Tag Archives: beach

  • Understated Chic!

    September 8, 2012

    Leave a comment

    St. Tropez, France…last day in this French playground! I decide to take a more laid back approach today to the beach in order to cap off my holiday on the Cote d’Azure…

    Instead of one of the swanky beach clubs, I choose Aqua Club. A simpler, less glitzy club along the same yacht filled beach. It’s situated next to yesterday’s Les Palmiers but it’s a world apart!

    I can sit on my lounger and watch people shuttled in from awaiting yachts on one side or I can view the nudist beach to my other side. But this club has no pretension, no class system, and no attitude! It’s a feet in the sand kind of place on the shore…

    Lunch is served simply…tables right on the beach. The list of daily specials sound great and I pick beef carpacio and fresh mussels, one of my favs! Of course, I don’t forget to accompany it with a heaping plate of French fries…I am holding out on my all time favorite, steak tartare for when I am in Paris later this month!
    Besides the laid back vibe, my day here costs half of what it did at the other chicer clubs.

    Its been a marvelous summer getting to spend time on all of Europe’s rivieras…each uniquely it’s own! This winter I’ll be itching for a trip to St Barths…it’s the closet thing we have to this riviera!

    20120908-173604.jpg

    20120908-173612.jpg

    20120908-173623.jpg

  • La Joie de Vivre!

    September 7, 2012

    1 Comment

    St.Tropez, France…another gorgeous summer day in the Cote d’Azure…I return to the beach but decide to try a newer beach club along the three mile Pampelonne Beach that was recommended to me; Club Les Palmiers. Awash in modernist designer white and with a younger vibe compared to yesterday’s Le Club 55.

    This feels like the Nouveau Riche version of yesterday’s more established old moneyed club. A D.J. blares Euro beats and the crowd looks straight out of the gym with their toned bodies! Of course, there are plenty of pretty young model wannabes with their wealthy older suitors. It seems this is the club of choice for the Hotel Byblos as I see guests with their blue striped hotel towels arriving.

    Life in these beach clubs doesn’t come cheap…a chaise, umbrella, and towel costs 46 euro for the day! I prefer these loungers as they are more comfortable than yesterday’s. But I like the feel of this club, sort of South Beach meets French Riviera…a variety of loungers and beds fill the beach and bold sculptures are scattered about. Flashy as only the French can do!

    I reserve a table at the second seating of lunch at 3:30. The prices are just as insane as the rest of St Tropez’s inflated prices! Truly feeling sticker shock! Models do a fashion show and glide around tables in order to show off their over-the-top wares and the crowd gets up dancing away at their tables as the music blares! Girls in their bikinis gyrate on tables on the beach…it’s September and it’s crazy, I can only imagine what August must be like! Its a day in euro trash glory, albeit very wealthy euro trash…

    Economic slowdown? Money woes? Rising unemployment? Not on the radar here! It’s like a fantasy land of excesses! Just let reality go and live like the French do!

    20120907-180848.jpg

    20120907-180908.jpg

    20120907-180930.jpg

    20120907-180945.jpg

    20120907-181004.jpg

    20120907-181020.jpg

    20120907-181031.jpg

    20120907-181103.jpg

  • Clubbin’ It!

    September 6, 2012

    3 Comments

    St.Tropez, France…summer has returned to the south of France! The sun is shining and the skies are blue…a perfect beach day!

    So, it’s swanky beach club “Le Club 55” today for a taste of the good life! I get my over-priced lounger and umbrella on the sand and settle in for some fun people watching! I ask to be farther from the water, shocking my beach boy, as this is not as “chic”; but I rather be further back to take it all in! I see Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas cavorting on the beach and figure it’s gonna be a fun day!

    After some sun, I settle into my table at 55 for a serious lunch of who’s who! It’s September, so most of the “Fabulous” have already left for the season…the true celebs come in July before the tourist hordes descend in August!

    It may be Fashion Week back home in NYC but this crowd is doing their own runway right here on Pampelonne Beach! The style here is decidedly French and certainly eccentric and ostentatious…More is better to this crowd! The shoes can’t be high enough, the bling not showy enough, and the tan not dark enough! The must-have accessory is your pooch!

    It’s essential to make reservations at 55, which I did and I am swiftly shown to my Provencal blue and white decked out table! Yachts pull along the water front and Club 55 sends their small dingy boat to bring them ashore for lunch…how fantastic! The menu is a feast of French favorites and the prices are “sticker-shock” stunners!
    A rich goat cheese and tomato salad and Sole Meneuire makes a perfect French lunch for me! Yet, everyone orders the huge Crudités plate to share, but being solo I pass! Is this the best French food you will have, no! All for a small price of 100 euro for one (US $125)…But definitely it’s the most fun afternoon feeling part of the International jet set you can experience!

