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The Riviera is a paradise for shoppers and seafood lovers.
Shopping is a favorite way here to pass the time; to view the countryside, meet people, and take something very unique home. There are many gift
shops, art studios, artists' galleries, perfumeries (a local cottage, and
commercial, industry here) and many family-owned boutiques so you should have
numerous opportunities to find something to savor and recall the many flavors, sights,
foods, and other memories of the Cote d'Azur. Each village and town has its own unique markets for antiques, collectibles, food, flowers, clothing and other items,
with shops for gifts,
jewelry, art, herbs, fabrics and regional specialties. In Vallauris,
you will find the Avenue Clemenceau. And in Cannes,
there is the rue d'Antibes, offering international designer
stores that cater to the very high-end shoppers. Nearby, the rue Meynadier
has many more smaller, reasonably-priced, and trendier boutiques and shops, as well as food
shops, green grocers, butchers and other small shops.
"I absolutely loved the
view and surroundings. In fact I searched for an oil painting
capturing the Cote d'Azur scene. I was successful in finding a
painting at a gallery in Vence and it now hangs in our Ottawa home,
reminding me everyday of our wonderful trip to Cannes, France. Thank
you!" Ottawa, Ontario
Restaurants |
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Cannes
 à
la Marée - 10 blvd Jean Hibert, Tel. 04 92 98 03 33, right around the corner by
the Sofitel Hotel in the Old Port. Open every day.
Their specialty? SEAFOOD! :-) fruit of the sea...fish, crab, lobster,
langoustine, oysters, clams and mussels. Suzie had baked scallops and I had excellent bourride. Nothing fancy, just
basic VERY good local seafood; well-prepared, with a wide selection of local fish, shellfish,
etc. Fantastique! Also, very good service and not too pricey.
If you
love seafood like we do, then I strongly recommend this restaurant!
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Au
Mal Assis - 15 Quai Saint-Pierre, Tel. 04 93 99 19 09, across from the boats. Suzie and
I both
had bouillabaisse - VERY good with friendly service. In all honesty,
along "Restaurant Row" here in the Old Port, it's
really hard to go wrong with any of these restaurants! As with most
here,
Au Mal Assis specializes in...seafood!! Good selection, we
were torn between this and several others as we walked along looking at
menu after menu, but we came back here and were NOT disappointed!
Gaston & Gastounette (G&G) - 6/7, Quai
St-Pierre (Old Port), tel. 04 93 39 49 44 or 04 93 39 47 92. One of our favorites. Suzie
says the maître d' looks like old Blue Eyes! Facing the old harbor,
it's reputed to have one of the best seafood tables in Cannes and is renowned for
its 'Bouillabaisse', which is the best we've had...yet. Very
expensive, but
worth every sou - right by the boats. You'll need a reservation in season.
"...extraordinaire"!
La Claire Fountaine Restaurant & Salon de Thé - Glacier, 4 Place
Gambetta, Cannes, tel. 04 93 39 99 30
Le Madeleine - 13
blvd. Jean Hilbert, tel. 04 93 39 72 22. Seaside, just around the corner
from the Old
Port, past the palm trees. Excellent seafood + views of the ocean and
mountains.
Restaurant Pizzeria De L'Etoile - 60 avenue du Docteur
Picaud, tel. 04 93 47 54 24. Neighborhood restaurant just down the
bottom of the hill from Résidence Santa Barbara;
turn left towards Cannes, and it's almost immediately on left; also
directly across from bus stop. Good food; good prices; Richard and Graziella will take care of you,
and you'll enjoy your meal!
Info on Restaurants in Cannes
Mougins
Les Mouscadin - At the entrance to the old town of
Mougins. Chef Jean Issautiers; Tel. 04 33
08 10 65. (Guest comment "'Drop dead'
restaurant!") |
Vallauris
La Manuscrit -
Tel. 04 93 64 56 56. Directly off of the Avenue
Tapis Vert in Vallauris, as you head out of Vallauris towards the A8 Autoroute,
turn right on Chemin Lintier, and then go up the hill. It's on the
right. Local friends recommended it to us and we tried it this last trip.
And we're glad we did! Excellent
ambiance, fine dining, and friendly
owners. In addition to a fine restaurant, the old stone perfume distillery,
circa 1852, now serves as an exhibition area for local painters and
sculptors...let us know how you like this one too!! Favorable review.
La Gousse d'Ail, 11 rte. de Grasse (near the Musée National/Picasso
Museum) Place Paul Ismard, Vallauris, tel. 04 93 64 10 71. Good review.
