2 - Saint Tropez

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Like a terrace lining the sea, Saint Tropez offers its guests pockets of sunshine as well as just the right amount of shade. On the sunny side, you'll find a healthy dose of celebrities along with a string of high-profile champagne-doused parties and a good volume of celeb-spotting tourists who have come to fill their autograph books. The slither of typical southern French village posted right on the seafront is none other than the cocktail that everyone knows as 'Saint Tropez' - served shaken, not stirred of course. This small resort town has been a celeb hangout since the swinging sixties' favourite stars became regular returners; among them were Brigitte Bardot and Jonnhy Hallyday and none other than Picasso. They could be found under a parasol or soaking up the sun's rays on a nearby terrace. In the shade of Saint Tropez's swaying palm trees is a small fishing community that the area has succeeded in preserving despite it becoming a high-profile destination for the world's best-known celebrities. However, once out of the blinding spotlight, it is possible to appreciate the village's architectural attributes making up its charm, like its narrow winding streets, the market place, and Place des Lices, where heated games of petanque (similar to bowls) take place at sunset. For something a little more cultural, the Museum of l'Annonciade showcases an impressive collection of pointillist and post-impressionist works. You can also venture a little further out and explore the colours of the surrounding villages as well as the old customs route that lines the 20-kilometre coastline including its small beaches like the Bouillabaisse, Canoubiers, la Moutte and the beaches' coves.

Dinard Antibes