic greats, including Fernand Leger, whose museum at the foot of the village is worth a visit. But the greatest artistic patrimony to be found in Biot is the wealth of ceramics and glassworks, for which the small town is known. Watch local artisans blow the glasses and plates, filled with their trademark air bubbles. You can inspect them up close at the little gift shops that line the meandering alleyways, and then sit down for a quaint, authentic Provencale meal that few other Riviera towns can offer.

Hiking around Eze/beaching in Villefranche: The most stunning of the Riviera’s seaside landscape is to be found in the craggy peninsulas between Nice and Monaco. In the summer, the gorgeous village of Eze -- perched between the high road of the Grande Corniche and the low road of the Basse Corniche -- is loaded with tourists, but in the spring, you have the unmatched views of the Mediterranean to yourselves. Walk along the network of hiking trails from the top of the floriferous cliffs and back down to the sea. On the water is the beckoning seaside town of Villefranche-sur-Mer, which will surely catch your eye if you are taking the train along the coast. It also caught the eyes of the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, who bought a home and recorded an album here, “Exile on Main Street.” At night, enjoy the maritime solitude, or else try your hand at some “tumblin’ dice” down the road at Monaco’s casino.

High drama at the Monaco Grand Prix: Held this year on May 24-27, this is easily the most exciting automobile race in the world. It is staged on the curvy mountainside roads of Monte Carlo, which means that crashes are the name of the game. A hair-raising racetrack like this one would never be permitted were it not the piece de resistance of the sport’s storied circuits. For between 90 and 500 euros you can score a seat in the grandstands set up along the city street.

  Rent a yacht in Cannes: At the end of the day, you may not want to leave Cannes at all. Although it is tough to get a reservation at the hottest restaurants during the film festival (May 16th through 27th), there is plenty of room in this city, and loads of oysters and champagne even for the petit bourgeois. Boatless like me? You can always rent one in the marina for between 300 euros a day – for a little speed boat – to 1,500 euros a day for a yacht that sleeps 12. After all, this is your vacation, too. As Marshall Macmahon said, when asked to abandon his seaside fort during the Crimean War: “J’y suis, j’y reste.” Translation: “I am here, and here I will stay.”  

 

 

John Moretti is a freelance travel writer who divides his time between Europe, Florida and Vermont. He is the author of "Living Abroad in Italy" (Avalon, 2004) as well as a number of guidebooks. He writes about European sports and culture for the New York Sun.    

 

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