St. Tropez and Karl Lagerfeld

Yesterday, August 22nd, my friend Patricia and I decided to embark on a journey to St Tropez. At 8:47 a.m. we boarded the train at the gare in Antibes, made one stop in Cannes and reached our first destination of St. Raphael within 30 minutes. St. Raphael is a seaside town boasting a beautiful Cathedral and a waterside fish market.

We strolled the streets watching our time because at precisely 11:30 the boat to St. Tropez would be departing. We chose the front outside seats and the crowded boat surged ahead bobbing and lunging past the small seaside villages.

Patricia

It was really fantastic. The sights, the breeze ... speaking of, I didn't know my white skirt was flying up behind me exposing my Italian-made white panties ... until, many minutes later, I caught a reflection of myself in the window behind me. Pushing my skirt down in a panic, a man leaned forward and said 'no worry ... tres bien!' ... those French !!

Parachuters

We arrived in beautiful St. Tropez and our first destination is naturally the market. In all towns of France there is the market. Some markets, like the Marche Provencal in Antibes are open every day in the summer. The Marche Provencal features vendors selling produce and meat, fish and flowers. To stroll through the market if only to smell the tapenade is worth it. Incroyable !! There is also the 'Thursday' market in Antibes where vendors sell beautiful table cloths, clothing, shoes, lingerie, jewelry, hand bags - you name it, they sell it. I love the smells and the colors and there is certainly always a photo moment or two ...

Paella

Sun hats

After the splendor of the market, we decided to explore the old town. There are quaint narrow cobblestone streets and expensive designer shops. We passed this beautiful restaurant 'Chez Fuchs' ... and I wondered if possibly I could have been distantly related to the owner. My Mother's maiden name is Fuchs ... but my grand father 'Americanized' it to it's translated counterpart 'Fox'.


Evetually we became very hungry. Two girls on a budget in the French Riviera ... we passed on the 'trop cher' cafes in favor of two paninis, one beer and two waters and found a lovely table with two chairs situated under a large tree in a tiny square. Parfait !!

Moi avec a large painting of Brigitte Bardot. Brigitte Bardot lives in St. Tropez ... but, although we spent the day there, we were not able to spot her .... BUT ...

How 'bout this for excitement !! Who IS that girl that Karl Lagerfeld (Chanel, Fendi) is with in St. Tropez you ask? Why, that's me ... just a girl from Allentown, PA. Voila !!

Monsieur Lagerfeld ... if you ever would like your portrait painted in your finest finery, please send me an email - it would be an honor and a great thrill indeed !!

www.annelizabethschlegel.com

Another great boat ride back to beautiful Antibes

Now, although I've toured Monaco, Villefranche sur Mer, Nice, Cannes, St. Raphael, Biot, and St. Paul de Vence, I must tell you that absolutely without a doubt, Antibes is by far my favorite. It's perfect. The old beautiful village, the Marche Provencal, the artists' market, the culture, the nightlife in Juan les Pins and the walks through Cap d'Antibes ... it's lovely.

I believe it could be the most beautiful place on earth.


OLYMPUS AMERICA