AzurAlive

Fréjus: Festival International de l'Air 2008

If you're anywhere near Fréjus on the French Riviera in late October, rise to the occasion. Come to the International Wind Festival, held Oct 25-26 in Fréjus, France.

Think it's an event for over-grown kids who love to watch bright kites rise in the sky? Think again.

Participants are expert kite fliers who flock from France, Italy, Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Colombia. They fly their giant fish, their twirling mega socks, their high-tech mills; they battle red, yellow, blue, green flying objects in vicious highly tactical rokkaku kite fights; they send kites off to dance a waltz and to vibrate to new-age music; they entertain everyone.

Over 200 kites of all shapes will fill the skies above Fréjus Base Nature. We'll hear from "Fréjus Kite Surf" about the sport of kite-surfing; we'll get the scoop on gliding in the skies like eagles by the "Centre de Vol à Voile de Fayence"; we'll have a chance to sign-up for a Montgolfière hot air balloon ride above the stadium and overlooking bay and Maures Mountains; we'll even have a chance to embark from Port-Fréjus on a "pointu", a typical Mediterranean slender wooden fishing boat (note: all these activities require on-site sign-up).

When is all this windy fun? October 25 and October 26, 2008 from 10AM to 5PM at the Base Nature François Léotard in Fréjus. One tip: come early as parking fills early by the base.

Interested in half-day hikes close to Fréjus? Check out our highly-acclaimed hiking guide below on Amazon.com (and Amazon.co.uk too!)

 

Roc d'Azur 2008

The mountain bike racing & fun rides Roc d'Azur 2008 begins in earnest today by Fréjus on the French Riviera.

It's the 25th edition of the now hugely popular MTB (in France VTT) event. The organizers expect 15,000 contestants from hard-core international mountain bike champs to kiddies with wheelies.

All the classics of the Roc d'Azur events will take place: the epic Roc d'Azur with its 58 km of challenging terrain, the Enduro Roc with its wild descent, the Roc Marathon (87 km) for extra pain, but also the kids' rides from 2.2 to 8 km in length, the women's special Roc Dames (40 km), the more leisurely Roc Rouge (22 km).

The Roc Odyssey, a 35 km cross-country ride, runs on Friday afternoon to avoid the weekend crowds.

New and running today and tomorrow, the refreshing Maxim Roc Down tumbles all the way to the Med sea by St Aygulf.

On Friday evening, an original ride tests the front suspensions: the Roc Ruelles which runs along the bumpy streets of Fréjus.

Aside for the Roc Ruelles, the other Roc d'Azur events gobble up hills in the Maures Mountains of the French Riviera right by Fréjus. The terrain? Rocky, dusty, gorgeous.

The starting point is at the Fréjus Base Nature complex and heads out to the Maures Mountains from there.

Besides MTB races and rides, vendors show off their equipment at the public "Salon du Roc" Friday through Sunday.

If you're going

Riding? Don't forget the mandatory medical certificate stating that you're fit to ride, the mandatory helmet and expect good warm weather this week. And don"t push in those narrow passages.

If you watching, head for the Maures Mountains such as around Col du Bougnon where the classic Roc rumbles or by St Aygulf for the return leg by the beach.

The Roc d'Azur 2008 Program:

• Tue 7 octobre (10h00) : Maxim Roc Down (2 km)
• Wed 8 octobre (10h00) : Maxim Roc Down (2 km)
• Thu 9 octobre (10h00) : Enduro du Roc (25 km)
• Fri 10 octobre (8h00) : Roc Marathon (87 km)
• Fri 10 octobre (12h00) : Subaru Pro Roc (40 km)
• Fri 10 octobre (10h15) : Masters Roc (40 km)
• Fri 10 octobre (13h00) : Mid Roc (40 km)
• Fri 10 octobre (14h00) : Rando Roc Odyssey (35 km)
• Fri 10 octobre (19h00) : Roc des Ruelles
• Sat 11 octobre (8h00) : Roc Tandems (40 km)
• Sat 11 octobre (9h00) : Roc d'Azur Women (40 km)
• Sat 11 octobre (10h00) : Rando Roc Noires (50 km)
• Sat 11 octobre (14h00) : Kid Roc (8 km)
• Sat 11 octobre (14h30) : Kid Roc (4,2 km)
• Sat 11 octobre (14h50) : Kid Roc (6,5 km)
• Sat 11 octobre (14h50) : Rando Roc rouge (22 km)
• Sat 11 octobre (16h00) : Kid Roc (2,3 km)
• Sun 12 octobre (8h00) : Roc d'Azur Cadets (22 km)
• Sun 12 octobre (8h15) : Roc d'Azur Cadettes et Juniors Dames (22 km)
• Sun 12 octobre (8h30) : Roc d'Azur Juniors Men (40 km)
• Sun 12 octobre (9h30) : Roc d'Azur (53 km)