    Oh la la, life on the French Riviera!

    20120906-173724.jpg

    20120906-173732.jpg

    20120906-173738.jpg

  • Volcanic Eruptions!

    August 27, 2012

    Leave a comment

    Santorini, Greece…this volcanic island in the Cyclades is today’s day- long stop…our ship is anchored off the coast and the choice of either cable car or mule ride up the hill to the town of Fira awaits us. I think everyone knows the cable car wins… It’s a brutal 90 degrees and can’t imagine what those poor mules smell like!

    The town is wall to wall tourist shopping, which I quickly pass…We head to the main square to find transport to the beach.

    Today is beach day and the choice of black, red, or white sand beaches is today’s big decision. We opt for black sand of Perissa and take the public bus in order to get there! Black volcanic sand is tough on the feet and is very HOT!

    Greek music is blaring from the restaurant and the clear waters are lapping at our feet…oh Greece, you really know how to spoil someone!

    OPA!

    20120827-165604.jpg

    20120827-165726.jpg

    20120827-165711.jpg

    20120827-165653.jpg

    20120827-165739.jpg

  • Greek Oasis!

    July 31, 2012

    Leave a comment

    Elia Beach, Mykonos, Greece…yesterday I decided to try Elia Beach, Mykonos’ longest and most acclaimed stretch of sand. It’s less of a party beach and more a chill and swim spot…

    Another bus day, Elia is simpler to get to with a direct bus, no water taxi needed! The ride was uneventful but pulling up at my destination turned out to be the main event…the long sandy beach, plush loungers set under grass umbrellas, and astonishingly clear water told me today was going to be another good day! I can really get used to this!

    The left side of the beach is straight and the right is gay…neither exclusively but predominantly. I spent hours doing NOTHING! Of course, more gawking at beautiful people, swimming for hours, and just sleeping in the shade of my woven grass umbrella…there is a beautiful restaurant as well, but why leave my spot, I’ll be decadent and order “in”! The service was so friendly and the plate of fresh summer watermelon hit the spot! I am not sure how I am ever going to leave this…

    20120731-104331.jpg

    20120731-104518.jpg

    20120731-104608.jpg

    20120731-104646.jpg

    20120731-104713.jpg

  • Becoming a Beach-a-Holic!

    July 29, 2012

    Leave a comment

    Super Paradise Beach, Mykonos, Greece…getting around this island can be a bit of a chore! Most visitors rent scooters or 4 wheelers, but I think after my last outing on these, I’ll continue to pass on that idea! The roads wind and slope and as much as I want to do it, my inner voice is saying “No way!” Plus, you hear horror stories of vacationers getting really hurt on the treacherous dirt and stone roads… So I shared a taxi with others from my hotel to Platys Gialos, where I could hop a boat to Super Paradise for the day. I think I am off to a late start at 1 pm, but not here! Everyone sleeps in and gets to the beach around 3ish…the taxi boat makes stops at Paraga, Paradise, and then arrives at today’s heaven. There is no schedule and it leaves whenever the cantankerous skipper wants to. Remember, no rush…you are now on Greek time!

    Settling under my rented straw umbrella, I take it all in. How much more gorgeousness can I take? Beautiful bodies and sexy faces everywhere clad in the skimpiest attire! I look ridiculous in my staple black Banana Republic v neck tee…I don’t own anything that comes close to what I am seeing, and most likely no one would appreciate me trying to pull off the look! I thought my new Club Monaco 70’s inspired short-short swim trunks were cute! Forget it! Its not about fashion here, sexiness rules; you either have it or you don’t! Men and women all wear the same: the skimpiest bikini bottom and no top accessorized with the only fashion statement: designer sunglasses!

    As the day goes on, more and more arrive and the 5:30 beach party gets into full swing…by the end of the day you know who are really islanders, as by then all the cruise day trippers have returned to their boats in port.

    The water is to-die-for! Clear and cool, it deepens quickly and you never want to get out…there is a lovely breeze to keep things cooled, but that can fool you about the sun’s intensity!

    Life’s concerns have melted away…my biggest worry is to make sure I don’t miss the water taxi back! Thankfully the lifeguard blows his whistle every time a taxi boat approaches, so I should be ok!

    20120729-170244.jpg

    20120729-170329.jpg

    20120729-170400.jpg

    20120729-170430.jpg

    20120729-170457.jpg

    20120729-170528.jpg

  • The Young & Restless!

    July 27, 2012

    Leave a comment

    Nafplion, Greece…the difference a day makes! A relaxed beach day yesterday and today a hopping high energy day on the sand…My destination today is Karathona Beach, a short distance out of town…this is a weekend retreat for Athens residents as it’s only a 90 minute car ride away. The beach has pulsing music blaring, beautiful youthful Greeks playing in and out of the bath-like waters, and lots of posing & looking pretty as they drink and tan the day away!