Restaurant Lou Pichinet
- Place
Jules-Lisnard across from the Jean Marais Exposition, and our friend's
shop Maison Giordano. Tel. 04 93 64 63
70. A short walk from the apartment
in Vallauris. Traditional Provençal specialties in a cozy
atmosphere. ("Excellent Sunday lunch - very French, very relaxed,
very reasonable." Courtesy of Guest Peter Chester, UK)
Golfe-Juan
Le Bistrot du Port - (Old Port) tel. 04 93 63 70 64.
Favorable review.
Next to Vallauris, Suzie and I really enjoyed this one! This is a neat little
restaurant right on the waterfront near where Napoleon landed in
Golfe-Juan
on his return from Elbe and the
Route Napoleon begins.
They are directly across the street from the old port, with a good selection of
excellent Provençal cuisine. Great presentation and super desserts.
Of course, they also have very good seafood specialties! Le Saint Pierre -
(Old Port) 33 blvd. des Freres. Right on the waterfront. Good number of
fish dishes at reasonable price. "...Moules Basilic, which
turned out to be one of the tastiest dishes I have ever had in
France." Courtesy of Guest Peter Chester ( UK) Restaurant L'Hippocampe
- 6 av. de la Gare, Golfe-Juan, tel. 04.93.63.71.07. "...lovely husband
and wife team, and the food is delicious. The wife is from Réunion
Island, a
French colony in the Indian Ocean, and she is the chef. She makes dishes
native to Réunion, and the whole restaurant has that theme. It's not one of
the typical restaurants that you find, and it offers a very nice and different experience. They even have beer and rum from Réunion. We had shrimp and shark and an
appetizer sampler platter. Really neat. It is right off of the waterfront
in Golfe Juan and close to the parking at the tourism center in
Golfe-Juan." (Courtesy Guests Kate Sandman & David Wright)
St. Paul de Vence
La Colombe d'Or (The Golden Dove)
- 1 Place du Général de Gaulle, tel: 04 93 32 8002. Great food,
expensive, well-known,
unbelievable art and within walking distance of the Foundation Maeght. Frequented by
artists, film stars and models.
(Source: "HP
Customer" Hearshey@msn.com Newsgroup: msn. expedia .france - 4 Oct 98)
Recommended "must" see by Traveling
Jack. Port
de St. Laurent du Var
Le Paradis Marin - Tel. 04 93 07 30 57. We liked this one, but recommend reservations. MANY nice
restaurants in St. Laurent
du Var - maybe 30! All in a row - by the boats. All tastes, all budgets. Nice way to end the day. Plenty of weekend strollers so get there
early though, after looking at all of the boats moored in the adjacent Marina. From the apartments, it's about a 20-minute drive east, just before getting to Nice along the
shore. You'll see the signs, and then head towards the "Marina". |
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Marling Menu-Master for France -
We carry this handy menu
translation guide whenever we go out to eat here. It explains many of the
regional dishes and local preparation styles, as
well as many other
French culinary terms. Very helpful in ANY French restaurant! |
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There are so many more great restaurants and we welcome your
recommendations
on your Customer Feedback Form when you return our keys! |
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Cannes English Bookshop
The Cannes
English Bookshop is located at 11 Rue Bivouac-Napoleon, F-06400 Cannes (tel. 04.93.99.40.08).
The Bookshop is near (2 blocks) the Palais
des Festivals, just off of the rue Jean de Riouffe, between the rue d'Antibes and
the Croisette. You should find a variety of books at each apartment.
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Shopping and
Markets
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Every city, town,
and village has its own market.
Some are covered, others are open-air, and all are very interesting. There are markets
for flowers, vegetables, food, clothing and household items, flea markets, and others for
genuine antiques and art.
Regardless of the type,
each has its own unique character and provide an enjoyable way to explore the culture.
Many of the vendors operate from one or several vehicles and travel from town to town throughout the
week to reach the widest base of customers. Don't hesitate to negotiate for many items.
They respect and enjoy this and depending on how busy they are, may reduce a
price
considerably! (I've learned that lesson... but, that's another story.)
The freshest produce and best products are
often sold by
noon, when many stalls start to close up. Quality and price can vary greatly from one
stall to the next; we advise you to stroll through the market and look at
various vendors before making
a decision to buy.
Keep in mind that fruits and vegetables are
cheapest and tastiest when in season. Unless there is a sign saying
"libre service," you should point to what you want and ask for it;
stall owners might get upset if you touch the produce yourself, even if you do intend to
purchase it. |
Gift shops on avenue Clemenceau - Vallauris
Note - If you like antiques, inquire
about the weekly Cannes antique market. Our bus line stops adjacent to the Cannes train
station and the market is a few blocks away, near the city hall (Hôtel de
Ville).
