And of course the Cannes Film Festival...

Being around Cannes in May also means you can get rid of your crave for star gazing forever. Walking along the Croisette or watching the red carpet ceremony will undoubtedly lead to a rich catch. For us Fanny Ardant of Francois Truffaut fame ("The Woman Next Door", 1981) and Sharon Stone, ever so the Queen of Cannes with her fund raising gala for amFAR, the foundation for AIDS research. Even if you do not understand the star thing, the atmosphere in Cannes during these 10 days is fabulous.

Roses in May

I will continue my French Riviera posts with a recommendation that you go to Grasse during the month of May. This town is still very involved in the global perfume industry. During the month of May they have a rose festival and the roses in the gardens are at their best all over the riviera. There is a nice perfume museum and you can visit a few of the producers such as Fragonard, Galimard, Molinard and Guy Bouchara for example. But more importantly just take in the nice narrow streets of Grasse, enjoy a coffee here, a glass of Rose wine there,...

Around Brussels in 80 Beers

Was waiting for my turn for bread and croissants at the local bakery when I read about this new book release: a book by an American expat and a local about where to go to drink real craft Belgian beers in Brussels.

Around Brussels in 80 Beers by Joe Stange & Yvan de Baets.

Villa Rothschild

While you are near Saint Jean Cap Ferrat you just as well head to this beautiful villa with its themed gardens (Japanese, Spanish, desert, rose,...). Beautiful views... When you are done, take the car across the road down to the beach Passable for a quick dip and a sandwich.
Article on the riviera.

Eze

With a quick flight to Nice from Brussels (or an 11 hour drive broken up somewhere between Dijon and Chalon) you can end up in this medieval village perched up above St Jean Cap Ferrat in the distance. The view from the exotic garden is well worth the entrance fee. And a little article from the British Telegraph to illustrate the point.