Polygone Riviera – A Lifestyle Mall

Summary:

• Cagnes-sur-Mer is the site for the first lifestyle shopping mall in France
• 8 minutes from Nice, 20 mns. from Cannes, 10 mns. from Antibes, 5 mns. from Vence – easily accessible from A8
• French Riviera is the #1 tourist destination for the French and #2 tourist destination for foreigners
• The center is the first four-star shopping mall in the south of France

The mall comprises 75,000m2 to include:

• Gastronomical dining plaza
• Panoramic view terrace
• Free wifi & interactive directories
• Reception area & car parking valet
• Luxury brand stores
• Casino, 10-movie theater, bowling center & more….

Website HERE

PRINTEMPS & much more….

Visiting France & Love to Shop?

Visiting France and want to go to a marché aux puces (flea market) or brocante (antiques/bric-a-brac street market)?

Search HERE for a location near your destination!

 

Shoes – Historical High Heels

American Duchess

In looking for a pair of 17th century style shoes, I came across the website “All About Shoes” which details historical facts about shoes through various eras.

“Throughout Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, heels were an indicator of wealth and status for both men and women. In France, the wearing of heels even became a regulated expression of political privilege. In the 17th century court of King Louis XIV (reign 1643-1715), only those granted access to his court were allowed to wear red coloured heels.”  (I wonder if this is where Louboutin got the idea for his red-soled shoes!)

“Following in the footsteps of his predecessor, King Louis XV (reign 1715-1774) also left his mark on high heel history. Although men began abandoning high heels by the 1730s, heels remained important in women’s fashion. During the reign of Louis XV, fashionable heels for women were curved through the waist and splayed at the base to increase stability. The French favoured a delicate interpretation of this style, while the English preferred heels that were a bit stouter.

This combination of graceful shape and sturdy construction was revived and revamped in the 1860s. Although christened the “Louis heel,” the later heel featured a much more dramatic curve where the heel met the shoe.

Increasing criticism of frivolous extravagance heralded the end of the aristocratic age. With revolution in the air, the upper classes throughout Europe and North America began to embrace the more modest aesthetic of the rising middle class.

Men had abandoned high heels by the middle of the 18th century and, throughout the last decades of the century, women’s heels became increasing lower. Sturdy heels were replaced by more delicate and thin heels and, by the 1790s, heels usually rose no higher than a few centimetres. 

After the French Revolution, heels quickly went out of style. By the early 1800s, flats were the fashion. High heels would not be seen again in Western fashion for another fifty years.”  

Official Website HERE 

SITE EN FRANCAIS

Lourmarin in Provence

A recent trip to the Luberon included a stop in Lourmarin, a charming town to stroll, shop, and café hop, not to mention the final resting place for the French philosopher, Albert Camus.

According to France Today, “Camus’ first visit to the region, in 1937, was brief but in 1946 he came from Paris with three fellow writer friends and actually stayed with them at the Château, in Spartan rooms set far apart which felt spooky at night, his at the bottom of the tower. Armed with the carefree camaraderie and joie de vivre of youth, Camus loved Lourmarin – witness his letter of 1947 to his friend and poet, René Char, who hailed from nearby L’Ile-sur-la- Sorgue:  “The region in France that I prefer is yours, more precisely the foot of the Luberon… Lourmarin, etc.”  Camus was just 46 on January 4, 1960, when he died near Sens in a car crash on his way to Paris– snatched midlife, as if to stage an ironical metaphor of the absurdity of life which was central to his philosophical preoccupations.”

 “L’absurde naît de la confrontation de l’appel humain avec le silence déraisonnable du monde.” 

(“The absurd is the product of a collision or confrontation between our human desire for order, meaning, and purpose in life and the blank, indifferent “silence of the universe.”) 

 

 

Strolling through the town, I  witnessed le football fever for “Les Bleus” before a World Cup match, saw many amusing store front novelties, including an American song lyric sung by Jimmy Hendrix, and passed lovely fountains….all in a picturesque backdrop in the heart of Provence.

