Postcards from Jiles
Wednesday, 8 May 2019
Bonjour mes amis!
Today we visited Saint Tropez. And you can feel the chic blowing in off that lovely Côte d’Azur breeze! There is a stylish vibe to the glamorous riviera town. Obviously, right, otherwise it wouldn’t have the reputation it does? And the yachts now outnumber the fishing boats.
Known for it’s beaches and nightlife the jet-set started flocking here in the 60’s. We passed an airport for private jets not too far from the resort town while in our big ol’ bus full of other Oceania tourists.
As much as I don’t love organized touring, we did one of Oceania’s official excursions and took a big ol’ tour bus to Saint Tropez. It was just the most convenient transport from the ship. The drive was about an hour and a half. But it was all those twisty tiny French roads around a mountain. Ugh. Had to keep my eyes shut for part of the drive. lol.
We were dropped off in Old Harbor and the tour guide, Marie, had a walking tour for us but we bailed and headed straight to the shoppes. We had a lot to do in just a few hours time (the total tour time was 7h30m but three hours of that was driving on the big ol’ bus).
The buildings reminded me of various shades of sand with bursts of color on the doors and shutters. It looked like they all use to be homes but they’re now cafes and boutiques nestled in to the once private residences.
The city felt like it was filled with regulars. Not necessarily locals but people very familiar with the costal town. It was like if you came once you’d definitely come back over and over again.
Yet as well dressed as folks were it was casual. Effortless. Cozy. Unassuming. Great people watching! I saw a lot of Golden Goose sneakers. It would have been fun to see how outrageous outfits could get for parties in the evening.
The shopping, as expected, was fabulous! Our first stop was Chanel and it was actually housed in an old mansion and the shoe department was in the pool house! By far the coolest Chanel boutique I’ve ever been to — even tops Coco’s Rue Cambon shoppe.
After Chanel, we went to Gucci where I was able to snag those outrageous rhinestone shoes. And we popped into Louis Vuitton so Miles could get a belt to match his sneakers. We thought to ask if they had any limited edition pieces tucked away somewhere. Voilà! Saint Tropez clutch acquired in Saint Tropez that matches my sneakers. I wanted some things to look at and think: I got this in St Tropez — that was an amazing trip!
Had just enough time after those three shops to have a simple lunch of rosé and sandwiches while overlooking the yachts. We drove past several vineyards on the way to Saint Tropez. Marie said that the rosé was incredible in that region. I guess Provençal rosé is highly dry — which lends itself to my particular palate. It didn’t disappoint. I guess some of it can be made so clear that folks have thought they were drinking water. Marie said they drink red in the winter and rosé in the summer. Never water. Too expensive. lol. She was a character!
After our little lunch and people watching, we ran back to the big ol’ bus with our bags and I thought we were headed back to the ship. There was actually another stop. My initial thought was: why the heck would you want to stop somewhere else after visiting Saint Tropes, why wouldn’t we just stay there longer. But I’m glad we got to see it. We actually stopped in Port Grimaud, which I believe it is a part of Saint Tropez, and it seemed much more suburban-residential.
I guess the theory behind the “neighborhood” was to be able to live in your home and have your yacht or little boat tied up in back. People were saying it reminded them of some spots in Florida but we were reminded that they did it first. Cute little townhomes with water circulating around with just a few restaurants and shoppes. In addition to all the private boats docked, there were some you could rent which would have been fun if we’d of had the time.
We only had 45 minutes at this stop (part of the reason I don’t love organized tours — you feel rushed). So we just went and got a couple glasses of the highly dry Provençal rosé that’s cheeper than water!
I learned today that if you want to get a quick drink in France you go to a brasserie. Brasseries have a large drink selection and just a tiny bit of food on the menu. Plus they serve you quickly. Very useful info for Jiles!
À votre santé!!!
xxx, Jenjen & Miles
p.s. If you’re not already, please follow our adventures on Instagram! We get lots of positive feedback, and it makes us super happy to provide some inspiration to help others live their best life in their hometown and on their travels.
@lifeofjiles = @jenniferdejiles + @miles22314
our local pub = @oldtownpost
Good bye my sweet girl. My little muffin! Mommy loves you!
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