Making the Most of Menton

Success in Menton requires adjusting to its rhythms. This isn't a place for nightlife or shopping sprees. Instead, it rewards those who appreciate subtle pleasures: the perfect lemon tart, the play of light on pastel facades, the discovery of a hidden garden, the warmth of Italian greetings mixing with French politesse.

Stay at least three nights to understand Menton properly. Spend mornings in gardens when dew still sparkles. Take long lunches seriously. Swim in late afternoon when beaches empty. Save evenings for promenade walks as mountains turn purple.

Most importantly, slow down. Menton's microclimate extends beyond weather to pace of life. Let market vendors educate you about their produce. Accept restaurant recommendations for daily specials. Follow paths without destinations. Chat with garden volunteers about their plants.

This is Menton's gift: proof that the Riviera's greatest luxury isn't exclusive access but inclusive beauty. Here, extraordinary gardens welcome all visitors, beaches remain genuinely public, and the most expensive restaurant in town sits next to family pizzerias. It's a place where retirement dreams meet backpacker budgets, where high culture coexists with beach simplicity.

Come to Menton expecting less glamour than Cannes, less energy than Nice, less wealth than Monaco. You'll discover something better: a town that has figured out how to live well without ostentation, to preserve beauty without exclusivity, to welcome visitors without losing its soul. In Menton, the good life isn't purchased—it's cultivated, one lemon tree at a time.# Chapter 8: Saint-Tropez - Authentic Village Life

Saint-Tropez embodies the Riviera paradox more dramatically than anywhere else. This former fishing village, immortalized by Brigitte Bardot and international jet-setters, struggles with its own mythology. Yes, mega-yachts pack the harbor and beach clubs charge shocking prices. But climb the cobbled streets away from the port, and you'll discover a Provençal village that guards its authenticity fiercely—where fishermen still mend nets, where locals play pétanque in shaded squares, where neighborhood restaurants serve honest food at fair prices.

The challenge lies in finding this real Saint-Tropez beneath layers of hype and haute couture. It exists, but requires effort, timing, and often a willingness to visit outside peak season. Those who succeed discover why artists fell in love here long before celebrities arrived, and why some residents still choose this complicated paradise despite the circus it becomes each summer.