A Day in St Tropez: Riveria Postcard #1
The first in a series of Riveria postcards from AM.
Although it may not seem like it from this week’s quiet office terrain, just last week MMTD was abroad, lost (in the romantic sense of the word) in the very dreamy South of France. My first stay on the Riveria was nothing short of magical and, as such, here is the first postcard of a few from our travels.
For a short snippet on our travels back to Britain and subsequent celeb sighting on Saturday past, head over to the new Weekender #2. You can expect some further French dining and style posts to come, but for now, welcome to a few St Tropez shenanigans.
After flying to the Nice Côte d’Azur airport, the peaceful La Croix Valmer served as my holiday headquarters for the week, just a thirty minute drive from the famed St. Tropez. Swapping out the UK’s trademark grey skies and dismal summer showers for the South of France’s radiant blue skies and sticky warmth was a welcome trade-off. I’m convinced that stepping off a flight and being hit with a wall of heat as you descend the stairs, carry-on in hand is one of the best feelings there is.
The vast majority of my trip was spent basking in the tranquility of palm tree-studded La Croix Valmer in a delightful rotation of long breakfasts, scenic strolls, pool and sea (the Med is even saltier than me) and long dinners as dusk descended. More on this to come, because in this postcard in particular, I want to dive into my day trip to Saint-Tropez.
If you follow the great Gstaad Guy on Instagram, you’ll have seen his sage, sardonically shared wisdom on St T travel via one of his classic reels. July and August are the worst times to go, he emphasises heavily with his trademark frown and clipped accent. Even though I made the adventure at the tail-end of June, I quickly saw the wisdom of his warning upon arrival.
The coastal town was brimming with people: its narrow streets overflowing with tourists and a sweltering cloud of heat hovering above the yacht-crammed port. Of course, it was wonderful to see the Mediterranean playground in its full summer glory for the day but I was also happy to not be spending the full week there and to also head back in the evening to a calmer Riveria location.
First on the agenda upon arrival: a stroll around the flagship luxury stores. I did not know Sporty & Rich had a St Tropez store - kudos SR. Very cool. The whimsical Acqua di Parma store may have been my favourite stop, amongst the Louis Vuitton garden and the seemingly combined Dior store and coffee shop. The people of St T are another incredible asset to the destination: casually strolling around in ultimate yet simple style, cashmere jumpers slung over shoulders, subtly brand-stamped shopping bags dangling from arms.
A break from the intense midday heat was needed: queue coffee at Senequier. The male members of my family stumbled upon this iconic spot, eager to escape designer store browsing in the heatwave engulfing Europe. None of us realised it was the café in St Tropez until after.
It was blindingly hot and the place was brimming with elegant guests hiding from the sun’s gaze, dining with a view of the yachts at the port just a stone’s throw away. The spot has reportedly hosted the likes of Elton John & Georgio Armani and has also been featured in the series Emily in Paris: a wonderful place to unawarely wander into. Afterwards, gelato was grabbed at a small stall across the street. Editor’s Note: Evian Water’s facial spray was the perfect thing to have handy during this hot day of exploring.
The true highlight of the day was our boat trip and tour of the Riveria by Le Brigantin II. Before boarding, one of the tour staff recommended a quick visit to La Tarte Tropezienne patisserie, named after St T’s legendary pastry, enduring from 1995. We stocked up on a hefty supply of sandwiches and treats, my pick was the Tropezienne itself: a brioche and cream combination, topped with pearl sugar.
Being out on the water was the perfect way to escape the heat, take in the port from a different angle and soak in some incredible sights, such as Brigitte Bardot’s current lodgings on the bay and, my personal favourite, the Al-Fayed home - the very place Princess Diana stayed with Dodi just a few days before her death in Paris. This is the property pictured below, still owned and frequented by the Al-Fayeds, with the white garage door below. Just spectacular to see.
On the return to the bay, the pastel coloured buildings of the town and turquoise water blended together, reminiscent of a scene from a Bond movie. Editor’s note: A straw sun hat was an essential for this sticky day, mine is from Amazon here.
After disembarking, my sister and I picked up some St T woven bracelets, matching in aqua and pink, before heading back to La Croix Valmer via taxi. I’m not sure what the store name was but it was on the same street as the La Tarte Tropezienne patisserie located around 'Bd Vasserot’, or so Maps tells me & was a cool moment to remember our travels by.
I couldn’t recommend the boat tour enough, which was an affordable and highly interesting activity, a spectacular way to see and learn about St Tropez and escape the heat and bustle momentarily. The Brigantin boat staff were beyond helpful and friendly and also a family run business which was special. I’ve attached the link below for bookings for the tour should you ever find yourself in St T and want to experience it: here. (The tour was also in both French and English).
St Tropez, thank you for a wonderful time. Signing off Riviera Postcard #1 - more to come! Join us on Instagram, where the real magic happens, and subscribe to have these posts sent straight to your email inbox.
Mwah,
MMTD Founder & Editor