Towns and Villages
It is a sad fact of life that Nice is very under-rated. The other day I accidentally overheard a Cannes taxi-man discussing with some American tourists what was worth seeing on the French Riviera: “Monaco is an absolute must, and Cannes' is magnifique, but I wouldn't bother with Nice as there's not much to see there apart from the market - and there's one just as good here in Cannes.” Only my very British reserve prevented me from clobbering him and stepping in to dismiss his utter nonsense. Mind you, it's a fair old trot from Cannes to Monaco so he was probably counting the Euros that would fall into his lap with the cost of that journey . . .
The “season” has ended, and Autumn has arrived in our village on the Côte d’Azur. Autumn in this part of the Côte is a delight. The sun is warm, the skies and the sea a deep blue. The beaches are almost empty, and the water still comfortable enough to swim. I can find a spot to park my car, I can sleep better (it’s quieter), and the shaven headed, short trousered waiter with the gold slippers, can spend time chatting to his customers in the café. 
La Turbie ticks all the right boxes: the Romans really knew what they were doing. And where to do it. In the Alpes-Maritimes, not far from the Italian border and (literally) overlooking Monaco, is the delightful village of La Turbie. Set into the hills and with wonderful views of the sea, the village grew up around ‘Le Trophée des Alpes’, a spectacular and beautiful monument, built by the Romans in 7 BC. Erected high on the very point where the Alpes meet the Mediterranean and using limestone quarried in the surrounding hills, this edifice was intended to be seen from both land and sea. And it still is - although it very nearly wasn’t.
