The Night is Tender on the Côte d'Azur

They fed us cherries on a baron’s yacht. We lay on the deck in Pucci bikinis before jumping into the sea dangerously close to an island guarded by thousands of pink jellyfish. After dancing all night we threw breakfast parties at our house, featuring hot brioche with vanilla pear jam, scrambled eggs and cocktails by the piano. Witty Swiss chaps joked on the balcony at dawn as a pretty South African nymph sunk into a Madeleine-scented bubble bath with a French Dionysus. In the afternoon, underwear-clad, we read books in the searing sunlight as birds cruised over the palm trees. The air in Cannes was scented with flowers and toast. 

Took the train to Nice, left our luggage at the station. After walking to the old town and exploring the beautiful baroque churches we enjoyed strange gelato at Fenocchio: refreshing tomato and basil flavour, orange blossom, and almond flower. We strolled to the beach and saw a man walk on water. Back by Place de Yves Klein, breakdancers practiced their moves by the contemporary art museum.

Evening tiptoed in and it was time to return to London. I can’t wait to see the rest of the south of France. Send your invitations…

p.s. Here are some pictures of Nice and Cannes around 1900-1925, from Editions Giletta:

 Colour photo (at beginning of post) by Megan MacKay. 2014.