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Galeries Lafayette at Cap 3000

VERT – une couleur….et au-delà !!   Exposition until June 21, 2014

Ground floor entrance

Walking the green line

Credit: Sarah Illenberger

Ceiling from escalator

Credit: La Diacosmie Opera Nice-Cote d’Azur

Credit: La Diacosmie Opera Nice-Cote d’Azur

Pigment colors for paints

Credit: Valerie Arboireau

Credit: Design & Nature Anne Orlowska

Herbes

Credit: Pascale Peyrat

10 ICONIC THINGS TO DO/SEE IN NICE

1 – Museums

Follow in the footsteps of Chagall, Matisse, Renoir, and Picasso, among many other artists, with a visit to the numerous historical and fine arts museums. Discover how the light of the French Riviera inspired and captivated artists, beautifully reflected in their works of art.

2 –Old Town

Marvel at the Apollo fountain in Place Masséna, as a starting point. Enjoy the culturally diverse food stalls & large flower market, as you stroll through the daily morning market in Cours Saleya; a flea market is held instead on Mondays for you to find just the right antique or trinket souvenir. Among the winding, medieval streets of  “Vieux Nice,” you’ll find art studios; a variety of quaint shops, cafés, & restaurants; Palais Lascaris; Sainte Reparate Cathedral, and many charming churches. Oh, and don’t forget to stop for ice cream at Fenocchio in Place Rosetti, if you can choose among the 98 flavors!

3 – Beaches & Seaside Restaurants

Nice’s beaches are iconically pebbled, with smooth stones of various patterns and shapes. Enjoy the azur, turquoise, and cobalt blues of the Mediterranean while dining al fresco. For up close and personal seaside views, lunch or dine at one of Nice’s private beach restaurants, or at one of the Promenade-lined hotel restaurants for panoramic views.

4 – Bellet Wines

The vineyards of Bellet comprise around 11 domaines, situated in the higher elevations behind Nice, and are classified as AOC (appellation d’origine controlée). Producing red, white, and rosé wines, the Bellet vineyards are iconically rich in both terroir and taste.

5 – Shopping

From the luxurious Louis Vuitton, Cartier, and Hermès designer stores to Sephora, Zara, Galeries Lafayette, and Nice Etoile shopping mall (just to name a few), there is indeed something fashionable for everyone’s taste and budget. If you would like a souvenir, designed around the iconic blue chairs lining the Promenade, you can see the information HERE

6 – Chậteau Hill

Take the stairs, elevator, or the tourist train up to Castle Hill for a breathtaking, panoramic view of the city and sea. The city park divides Old Town from the Port of Nice and is a peaceful setting of nature, including a waterfall.

7 – Salade Niçoise

Nice’s iconically-named salad, delicately flavored with a vinaigrette dressing, is generally made with lettuce, red peppers, tomatoes, onions, hard-boiled egg, “les caillettes” (iconic Nice olives), tuna, and anchovies. You may see other variations of this iconic dish, with added ingredients, such as green beans and potatoes.  Nice and Lyon are two cities that have gastromically-acclaimed cuisine.

8 – Promenades

Walk, jog, bike, rollerblade, or simply stroll along the wide, seaside walkway – the “Promenade des Anglais.” Daydream while sitting on the iconic blue chairs and taking in the beautiful azure color of the sea.

Stroll through the 26-acre park, “Promenade du Paillon,” with meandering paths from the Albert 1^st garden to the Nice Theater – lots of green space, playgrounds, and fountains to enjoy.

9 – Nice Port & Place Garibaldi

The port is enjoyable, to take in during a portside stroll, with its “100 Antiquaires,” eclectic cafés, and boats and yachts of all sizes.

Nearby Place Garibaldi is known for its lovely frescoes and lively cafés, situated in the main square and along the various side streets leading to the port area.

10 – Day Trips

Traveling either east or west of Nice, from Menton to Mandelieu, you can visit many iconic, charming towns and perched villages, easily accessible by car, train, and bus, on the French Riviera.  Nice is the perfect base from which to take day trips, due to its central location and comprehensive transportation systems. The Principality of Monaco is only 20 kms. (12 miles) from Nice, with easy access via the #100 bus that stops close to the famous Monte Carlo Casino.

BIENVENUE & BON SÉJOUR !

More travel information and insider’s tips in this book – available in ebook & paperback formats on Amazon & Smashwords.