Around Fréjus: The Jean Cocteau Chapel

Yesterday, we visited Our Lady of Jerusalem, a tiny chapel in the northern suburbs of Fréjus on the French Riviera.

What's special about the little chapel?

It was French poet Jean Cocteau's ultimate creation before his death in 1963. Jean Cocteau was famous in France as a prolific visual artist, poet, sculptor, author (Les Enfants terribles), playwright (Les parents terribles), film director (La Belle et la Bete, 1946). He decorated many homes, offices and chapels and France.

On the French Riviera, you'll find Cocteau's pastel frescoes wrapping the interiors of the Chapelle Saint-Pierre in Villefranche-sur-Mer, at the Centre Méditerranéen d’Etudes Françaises at Cap d'Ail (not open to the public), in the Menton Registry Office in Menton, in the privately-owned Villa Santo-Sospir at Saint-Jean Cap-Ferrat.

For his final masterpiece in Fréjus, Cocteau drew up the plans for a small octagonal chapel with the help of architect Jean Triquenot. By 1963, construction began in earnest and Cocteau soon breathed life to his hundreds of sketches. Unfortunately, he died in 1963 before he could complete the chapel. His close friend Edouard Dermit picked up the project and completed it using Cocteau's sketches.

You reach the little building at the top of a hill after a hike of half a kilometer in the woods, with the Esterel Mountains in the distance, the twisted trunks and branches of cork oak trees dispersed in the forest and a group of cypress trees that line up  like planted paint brushes.

By the time you enter the chapel, you're under the spell of everything around it: the forest away from the world, the building's soft green sandstone, the porch that wraps around it, the waves of its tiled roof.

Three doors invite the sunlight in through cubist-styled stained glass windows.

They transform the mood of sun and clouds into hues that bounce around the painted frescoes.

The frescoes cover the interior of the chapel with pastel colors in blues, yellows, greens. They illustrate the Christ's Passion theme (the Last Supper, the Arrest, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection).

You'll find a self-portrait among the apostles (second from the right when facing it, in blue with dark wavy hair) as well as a the recurrent presence of actor, colleague and lover Jean Marais (painted in this chapel with a generous wave of blond hair).

The chapel floors comes alive with deep blue ceramics that move like water! Ceramist Roger Pelissier designed these vivid tiles.

Cocteau died on October 11, 1963 of a heart attack shortly after learning of the passing of his long-time friend Edith Piaf.

On is tomb at Milly-la-Forêt, the words: "I am still with you (je reste avec vous)".

In this little chapel in the woods of Fréjus in the Var, Cocteau is alive.

More info: The chapel is open for visits from 9:30-12:30AM and 2-6PM daily (closes one hour earlier, at 5PM, from November to April). Closed on Mondays.

Getting there: is  surrealist experience :). It's not that bad if you plug it on a GPS or plug your route on ViaMichelin.com, for example.
It's in the Tour de Mare suburbs of Fréjus 83600, Var, on Avenue Nikolai.

Phone: 04 94 53 27 06
For more info, you can also contact the fréjus tourism office at http://www.ville-frejus.fr/

Interested in a great half-day hike close by? Take a look at our latest hiking guide below on Amazon.com (and Amazon.co.uk too!)

 

Winter 2008 in the Var

Meteo France warned us yesterday of a "tempête méditerranéenne d'Est devenant sévère à partir de jeudi soir". That is, to expect severe stormy conditions on the Western Cote d'Azur, from Thursday afternoon (ie. now).

