Ewan’s favourites
1 September 2023
In love with the French Riviera since my childhood, my first Paris-Nice flights gave me a taste for travel. Many memories pass through my mind when I think back to these moments of life, each one more pleasant than the other. Real holidays!
2 – Vence
In Vence, I savour every moment. This is where I spent most of my time. Sitting on a bench in the Place du Frêne, contemplating the landscape and admiring the beauty of this city which is dear to me, this is where I let myself go during my moments of freedom. Fascinated by this imposing ash tree and this breathtaking view of the 4 baous, it is a place of resourcefulness where I let my mind wander…
The historic city of Vence is also a place that I am particularly fond of. Like all tourists (and locals), I like to get lost there, to meet the shopkeepers and to rediscover each of the alleys of the old Vence.
Also, I remember my attraction for the Nuits du Sud. When I was younger, this festival amazed me. Every summer, the music and the sound of the bass resounded in the town, giving way to my dreams as a child… What happiness when I grew up, I learned that I would finally be able to attend!
Vence is also a place rich in culture.
The Matisse Chapel and the Gombrowicz Museum
My appetite for art led me to the Matisse Chapel (from its real name the Chapel of the Rosary), an unmissable site in Vence. Its roof of white and blue tiles underlines the purity of this place, and form angel wings seen from the sky. In addition to the chapel, there is a museum space dedicated to the preparatory work of the artist. The Matisse Chapel is therefore a place of worship but also a place of culture where I could find serenity.
In addition, within the Tourist Information Office there is the Gombrowicz Museum where the author’s works are exhibited. Immersed in this literary universe that I love so much, I had the chance to visit it and to discover this famous Polish writer who was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1966, 1967 and 1969 without ever obtaining it.
3 – Cagnes-sur-Mer
At the risk of disappointing you, it is with a little shame that I confess that what I prefer in Cagnes-sur-Mer is indeed Polygone Riviera… For the most gamblers, there is a casino and for the quieter ones, a cinema.
As a fan of shopping, I enjoy shopping in the open air. It’s a bit of a cliché I admit, but this open-air shopping centre is fabulous for fashion addicts like me. It also offers a route dotted with contemporary artwork ranging from a reissue of Caesar to quotes from Ben for example…
Beyond this fashion character trait, I love the dynamism of this city. In Cagnes-sur-Mer, life is good and the coastline offers a gradation of blues in which sky and sea can only be distinguished by the horizon.
I like the Promenade de la Plage very much, it allows me to stroll along the sea and enjoy the Mediterranean air…and to breathe almost that atmosphere of yesteryear that you feel at the Cros de Cagnes. It is a small fisherman’s quarter, well recognisable by its church with its yellow bell tower and so pleasant on market days on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
The Grimaldi Castle-Museum and the Renoir Museum
A little further on, on the heights, I like to take a little tour in the medieval part called the Hauts-de-Cagnes. There, perched on its promontory, the village contains the Grimaldi Castle-Museum, which can be visited. Magnificent 360° viewpoint, including on the Mercantour, from its small belvedere from where you can feel the sea air, almost within reach.
Go back down and walk to the Renoir museum, an absolutely magical place with its garden as it was in the painter’s time. There, I go back in time and soak up thousands of impressions of this unique light, dotted through the century-old olive trees.
The French Riviera is very dear to me. I have created my most beautiful childhood memories there. Today, I like to return there whenever the opportunity arises. Then, other memories are created and added to those already present. What will always mark me is the generosity, the good humour and the kindness of its inhabitants!