The perched village of Callian in the French countryside by Fayence may seem like a snail: its streets wind slowly around its castle like a spiraling snail shell. But it's a pig that holds all the Callian luck. Touch its snout and good luck will follow, it is said.
"O toi qui viens de loin,
Si tu frottes mon groin (that's snout)
A coup sûr très grand bien A jamais sera tien!"
The snout awaits at the bottom of the Tour de l'Horloge, polished by 50 years of hopeful rubs.
This Sunday, we headed out to watch a sailboat race in the bay of Saint-Raphael on the French Riviera. We peered into the bay from the port of Santa Lucia at the eastern tip of the town of St Raphael.
In the middle of the bay sat a long, tall, cruising line boat, with orange and red circles painted on the side of its hull. The colorful rings reminded us of Olympic rings, or possibly colorful waves bouncing off the bow.
It was Ocean Village 2, the big cruise line that's "for folks who don't do cruises". The huge boat anchored in the bay for its French Riviera stop along its Villas and Vino Mediterranean cruise.
The boat has a pretty cool itinerary: Palma on the island of Majorca, Tunis in Tunisias, Naples to Florence and Pisa, St Raphael on the French Riviera, Ajaccio in Corsica and then back to Palma in 7 nights.
The Ocean Village Two is not a sedate kinda experience. Or let's say, it doesn't have to be. The cruise line offers what they call Action Ashore adventures at most ports of call. At the Saint-Raphael stop, you can head for the Var river for an organized white river rafting adventure, paddling and screaming your way down the frothing waters; you can travel 12 miles on a mountain bike and cool off at the Fréjus beach. Or you can head for a full-day (7.5 hours) guided visit of the pretty restored village of Grimaud, the waterside village of Port-Grimaud and St Tropez. The Action Ashore adventures vary by year, but they're typically pricey.
We watched the tender boats like little nut shells against the
multi-storied floating hotel. They whisked passengers back and forth
from boat to shore.
Many upcoming Ocean Village passengers have asked us: what should we do in St Raphael? Should we go for the organized adventures? Or is there lots to do in and around St Raphael.
I say: spend the day in St Raphael. Your sea legs and cabin fever head will thank you.
Outside of winter or late fall and early spring, there's almost always something going on by the St Raphael beach-side promenade. Here's a sample:
Watch the sailboats whiz by, especially from the eastern side of town where the Nautical Center is.
Try une glace at an ice cream parlor (open in the summer)
Enjoy the Arts and Crafts displays set-up most Sundays on the seaside prom
Take a spin on the merry go rounds by the seaside prom
Take the kids to playground on solid ground; it overlooks the sea so you'll have a great view of the cruise line :). The playground is just above the underground parking in front of the Casino and the Tourism Office
Relax on any of the few sandy beaches including the most popular, Plage du Veillat. You'll find a couple of pebble beaches too.
Stroll by the port at the eastern tip of Saint-Raphael by the Santa Lucia Marina. Enjoy lunch at any of the restaurants there - most are good and reasonably priced.
Visit the old town, its open market in the morning at the Victor Hugo Place and Republique Place, its 12C restored church of San Rafeu in the back of the town. You'll find the Marché du Haut or Upper Open Market inland continuing on the main street by the cathedral and the Monoprix, beyond the train tracks and the Mayor's office. It's a ways away from the beach but within walking distance.
The other question you often ask: what's our favorite restaurant in town?
I'm part and partial to the Hotel L'Excelsior's restaurant, especially with a table on the terrace facing the promenade with a plat du jour (around €15 in 2008) and a crisp glass of rosé. The hotel may be exclusive and expensive, but the restaurant is very reasonable given the quality of the food. It may be exactly what you need to escape that wonderful but oh so repetitive cruise menu.
Around six o'clock, we heard the floating hotel's loud and plaintiff siren. The cruise liner had gobbled up all of its passengers back on board, or so we hope. It was time for it to travel to Ajaccio in Corsica. We watched it point S-E into the open seas and disappear from view.