For comprehensive details, schedules, descriptions and
other information about each town's local markets we refer you to view periodic market schedules -
by town! Also links from AngloINFO:
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Cannes Market
Marchés - Every Monday morning:
- Marché de La Bocca - place Paul Roubaud
- Marché Forville
- Marché Gambetta
- Marché Commandant Maria
Marché aux Fleurs (Flower Markets) - Daily
Marchés de Brocante
- Allées de la Liberté - Saturday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Marché Forville - Monday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
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Marché artistique et artisanal / peinture et artisanat
d'art (Art Market)
Marché d'autrefois
Bocc'arts
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We loved
Vallauris
and Golfe-Juan. Everyone was so friendly. We really enjoyed
ourselves and would go back again, the sooner the better. The merchants of
Vallauris and Golfe-Juan were marvelous
especially Les Vendanges.
We explored every place we possibly could on the Cote d'Azur.
Paradise!!" -
Trinity,
Florida
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Ventimiglia
Market
If you like to shop, enjoy an
adventure, like meeting new people, and appreciate
 finding a wonderful
bargain - then the daylong open-air market just across the border in
Ventimiglia is THE place to go! One of the largest and most interesting
markets we've seen is in Ventimiglia, in Italy
- just across the border with wonderful views and beaches. It's an excellent day trip -
about an hour drive on the A8 Autoroute (toll). You can also easily
visit using public transportation by using the bus to the Cannes train
station, and then on and back along a magnificent coastal railway through Nice,
St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Eze, Monaco,
Roquebrune and Menton before entering
Ventimiglia with spectacular views over the rugged Mediterranean coast.
While there, don't forget to visit many of the jewelry,
liquor, leather, furs, and gift shops that the French often visit for
dutiable items costing far less than in France. There are also some
wonderful restaurants and beaches!
We've had many fun experiences here and
you'll find bargains and value in leather, gold, flowers, silk, shoes,
clothing, jewelry and more. Not to mention the food! You can also find deals
that are not deals, so keep your wits and be a sharp shopper! We've met many
of the vendors below and can vouch that you'll find value with them for a
memorable trip. To get the best deal, always give a little...take a little,
but don't forget to mention to the folks below that you saw them on the
internet on "RivieraRental" to get a discount! (...and bring
plenty of bags!)
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Arangio Febbo Giovanni - Pelletteria. Beautiful leather bags
and accessories. Ask for Marilena or Roberta (at
right). Based in Arma di
Taggia on 38 Via della Cornice you'll find them in Ventimiglia
on Friday's. Tel. 0335 5400411.
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L'Accessorio - Ask for "Tony" ;-) for bags, shoes, hats,
jewelry, and more. He's based in San Remo. Tel. 0039 333
2606653.
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Calzature Piccinini - Wonderful leather shoes from "Linea
Confort."
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Let us know on your Feedback
Form of any other noteworthy
vendors!
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Click any photo to see full-size
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While the
Ventimiglia market is a BIG market - and the closest in Italy, you can also catch
the "market" in some of the other local Italian towns - every
week! More info on the
Ventimiglia Market
- Monday -
Arma de Taggia
- Tuesday
- San Remo
- Wednesday
- Bordighera
- Friday
- Ventimiglia
- Saturday
- San Remo
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Art
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The paintings,
ceramics, and other artwork throughout the area are world renowned for their
beauty, color, and style. We've selected and placed various pieces in the apartment from artists in St. Paul de Vence. |
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You'll be able to visit many
of the wonderful art galleries located in this popular ancient perched village,
which is one of our recommended daytrips! |
Jewelry
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You can find excellent
bargains for gold jewelry in Italy. Many of our guests travel across the border to Ventimiglia where almost all gold jewelry is 18k,
often measured by weight, and found at
excellent prices - as taxes and prices are far lower than most any other place. Gold here
is extremely attractive, in addition to being a bargain when compared to North American,
or even French, prices - where the taxes are far higher. Based on our
family's experience, we can recommend two establishments. Both shops are small, family-owned and operated,
secure and reputable. Contact us before going if you have any questions at
all.
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Edmondo's was established in
1891 and is a traditional family favorite. It is just north and around the corner from the
flower and vegetable market on the main street Via Cavour:
Edmondo
via Cavour, 26E
18039 Ventimiglia, ITALIE
(tel. 35.50.03)
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Click photo to see full-size
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From personal experience we also recommend:
G&G San Remo Oro s.r.l. - We've always had a good experience with G&G
- a family-owned jeweler in San Remo, and can recommend their shop. A very
small shop, they're
located just off the western end of the Piazzo Colombo on the Via
Matteotti. Stop in and see them, and mention RivieraRental!
Via Matteotti, 195
18038 San Remo, ITALIE
(tel. 0184 - 50.08.89)
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There are many, many more shops, but we're most
familiar with these. There is no taxation at the final departure point when you leave the EU - a reputable jeweler
will be familiar with the most current procedures so ask for the tax relief paperwork! |
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