July 14th marks the anniversary of the taking of the "Bastille" prison in Paris by hungry & disillusioned parisians in 1789. They stormed the Bastille and set in motion the wheels of the French Revolution that brought down the monarchy.

Each year "Le Quatorze Juillet" or Bastille Day in English is celebrated as the country's most important national day. In Paris, the celebration  center around military displays of tanks, planes, troops marching down the Champs Elysees.

How is Le Quatorze Juillet celebrated on the French Riviera?

Fireworks. Lots of fireworks or "Feux d'Artifice". Fireworks with the entire population poured onto the streets, the piers, the beachside promenade to watch. 

Every single town will have its fireworks tomorrow. 

Where there's the sea, they usually take place over the bay. On the French Riviera, this is the case in Nice, in Cannes, in Saint-Raphael, in Sainte-Maxime, in Saint-Tropez.

Watch out for the time.

You might expect the fireworks at midnight, but they're usually around 10PM or 10:30PM.

Before then, you might be treated to some festive music along the promenades such as in Nice.

Nice's Prom Party begins at 9:30PM on July 14th this year around the Palais de la Méditérannée. Valbonne with also host  music at the Place des Arcades at 9PM. In Saint-Tropez, you will be able to dance at the local bal  starting around 10:30PM while the fireworks will start at 10:45PM.

Enjoy!

Related articles

St Tropez from Above

Summer Hiking in the Var: Fire Risks

The New York Times has launched a new travel video series called "36 Hours". Each video highlights a city in 5 minutes, with interviews from local shop owners, artists, museum curators etc.

Some of the videos feel like adverts, but others manage to really grab at the heart of a town. The above NYT video on Nice is a bit of both, to be fair. But I enjoyed seeing Olive & Artichaud featured there.

Olive & Artichaud is a little restaurant in the old part of town on rue saint reparate, with an open kitchen and decent fresh food. Had lunch there with very tasty basil monkfish for 18 €. They have a narrow set of opening hours, probably given that they make everything from scratch with fresh food of the day - so watch for their current hours on their web site. 

Related articles

Nina's Delicious St Tropez

The Tour de France 2013 is starting and it's an exciting one.

Not because it is the 100th edition of the annual event. Not because of its endless "can't win it without doping" controversy . Not because 12 million spectators will take a glimpse from the sidelines. Not because 198 competitors are lined up to start. 

It's exciting because fierce competitors are battling it out, like spanish star Alberto Contador, UK Mark Cavendish and Chris Froome, belgian amazing rider Jurgen Van Den Broeck and Australia's veteran Cadel Evans. According to many, Froome starts out as the favorite. Despite all of the precise odds measurements, the Tour has a mind of its own. It's exciting because it harbors an element of surprise.

It is exciting because it's the first time the TdF crosses Corsica, this magical "island of beauty". 

Most of all, it's exciting to us because the Tour de France crosses the French Riviera!
If you live in south-eastern France or plan to visit this early July, this detail hasn't escaped you... 

When does the Tour de France 2013 cross the French Riviera?

The Tour competitors land in Nice on the evening of Monday, July 1 to race the team time trials in Nice the next day (Stage 4). 

Then, for Stage 5 of the Tour, they'll go from Cagnes-sur-Mer to Marseille, crossing the French Riviera.

What are the best French Riviera spots to watch the Tour?

On Wednesday, July 3, 2013 cycling champs will dash out of Cagnes-sur-Mer around 12 noon and make their way to Marseille. The starting point is always exciting, as it's one of the few chances to actually see the competitors when they're not yet at full speed. 

From Cagnes, the Tour will zoom to Biot (expected around 12:05PM), near Opio, Chateauneuf-Grasse (approx. 12:30PM), Grasse (12:36PM), Peymeinade, La Val du Tignet, Fayence (1:17PM) ,Draguignan (1:59PM), Lorgues, Entrecasteaux, Carcès, Brignoles, La Celle (3:15PM), La Roquebrussane (3:32PM) and off the the Bouches-du-Rhône departement. Marseille expects them around 5PM.

Other good spots to see the Tour are on the hills, where you have a chance at a glimpse long enough to recognize the individuals. The Côte de Châteauneuf-Grasse should be a good hill for watching on-site. It comes after about 20 kms of stage 5, and is expected to generate a break among the peloton. The Col de l'Ange near Draguignan will be the second minor hill among 4 such hills in this stage. Another good spot to watch.