The Amphora isn't just an ancient container, it's an epic tale that feeds our imagination.
Tucked in the underbellies of boats, it carried wine, oil, grain. In Xenophon's Anabasis, the ceramic urns even carried chunks of salted dolphin. It criss-crossed the Mediterranean Sea from Greece to North Africa to Italy to France and Spain, filled with precious food.
On the French Riviera, at the site of Le Dramont, between St Raphael and Agay, divers discovered numerous ancient amphorae, hidden underwater and spattered about under the tumultuous waters around the cape.
Divers found amphorae from Rodes dating back 2BC to 1C that harbored wine and fruit.
Even more ancient is a Massala amphora (from Marseille, France), discovered at the site of Camp Long also close to Le Dramont. It's believed to be as old as 6th C BC.
Mortars used to make garum (a fish sauce reminiscent of nuac mam) were also uncovered at le Dramont.
Looking at the pointed shape of these ceramic vats, you can't help but ask:
How did they stash these fragile and bottom-less vases in the small space of a boat?
The amphorae rarely are discovered arranged in the same way they traveled. But texts and some precious ship wreck findings point to a parallel alignment of the recipients. On smaller vessels, 100 to 500 amphorae were typically arranged in one level, tucked and secured with ropes and wood. Some of the larger boats could carry thousands of vases.
And why in the world do amphorae sport a pointed bottom rather than a flat one?
The more precious decorated amphorae were often built with a ringed base that could support them upright. These were not the ones to travel the Meditteranean Sea. The functional amphorae that carried commodities around were produced with a pointed base to ease their stacking in the boat's belly. The pointed vats were also less fragile.
Where were/are most of the amphorae found by the French Riviera?
Some of the very rich underwater archeology sites include the Islands of Hyères (Port-Cros, Porquerolles, Levant - find out more about these islands on this site!), Cap Lardier, the St Tropez Peninsula, St Rapael, Cap Dramont, Cannes, Antibes, Nice.
Where can I get more information on Underwater Diving Sites and Finds on the French Riviera?
The best books on the subject are in French (know of a great English-language one? Drop me a line).
While 100 belles plongées varoises talks about diving sites in the Var (west of the above), from Saint-Cyr to St Raphael.
What Museums can I visit on the French Côte d'Azur about underwater Archeology?
The St Raphael Archaeological Museum homes a number of incredible underwater archaeological finds. It helps that one of the region's foremost diver and underwater archaeologist is also the museum's curator, Anne Joncheray.
The Musée Archéologique d'Antibes hosts a generous collection of ancient amphorae. Musee Archéologique d'Antibes: 40 boulevard Albert 1er (Bastion Saint-André), 06600 Antibes, Phone: 04.93.34.00.39.
The Musee d'Archeologie de Nice in Cimiez hosts a wonderful collection of ancient ceramics. Among its underwater objects, you'll find a few objects pulled from the 1BC fish wreck of La Fourmique pulled from the Golfe-Juan.
Interested in exploring of the French Riviera on firm land?Take a look at our latest hiking guide to the Western side of the French Riviera and discover stunning natural sites:
Driving on the N98/D559 coastal road between St Aygulf and Sainte-Maxime, you would never know there's a walking path that runs parallel down below. The coastal footpath is hidden behind sea-facing villas, down coves, behind cliffs, around gardens with benches and maritime pines.
Even close up, the footpath is hard to spot. With great humility, it takes on the colors of the surrounding rocks and melts in the picture. What's more, while the N98 turns slow and cranky with cars between July and August as St Tropez calls, the coastal footpath stays comfortable.
Therein lies one of the devilish pleasures of hiking the coastal path: you may well travel faster on foot than by car during peak season.