Book Trailer Video

Shopping at “Cap 3000” for Sales (Les Soldes)

To take advantage of the (government regulated) twice-a-year sales (les soldes) in France, I recently went shopping (window and otherwise) at Cap 3000 shopping mall, located just west of the Nice airport in St. Laurent-du-Var.

There were a lot of shoppers, and it was interesting taking in all the various  window displays.

And of course, lunch was on the day’s menu (see below).

Galeries Lafayette:

Sephora:

There isn’t an American-style food court, but rather, a few restaurants in the mall – popular, as indicated by the line of people waiting for a table. One even provided a nice bench for customers and, with efficiency in mind, passed out some menus to look at while waiting in line. I got one of the two last available “plat du jour“: veal with mushrooms, served with melt-in-your-mouth potatoes and courgette flan – delicieux!

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So, what did I buy?  A few pairs of earrings, a small red handbag, a pair of leggings, and this tote to carry my laptop.  Happy Shopping!

A “French” Manicure

Sephora is a well-known, French brand and chain of cosmetics stores founded in Paris in 1970. Sephora originates from “sephos”, which is Greek for “beauty” and the name Zipporah, the exceptionally beautiful wife of Moses in the Book of Exodus. I love to browse through their store in Nice, which is always full of customers.

I am always surprised that not many women I meet know about “Nail Patch” – an easy-to-apply stick-on nail varnish that lasts about 11 days (depending on the shade you choose, it may last longer).  There is NO need for drying time (see video below) and is removed with nail polish remover.  I have been using this product on and off for years, most recently trying the French manicure (a little more time consuming to apply, but still, easy to do!)

Choices range from pale pink to ruby red and, most recently, patterns such as plaids, stars, and leopard print for the most daring!

VIDEO LINK:
Nail Patch de Sephora sur Sephora… par horloge12

For those of you who prefer liquid nail polish, I recently read a nail tip: dip a cotton ball in vinegar, then swipe it over your unpolished nail. Then apply a base coat, polish, and a top coat as you normally would, to make the polish last longer (I have not tried this, so if you have, let me know if it works.)

Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

During her brief career as a singer, Gabrielle Chanel performed in clubs in Vichy and Moulins where she was called “Coco.” Some say that the name comes from one of the songs she used to sing, and Chanel herself said that it was a “shortened version of cocotte, the French word for ‘kept woman,” according to an article in The Atlantic.

She opened her first clothes shop in 1910. In the 1920’s, she launched her first perfume and introduced the Chanel suit and the little black dress and revolutionized fashion. In the 1920s, Chanel took her thriving business to new heights. She launched her first perfume, Chanel No. 5, which was the first to feature a designer’s name. Perfume “is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion. . . . that heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure,” Chanel once explained.

In 1925, she introduced the now legendary Chanel suit with collarless jacket and well-fitted skirt. Her designs were revolutionary for the time—borrowing elements of men’s wear and emphasizing comfort over the constraints of then-popular fashions. She helped women say good-bye to the days of corsets and other confining garments.

The origin of her legendary symbol “intertwining C’s” HERE

A charming short film (13 minutes) in celebration of Coco Chanel, the iconic & legendary, French fashionista:

Source: biography.com

Specialty Shops near Nice Opera

Near Cours Saleya and across from and within the same block of the Nice Opera on Rue St-François de Paule, these four specialty shops are historically Nice for nice gift ideas – whether for someone else or for yourself, for the holidays or all year ’round!

1. ALZIARI

“Symbol of eternal life, the olive inspires our philosophy.”

Courtesy of Alziari website

2. AUER

A candy/chocolate shop, established in 1820, where Queen Victoria shopped for candied fruits. I also love to visit this shop to look at the retro tile flooring and the lovely display furniture, not to mention the gold covered chocolates in the rear of the store.

3. l’OLIVIER

Specializing in a variety of olive oils, flavored vinegars, olives, and other cooking delicacies, this shop is inviting and client-service oriented.

4. COMPAGNIE DE PROVENCE

Soaps, candles, diffusers, and fragrant home items can be found in this charming shop.

Along with the December Christmas market in Place Massena, the shopping center of Nice Etoile, and the many small art studios in Old Nice, there is something to be had to suit everyone’s tastes,or to simply faire du leche-vitrine (window shop)!