The storm began yesterday, the second day of January. We heard it coming in the night, with a whistle and a howl that has become familiar this time of year.

Wind is not unusual in our neck of the woods during the winter. We have short and intense storms. Typically, the Mistral wind is the one to visit, coming from the north. It goes mad as it funnels and howls through the street. It shakes the masts of sailboats. It picks up newspapers from tables and sends pages flying. It slams doors, rips a few palms off of shaking palm trees and generally keeps everyone, sailors included, safely tucked inside.

What's blowing here this early January 2008 is not the Mistral wind, but a south east wind. It's strong, currently with 120 km per hour peaks. This means it throws giant waves onshore. Well, giant waves in Mediterranean terms - we usually have a flat-as-a-pancake sea.

Here's how tilted we looked today on the beach of St Aygulf... Happy New Year!

Adventure: Roc d'Azur 2007

It's almost time for Roc d'Azur 2007, the 24th edition of the mountain bike races and celebrations.

If you haven't heard of it, Roc d'Azur is a series of mountain bike events running in October each year. It draws huge crowds - over 14,000 folks participated last year. This year (2007), Roc d'Azur takes place from October 10 to 15th, and still at the Fréjus Base Nature.

While the Roc Marathon is a killer with its 87 km of timed racing across the Maures Mountains, the event offers plenty of other races.  The Classic, the Roc d'Azur, sends its competitors pushing up and maneuvering down rusty red rocky paths around the Massif des Maures between the towns of Les Issambres, Roquebrune-sur-Argens and Fréjus.  This ride isn't for newbies, but the views of the forest invigorate the spirit just enough to make it up infamous Col du Bougnon and reach the sea view part of the ride.

The Roc Ruelles ride bounces around the streets of Fréjus.  Kids between 7 and 14 years old taste MTB races in their own 2.2 to 8 km rides. 

For those not quite ready for a technical timed race but longing for an exciting ride, the Rando Roc Rouge (22 km) and the Rando Roc Noire (50 km) are the ticket. These rides are not timed, so you can enjoy the view without the pressure. Here's a sample of the view of the Maures Mountains by the Col du Bougnon.

Check out our entries on the Maures Mountains for suggestions on hikes in the remote Maures hills, just a few minutes away from popular beach resorts.

Besides rides and races, over 250 cycling vendors show off their cycling and mountain bike equipment at the event's "Salon du Roc". It's free. 

For a full listing, check out: www.rocazur.com

If you go:

• A medical certificate is required to participate in the events, unless you are from an accredited biking association - consult the rocazur site for details on this. Last year, many folks who came unprepared without a certificate were turned back.
• Helmets are required.
• Biking shorts, jersey, sunglasses, water bottle and long gloves come highly recommended.
• Best place to stay to be close to the gate is Fréjus-Port. Check out Fréjus' Tourism Office for a listing of available accommodations in Fréjus-Port.

See AzurAlive's many Roc d'Azur Pics on Flickr.

Around Frejus: Roman aqueduct

If you are out visiting the remains of the Malpasset Dam, or hiking by the Reyran River bed, strike a detour into Roman times.

Park at the open parking site beyond the A8 over-pass and hike your way back under the A8. On your left, the H81 Route Forestière de Mare-Trache. You walk over a cement ford and turn left after the ford, on the fire road of l'Aspe d'Amic.

Behind the l'Aspe d'Amic track sign, notice a huge block of cement, tilted and lying still behind a maritime pine tree. It's one of the many gigantic scattered pieces of the Malpasset Dam. The dam burst in 1959, generating a wall of water that crushed everything on its sea-bound path. See our previous article on this.

In front of you, hidden behind a few oak trees and mastic trees, covered in the golden and green hues of evergreen bushes and tranquil yellowed grass, stand the 2000-year-old arches of a Roman aqueduct. The aqueduct captured and directed fresh water from the town of Mons to Fréjus, with forty kilometers of underground water tunnels and water-carrying arched bridges.

