Saint Paul de Vence Part 1

 

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Mummy Daydreamer and I try to take a few days away together each year to relax and enjoy some quality mother/daughter time together. Last year we did Paris and London, this year we chose the South of France after I fell in love with the region two summers ago. On arrival at the airport, we ordered an Uber (cheaper than the taxis – the return journey, by taxi, cost us 70EURO/55GBP), which took us to our hotel quickly, first on the motorway then via narrow rural roads – the Uber snaked its way swiftly up the hill in the dark and, 32EUROS/25GBP later, we were deposited at our 4* boutique hotel, La Vague de Saint Paul. After switching rooms (ours had no wifi – sacré bleu!) we settled into a twin room with an en suite bathroom and balcony. Sadly, there were no facilities for tea or coffee, so we sipped an iced tea in the foyer before returning to our room, climbing into our pajamas, and under the sheets. (We later learned that we could order hot water to our room – thankfully, Mummy Daydreamer had packed her own peppermint teabags…)

We awoke the next morning and went for breakfast (a buffet of pastries, bread, scrambled and boiled eggs, sausages, cereals, fruit, meats and cheese) in the dining room (tres chic, quite minimalist) and enjoyed our second coffee on the terrace overlooking the beautiful pool. This became our La Vague ritual, every morning we did the same little routine, the perfect start to each day. Fruit, bread, coffee, terrace. At 18 EURO/14GBP, breakfast was a bit steep, however, it was yummy and we probably didn’t help ourselves to our money’s worth…

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After our first morning laying by the tranquil pool (the hotel’s pièce de résistance) we visited the spa for pedicures (absolutely perfect, especially for just 45EURO/35GBP) before heading into the village of Saint Paul de Vence. It’s probably worth noting here that Uber isn’t available in the village, and taxis were 20EURO/16GBP each way to and from the village. The village is a quaint, charming and rather rustic medieval town situated north of Nice (around a fifteen minute drive), set on a hill top. The cobbled streets wind their way up the hill, and they’re dotted with galleries (art is HUGE in Saint Paul de Vence, and the town is very famous for its galleries and artists), shops, cafes and restaurants. It’s a pretty town, enhanced by the beautiful flowers and lush greenery, which crawl up the sides of the buildings, and grow out of every crack in every wall; the cobbles are polished by every step of every tourist, pretty in shape and colour and a piece of art in themselves. Saint Paul de Vence is quintessentially Provencal and practically perfect in every way. I have no hesitation in recommending Saint Paul de Vence as a mini break destination or day trip for those who might prefer to stay in a bigger city/more rural area. There’s plenty to look at, and lots of restaurants and cafes to enjoy people watching and the fine French cuisine (more to come on this later, in another post).

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My favourite parts of our trip included the pool and beauty treatments at our hotel, La Vague de Saint Paul (though we were a bit frustrated at spending so much money on taxis to town – a shuttle twice a day would have been great), our dinner at La Colombe d’Or and strolling around the pretty streets of Saint Paul de Vence, the perfect spot for a relaxing but cultural break away, not too far from home.

imageI’m Wearing: jumpsuit, Great Plains (the best holiday/summer piece I’ve owned); basket, Sainsbury’s; sandals, Next; sunglasses, Nicole Farhi. 

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2 Comments

  1. Barbara Lindsay 13th June 2016 / 16:12

    Love the photographs!! It was a fabulous break in the South of France.

  2. Sandra Ludlam 14th June 2016 / 12:32

    Beautiful place and the photos are stunning, looks like a must

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