This short hike (5 km or 2 hours round-trip) takes you from Port Ferréol to the Pointe des Issambres between the towns of St Aygulf and Sainte-Maxime.
Time: 2 hours for 5 km round-trip Difficulty: Easy, but plenty of stairs on rocky short. Not ideal for young children. Highlights: Discover an ancient Roman vivarium. Hear the lapping waves as you walk by the sea, with the Estérel Mountains behind you and the St Tropez Peninsula ahead.
Getting
there:
From St Aygulf, pass the Pointe du Corsaire and its Hotel Corsaire and then the Port Ferréol barely visible from the N98 road. Just after Ferréol, at the Pointe de la Calle turn left where you spot the sign "Vivier Maritime Gallo-Romain".
From Sainte-Maxime, pass the seaside towns of San Peire, Les Issambres, and be on the look-out for the sign "Vivier Maritime Gallo-Romain" after you pass the Port Tonic (about 2 km after the white restaurant Le Cercle by the sea).
Hiking:
At the sign for the vivarium, head east for the sea and reach the Sentier du Littoral with its yellow signs.
You walk south east, as you hike toward Sainte-Maxime.
Notice the site of a Roman "vivarium", a salt water fish pond. Romans carved the sea pool in the rock to hold captive fish such as congers and mullets alive and fresh for dinner. To keep waters flowing and circulating in the vivarium, they built canals regulated by bronze doors that open and shut. It's hard not to think of how simple and un-polluting the system was, working with the waves and the existing carved shoreline and rocks. With a little imagination and the help of the interpretative panel, you can see fish swimming in the vivarium some 2000 years ago.
Continue over Port Tonic and its handful of boats.
At the Calanque de Bonne Eau, you head up to a shaded garden with picnic tables and down again to the coastal path.
You spot a rounded white restaurant overlooking the sea. It's seafood restaurant Le Cercle with its private beach of fine white raked sand.
After the restaurant, the coastal path presents a slight danger as stairs climb and rocks can be slippery. Be sure not to tread there after a storm or rain pour. The county occasionally posts a recommended a brief detour to the street around this cliff, should the path be unstable. Continue along to the Pointe des Issambres. You can return on the same path or on the much less foot friendly N98.
Tidbits:
No flip-flops or sandals - you'll need walking shoes with good traction for walking on a sea-lapped rocky shore.
We don't recommend this hike for young children due to the number of stairs and the occasional hopping over rocks.
Thanks to the Loi du Littoral of 1986, much of the coast-hugging footpath can be walked from one end of the Côte d'Azur to the other.
Of course, some stretches of the path are far more fun and pleasant to trek on than others. The Côte d'Azur is generously built. In some sections, the coastal path veers away from the coast and tromps on the street.
Here's a video hike on one of the better slices of the Sentier du Littoral in the Var, on the Western side of the Cote d'Azur. You'll ramble on for 8 kilometers one way, from the eastern tip of St Raphael to Cap Dramont by the town of Agay.
For written details about this hike, check out our earlier post about it here. To get your hands on a thoroughly tested hiking guide to the Western Côte d'Azur (on sale on Amazon during January 2008 pre-orders!), click here.
Bonne randonnée! Happy hiking!
Music on the video clip is from Bruno MEUNIER, born in 1971 in Draguignan (Var, France). Bruno took his first piano classes at the age of 10 and, in 1990, entered the Faculty of Arts in Nice; In 1993, he obtained a Licence in Musicology and continued to experiment in instrumental composition. Currently, Bruno teaches the piano and computer-assisted music composition at the school Music Academy in Saint-Laurent-du-Var.
Time: 5 hours for 16 km round-trip Difficulty: Medium Highlights: Step up and down pathway on rocky shoreline & discover string of coves, pebble beaches and tiny ports.