The modern and the ancient stand side-by-side here - rubbles of rock and twisted cables, and the still elegant narrow aqueduct arches of 2,000 years.

Roquebrune-sur-Argens

Driving by the A8 highway between Fréjus and the A57 interchange, the rock of Roquebrune-sur-Argens stands majestic above the Argens valley with its reddish vertical sheers. Geologists explain its existence as a "cone of dejection" formed from eroded granitic rocks from the Maures mountains.

To the town of Roquebrune-sur-Argens and Le Muy, it's an ever-present symbol, a sort of Eiffel Tower of the eastern Var.

To hikers, it is a magnet, a dramatic backdrop to many walks open to wanderers around Roquebrune-sur-Argens. Watch out for "Privé" signs that warn wanderers not to trespass on private property.

Parc Areca

It's a park to play hide and seek among islands of cork oaks and holm oaks, over wooden bridges by giant reeds and yellow-flowered Spanish broom, behind bamboos. It's also an exotic adventure. A stroll through the Palmeraie, part of the garden to the original house that existed here before 2000, and you travel through Argentina with the Blue Needle Palms, to Southern California with the towering Washingtonian palm trees, to the slender-stemmed Chinese windmill palms.

Snatched away from development by the commune of Fréjus, the Parc Aréca is 3.5 hectares of botanical delights in a form of a public park in the town of Saint-Aygulf. For kids, swings, slides and a wooden boat play area make for added fun after a stroll through the alleys that criss-cross the park.

Useful Info: Picnics not allowed in the park. For a picnic on the beach, head down to the coastal path at the end of the park and walk west by the coast to the sandy Calanque du Pont de Bois.

Keep dogs on leash in the park. Park is open 8AM to 8PM summers and 8AM to 6PM from October to end of April. Located on Avenue Alfred de Musset, Saint-Aygulf.

A Day In: Les Etangs de Villepey

Between the beaches of Saint-Aygulf and the modern port of Fréjus, hidden behind the seafront N98 road, a flock of charcoal-colored Eurasian coots (Fulica atra) wades in a wide shallow pond; next to a field of reeds almost incandescent in the evening light, a black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) pokes the lake shore with a beak as long and thin as a needle.

Over 220 birds have been spotted in the protected natural sites of the wetlands of the Villepey lakes (Etangs de Villepey).

The marshes of Villepey represent 260 hectares of land acquired by the Conservatoire du Littoral between 1982 and 1997 for protection and conservation.

Villepey displays a myriad of landscapes: sand dunes by the beach, reed fields that shield the inner marshes from the eastern sea wind and from salty spray, fresh water ponds, plots of land cultivated with cereals and pasture.

Such a diverse protected landscape translates into diversity in fauna and flora.

In about 3 hours, you can walk the 7 km marked loop around the Etangs de Villepey and experience the sites first-hand (note that a section is open only from June to September). You might meet a few great cormorans (Phalacrocorax carbo) standing on the trunk of a beach wood, their wings stretched to dry in the wind. You might hear the striking laugh of a green and spotted marsh frog by a pond,

Warning, the richness of its flora and fauna might absorb all of your senses and all sense of time.

Le Barrage de Malpasset

On December 2nd, 1959, shortly after 9PM, when lights glowed in living rooms and folks wrapped up dinner, a wall of water 40 meters high rushed down the narrow valley of Le Reyan at Malpasset and headed for the nearby city of Fréjus. It wiped out the hamlet of Malpasset, ripped roads and railroad tracks, destroyed everything in its seabound path. It killed at least 423 people.

The Malpasset dam had collapsed.

Built in the early 50's, the arched dam of Le Barrage de Malpasset was meant to supply a steady stream of water for irrigation in a region where summers are dry and rains capricious. Under the stress of a vicious downpour of rain that season, and due to fissures in the rock that supported its foundation, the dam failed. 

Today, concrete slabs five meters high, three meters wide imprint the valley with a taste of disaster. Rusted iron cables poke out of the rocky debris, twisted in a convulsed mesh as if melt.

A walk around the dam remains and the beautiful hills that surround it serves as a memory of a disaster that deeply affected the region. Many families visit year-round on warm weekends.