- The start of our Pan European Sojourn
- And we’re off — first stop Palma de Mallorca!
- Alicante, Spain
- Sète and Aigues Mortes, France
- St. Tropez and Gassin, France
- Portofino and Camogli, Italy
- Paris and Angers, France
- Bucharest, Romania
- Into the Carpathian Mountains — Peles Castle
- Brasov and Sighisoara, Romania
- Bran Castle and the legend of Dracula!
- Vidin, Bulgaria
- Valiko Tarnavo and Arbanasi, Bulgaria
- Rolling down the (Danube) river and Golubac Fortress, Serbia
- Belgrade, Serbia
- Novi Sad, Serbia and Vukovar, Croatia
- Pécs, Hungary
- Budapest, Vienna, and end of trip
Today we arrived in St. Tropez. Unlike Marseille and Nice, St. Tropez is actually in Provence. There has been a settlement here since 68 AD when it was known as Heraclea. Until the 1950s, St. Tropez was a quiet little fishing village. That all changed when Bridget Bardot starred in “And God Created Woman; “ it became a favorite of the jet and yacht set. By the way, Bardot still lives here in the house she bought after completing the film. Today she is in her 80s.
Before exploring St. Tropez, we made two stops. The first was to Domaine La Rouillere, a highly regarded winery in the heart of the St. Tropez Peninsula. They have actually been making wine here since 1900 on nearly 120 acres of vineyards, focused on 7 grape varieties. But it’s only been since 1972 that all the independent wine producers in the region finally were recognized as an appellation (Cotes de Provence Appellation). What first drew our attention was the little roadside stand where you can taste and buy wines without ever going to the winery itself. But we were there for the full show! After touring the winery and learning all the technology they are using (including automated grape picking machines that harvest in the middle of the night!), we did some wine tasting — because who doesn’t need to start drinking wine at 9:30 in the morning?! Because of strict appellation rules, all wines are blends. We enjoyed their white, rosé, and red. We also met another in a long series of wine dogs. He was a good boy!
Pirates were rampant in this part of the Mediterranean and different towns responded differently. The next place we visited was the village of Gassin, recognized as one of the most beautiful villages in France. Fearing pirates, people in the area who lived near the coast moved up to a rather inhospitable rocky promontory and built this very compact village starting in the 1200s, and ultimately being fortified at the end of the 15th century when it was considered to be an important commerce center and a stop on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Their strategy was build ramparts and withstand sieges from conquerors trying to overrun them. Being 600 feet above the bay with panoramic views in all directions, they had ample warning to prepare. By the end of the 19th century, Gassin was “discovered” and it soon became a popular getaway for artists, writers, and people looking to get a respite from the big city. We loved walking around the village with its narrow cobblestoned streets (including the narrowest street in the world) enjoying the bell tower, town hall, post office, and quaint shops. Obviously, some of the village has been rebuilt or refurbished. Only around 200 people live inside the walls today with the rest of the villagers living below the fortressed area.
From there, we returned to St. Tropez to walk around the old city. Their reaction to the threat of pirates was to organize a large militia under the Capitaine de Ville and every year they have a big reenactment of the militia in full uniform. The port was considered very safe and during the 18th and 19th centuries St. Tropez was a recognized shipbuilding cen4t as well as a crossroads for trade. Over time, the commercial port declined, but today the waterfront is resplendent with giant yachts and conspicuous consumption, all in the name of “luxury.” It was fun to look around and watch the resident artists, but this was a bit much for me…
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