Getting there
Reach the port of Santa Lucia, at the eastern edge of Saint-Raphael. Head all the way back to the shipyard, beyond the Marina Hotel. The walkway begins on the eastern side (left as you get there) of the shipyard
At the head of the trail, a wooden panel reads: Pointe des Cadeous 1.3 km, Plage d'Arène Grosse 2.7 km, Plage de Boulouris 4.5 km, 8 km to Cap du Dramont. You're on the right track. It also warns: "Passage a caractère sportif" - this is not a stroll but a hike.
As you hop up and down hundreds of steps carved into natural slabs of pink volcanic rock, you confirm the warning. It isn't a stroll but an excellent outdoor alternative to step class...
Shortly after Santa Lucia, a line-up
of blushing pitons leans towards the sea like tilted statuettes. These statuettes were born of a quartz-rich lava flow of trachytesome 250 million years ago. You are among wise company. You play hopscotch on rounded stepping stones as wavelets skim them. Behind a lava finger in the sea, a tiny bay shines like a ruby. You dig your shoes into mounts of algae washed ashore by the wind and waves. A salty whiff of crusty drying algae invigorates you.
By the Plage d'Arène Grosse beach, a handful of restaurants tempt you with promises of grilled fish, of a bourride Raphaeloise dish of loup fish, gambas shrimp and scallops, a chilled glass of Rosé (note: not all of the restaurants are open year-round).
You pass a short promenade by sandy beaches, a quiet and discrete version of Cannes' La Croisette. Gorgeous private homes hide behind stone walls, cactus and pine trees. You imagine living there.
With so much playing, you may not notice the halophile succulents
growing here:
the yellow-lined Agave Americana,
the fast growing cactus Opuntia
monacantha, the Barbary figs or prickly pears with their bright plum-like fruit.
At the Plage de Boulouris, small pebbles roll under your shoes. The square tower that occupies most of l'Ile d'Or in the distance appears larger with each new beach. After the long stretch of the Plage du Débarquement, the Cap du Dramont stands in front of you. You have reached your destination. If you long for more exploration, press on. The hike around Cap du Dramont is also a treat.
For more information:
This section of the Sentier Littoral can become slippery on wet days. Click here for current local weather.
This sporty hike is not recommended for small children.
You can veer inland at anytime to reach the N98 Route de la Corniche, a block inland. The bus line n°8 stops along the N98 between Agay and Boulouris and the n°5 goes from Boulouris to St Raphael.
One of my favorite weekend treats is to pack up baguettes, cheeses and gourdes of water and head away from the coast into the arrière-pays of hills and rocks and turbulent history.
All over Provence, medieval villages hang on to hillcrests away from the open coastline and its waves of invaders. Stone homes huddle together around their church, their chapel, their castle on a promontory. They open up to squares where olive and platanus trees breathe to the sound of bubbling fountains.
At the eastern edge of the Var department, a string of perched villages look over the valley all the way to the Esterel Mountains and down to the bay of Cannes and its islands.
Callian is one of these. Centuries of history live side by side in Callian; its castle with tall windowless 16th century towers stands close to the more modern Chateau Goerg; the cobblestone streets twist and turn around the old castle; At the Chapelle des Penitents (12th century), a church bell dangles over the valley.
Despite its location, its history and its panoramic views, Callian is not St Paul de Vence: it isn't hugely popular as a tourist stop. Most of the time, you can find a spot in the town's parking lots. You don't have to stand in line for a table at the cafe. Store owners have time to chat.
If you have a full weekend ahead of you, walking through the string of perched villages (Seillans, Fayence, Caillan and Montauroux across 20 kms) lets you soak in the magic. Coming up in late October '06: tips and treats from planned a weekend hike in the region. Check-in then in our Adventures category.
For a slideshow of Callian, click below (you'll need Flash Player).
The perched village of Callian in the French countryside by Fayence may seem like a snail: its streets wind slowly around its castle like a spiraling snail shell. But it's a pig that holds all the Callian luck. Touch its snout and good luck will follow, it is said.
