Either we move our bodies or Hector: we start the days at the Côte d’Azur either with Jogging or Yoga on the beach or we take the van in order to see some more of the surrounding region. Even though before our departure to France I planned to just ignore St. Tropez – too crowded, too expensive, too much of it all = Saint Trop – on one of the bright mornings we head off to meet the rich, the beautiful or at least their boatmen. Being up with perhaps not the first, but at least the second ray of bright sunlight, we get Hector ready for the road and arrive at St. Tropez before the masses of tourists block any view on the narrow little streets, the historic houses and the old harbor.

We enjoy strolling around and watch the town waking up: exclusive fashion shops just open their doors to welcome fresh money, art galleries take out paintings of Brigitte Bardot for attracting the attention of even more fresh money and when we sit down for a cup of coffee we are surrounded by typical inhabitants of France’s most famous summer domicile.

Among young families that look like being part of some TV advertisement sits a beautiful woman with long blond hair in her beautiful (sexy-as-hell-short) dress and has a drink all on her own. When she turns her head she turns out to be approximately 55 years old but in such a good shape that she fits into the scenery of historical, well-renovated buildings around. When she leaves, the sensation of desperate loneliness hangs around her table for quite a while longer.

We continue our walk and take a look at the yachts. Ridiculous expensive boats lay side by side, offering all kinds of luxury. Still then, imagine the frustration of their owners: no matter how huge and expensive your yacht is, as soon as you lay in St. Tropez’ harbor, there will be at least one other ship which is even more huge and more expensive. Furthermore, the boatmen usually are much more attractive than their owners…

When masses of tourists conquer the narrow alleys, we decide that it is time to move on. Only some km away from the sea is Ramatuelle:

Situated on one of the nearby mountains it offers the view over olive trees and vineyards up to the coastline and offers the variant smells of today’s market as well as inviting restaurants down the street. After some “loup de mer” for lunch, Hector takes us down to the beaches of Pamplonne where we spend most of the afternoon lying in the sun, interrupted only by the dive into the decent waves.

Further days pass by with focus on core business: hours on the beach, continued daily checks on the water temperature and good food combined with some sports every now and then keep us busy. What feels like lazy days contains cycling, dancing, yoga, running and hiking, so probably it is not as lazy as it feels like.

It is only after a couple of days that we feel like moving on in order to see more of the Provence.

France – Part 3