    Backgammon, paddleball, and water-sports galore are on display! The electronica coming from the speakers unmistakably lets you know that you are somewhere in Europe. The rainbow of umbrellas packed tightly together creates a party like atmosphere along this long stretch of sand.

    I am trying not to look like too much of a troll as I take it all in! I make sure to keep my staring in check as I seem to have plopped down amongst a 20 year old crowd most likely born in the 90’s! Ouch!! Ohhh, to be young, tan, and without an ounce of fat! (whoops, I never really experienced that…)Today will either make me feel a bit younger & hip or older & leacherous! I am afraid the later of the two may prevail…

    In the meantime, I am gonna let myself pulse to the beat and enjoy all the scenery that’s in front of me on full display!

    20120727-150543.jpg

    20120727-150712.jpg

    20120727-150853.jpg

    20120727-150929.jpg

    20120727-150959.jpg

    20120727-150734.jpg

  • Life Lessons!

    July 26, 2012

    Leave a comment

    Pylos, Greece…the days are starting to blur! More amazing azure seas and a crystal clear sky over a quaint place I have never heard of! I headed to Gialova Beach on Navarino Bay today with no plans in mind. It was windy which kept the temperature from sweltering and made the seas choppy, bringing out all the windsurfing enthusiasts…I staked my claim under an umbrella and settled in for the afternoon.

    It was beautiful watching the brightly colored sails cutting across the brilliant blue waters. I took a dip and the slight chill of the salty water was refreshing…Today had no agenda, I just totally relaxed, worked on my tan, and downloaded some shows on the excellent WI FI at Zoe Resort beachside!

    I topped the afternoon off with a Greek lunch of Spicy Cheese Dip and Greek Salad…the tomatoes were so homegrown and sweet, yet the feta cheese was way more pungent than I have tasted so far; the combo was delicious! Eating out of what coulda been grandma’s dishes made it all feel that much more authentic! What else do you need?

    When I woke up this morning to Pylos, I looked out and said disappointingly; “another sleepy Greek town”…how unfair that statement was…It hit me today that we place too much expectation on destinations to entertain or wow us! It was exactly this sleepy slow paced simplicity that I coveted most about this place today. I live my life in the fast paced whirlwind of NYC…it has taken me till today, exactly 1 month to the day I left on this adventure, to really understand how to “chill”!

    I know how to travel; but maybe I am just starting to learn how to live!

    20120726-142942.jpg20120726-143032.jpg20120726-143117.jpg20120726-143049.jpg

    20120726-143312.jpg

    20120726-143103.jpg

  • The Accidental Tourist!

    July 24, 2012

    Leave a comment

    Corfu, Greece…I was ready for a calm beach day at one of Corfu’s fabled beaches…the sky was a mix of sun & clouds, but the temp was a comfy 84 degrees and I hoped that rain would stay away for the afternoon.

    I made a deal with a local taxi driver to chauffeur us to an amazing beach for an afternoon of swimming and eating. I knew I had to be clear what I expected…NO TOURIST TRAPS! Well he emphatically suggested Paleokastritsa. Ok, we made the trek…pulling up to the beach, I see hordes of swimmers and a sandy stretch that was plastered with sunbathers and I knew I got EXACTLY what I DID NOT want! I protest and this charming Greek man assures us he has the perfect taverna for lunch….we arrive and I see a row of TOUR BUSES! OH NO! I turn into a bratty whiner and say I need him to take us elsewhere, I knew this was a place he probably gets a kick-back for bringing unsuspecting tourists! I was not about to be branded a willing participant to this game!

    Off to Glifada we go…winding thru the mountainside, he makes one hair pin turn after another. As soon as we start the corkscrew final descent to the beach I am green with motion sickness and start dry heaving in despair! Was this his way of getting back to me for being so difficult and spoiling his plans? Just as I think I am gonna loose it, we arrive and I sprint to the bathroom.

    Well this locale is a much nicer long stretch of sand beach dotted with umbrellas and snack spots. Feeling better, we settle at a local no-frills Taverna beachside and feast on a delicious homemade Greek lunch! Greek salad, Tzatziki, Pastichio, and Spinach pie is laid out on the cheesy “Welcome to Corfu” tablecloth. There is nothing like fresh Feta or the ever present taste of nutmeg in Greece! Total Bliss!

    Another reminder that the success of any excursion lies in you remaining in control of your own destiny…going with the flow is good but don’t be trapped by tourist ploys! Always strive for extraordinary adventures!20120724-145705.jpg20120724-145741.jpg20120724-145810.jpg20120724-145901.jpg

    20120724-145949.jpg

    20120724-150018.jpg