Of course, watching on-site means getting there very very early, before road closures and a maze of detours. It also means heading back late, much after competitors, entourage and security have cleared the area.

What are the route restrictions during the Tour de France 2013 on the French Riviera?

The Promenade des Anglais in Nice will be dedicated to plenty of cycling-related events and fun, culminating in the Team Time Trials in Stage 4 of the Tour de France 2013 on Tuesday, July 2 starting at 3:15PM on the Nice Prom. These team time trials in Nice are only 25 kms, but 55km/hour average speed is expected so it will be over in a half-hour. 

Access to the Nice airport will be impacted, especially on Sunday 30th June, 6.45 a.m. to 2.30 p.m.
and on Tuesday 2nd July, 11.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

Closed areas during those times:

• Exits A8 N° 50 "Nice Promenade" and N°52 "St Isidore"
• Incoming roads and exits off the Le Voyageur roundabout
• The exit after Terminal 1 toward La Promenade
• St-Laurent-du-Var : diversion via Gerbault, closure of access to the RN98 Areas

What's expected for the French Riviera stage of the Tour de France?

Photo: by bhotchkies  
Eze & the peninsula of Cap Ferrat, French Riviera, viewed from the Grande Corniche

Driving Decisions

Let's say you only have a short week to visit the French Riviera. Where should you go? What should you do? What can you simply not miss? 

If you've been bottled up for months without any sun and stressed like a tightrope, you might want to stretch on warm sand until your batteries recharge.  

But what if you're all charged up and ready to tour the French Riviera on wheels? What would be the best drives in the French Riviera?

Lonely Planet recently added a nifty book to their "Best Trips" series to help answer this question. Lonely Planet France's Best Trips (Travel Guide) covers 37 road trips across all of la belle France. Two of these road trips cover the French Riviera.

Painting of Eze and corniches by Georgette Piccon

Cornering the Corniches

In Chapter 23, the Best Trips France guide recommends a drive along the trio of Corniches above Villefranche, Eze, and Monaco.

Running parallel to each other, the three sister roads are named Grande Corniche, Moyenne Corniche and Basse Corniche. They dominate the coast from Nice to Menton in varying degrees of altitude.

The eldest is the highest, the Grande Corniche. Constructed under Napoléon, it roughly follows the path of the great roman Via Iulia Augusta paved road. The Grande Corniche is probably the most famous of the three for its roman roots, but also thanks to Grace Kelly. Before she became Princess Grace of Monaco in 1956, Grace Kelly was filmed on the Grande Corniche for Hitchcocks's "To Catch a Thief" movie. Sadly, an offshoot of the Grande Corniche also claimed the princess' life in 1982, when her car plunge down a cliff after she suffered a stroke.

The Moyenne Corniche offers stunning views while the little sister, the Basse Corniche or Corniche Inférieure hugs the coastline. While we don't consider it inferior to its bigger sisters, The Corniche Inférieure does clog up in the summer. It links together the coastal towns of Villefranche, Beaulieu, Eze, Cap d'Ail, Monaco, Roquebrune Cap Martin, Menton.

Even if the French Riviera Corniches are legendary, they can be unnerving with their winding ways, their packs of bicycles emerging beyond a bend and their distractingly stunning views. Yet they remain what the French would call incontournables, or inescapable, if you are driving your way around the French Riviera.

We especially appreciate Lonely Planet's Chapter 23 for its useful tips on driving the corniches: the recommended direction for each slice of drive, stops for tasty treats along the way, best days to hop across the Italian border, carefully chosen highlights for each stop. 

Photo:  Fotografiert von Björn Hauffe 
The Bay of Cannes, French Riviera, viewed from the coastal road by Théoule

Cruising the Coast

The next chapter in Best Trips France recommends a drive along the coast from Mougins heading east all the way to Cap Ferrat.

The chapter is spot on with its recommendations for stops along the way - all the classic not-to-be-missed are there including Juan les Pins, Antibes, Biot and others.

Also included is a "Detour" we know and cherish: the coastal drive between red rocky pitons of the Estérel and the jagged coastline between Cannes and Agay. A jewel among the French Riviera scenic drives, to be driven slowly and thoroughly enjoyed! 

Here's an interesting book for those of us who long to discover another side of Nice, France. Part work of art with its many watercolors of hilly city streets and houses, part invitation to stroll through Nice away from the mainstream, Balades Choisies delects the reader with a sort of treasure hunt. 

The book leads you up and down the streets of the Cimiez hills, but also up Mont Boron, Riquier, St Roch as well as La Madeleine and others hilly areas of Nice. Text is sparse, enough to pique your interest without being encyclopedic. Very nicely done. 

Place Masséna in Nice is at the heart of the French Riviera town. Around New Year's, it's decorated with light shows, a little Christmas market and even an ice rink down the road. Lots of family fun!

Here's a quick view of the light show at Place Masséna:

Above: the cool timelapsed video on the Nice Carnival 2011 by Yann Coatsaliou.

It's back and as exuberant as ever!

The Nice Carnival has begun and it runs for 20 days: February 18 to March 8 2011.

This year's carnival theme? It's the Mediterranean Sea. 20 floats with 30 big smiling heads will bob up and down the Promenade des Anglais blowing confettis (20 tons expected in total!) and drawing awe from spectators. All of the big heads will be related to the sea and to the history of the Med. Made of papier-maché by "Carnavaliers" in very intense workshops, these giant-sized cartoon heads need a lot of energy to carry along. Each person carrying a big head expends basically covers the distance of a marathon race over the course of the carnival.

 

Expect lots of good cheer all around. Some of the floats subjects are a riot: "King of the Greek Loans!", "The Tourist", "Pan Bagnat or Ham Burger".

Where does it run?

Carnival parade starts with a loop at the Place Masséna, a prime spot for spectators. The flower parades take place on the Promenade des Anglais between Place des Phocéens and Rue de Rivoli.

Where is the official program?

See the official program web site.

The current nasty weather on the French Riviera has us dreaming of warmer days...

And the next weekend when the sun is out, I plan on visiting the inappropriately named Plage de Passable on the St Jean Cap Ferrat peninsula.

No need to spend a fortune here to enjoy a picture-perfect view of Villefranche-sur-Mer, soak in the sun on a plush lounge chair. I'm going to just sip on a refreshing drink and enjoy the beach. It's a private beach with a single restaurant-bar on the beach. The water is turquoise blue. Kids love it for its lagoon feel and the freedom of splashing at will while grown-ups relax. Only down-side are the little pebbles, but horizontal on your transat chair, you quickly forget.

Soleil, where are you?

This year, the Tour de France cycling classic won't begin by the French Riviera as it did last year (in Monaco). In fact, it won't pedal near the Côte d'Azur.

For biking fans visiting or living in Southern France, there's always the Paris-Nice event. For 2010, the Paris-Nice begins on Sunday March 7^th and runs until the 14^th to cover a total of 1,288 kilometers.

 The last two legs of the 8-part race takes place here on the French Riviera. Expect lots of action here: before reaching town of Tourrettes-sur-Loup from Peynie, our rides will climb the tough Col de Vence (9.7 km at a gradient of 6.6%, ouch!).

Then for stage 8, they're off to other ascents at La Turbie and the Col d’Eze before their descent to Villefranche-sur-Mer on the 14th and arrival on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.

22 teams will race the Paris-Nice, including 3 teams from the USA, 1 from Great-Britain, but also Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Russia, Switzerland, Kazakhstan

September 19 and 20, 2009 are European Heritage Days. Every year at the end of September, many historical buildings open their secret doors to the public. And in France, over 12 million visitors trot through these doors on Heritage Days.

What's open to visit? In Paris, the Assemblée Nationale, the Hôtel de Ville, the Elysée Palace.

We knew Paris would offer tons of tasty heritage site visits, but what's on for the French Riviera?

The most popular spot for last year's Journée du Patrimoine on the French Riviera? The 18C Villa Arson in Nice for its reputed Arts school and its pretty Niçois hilltops views. 

What else could I visit on the Côte d'Azur during these open days? Here's a full list of open visits for the 2009 Journées du Patrimoine across the Var and the Alpes Maritimes. See the "Voir la fiche" link for more info on individual offerings (in French).

Our piece of advice? Come early for the more interesting sites - entrance is free, lines are long.

In the Var: