Winter on the Côte d'Azur
When you need some vitamin D, head to the French Riviera in February, it'll be just the remedy you need + celebrating Auguste Escoffier + Why you need to get to Bayeux before September
I learned the word ‘apricity’ relatively recently, it means ‘the warmth of the sun in winter’ and there is nowhere better to enjoy it than the Côte d’Azur. I’ve just got back from three whirlwind days on the French Riviera where the sun has shone brightly (albeit after a rainy start) and I feel restored after seeing blue skies and the sunshine shade of the mimosas, which are coming into full bloom now (my article is coming in The Times soon). These little starburst flowers fill the hillsides particularly around the town of Mandelieu-La-Napoule, just east of Cannes, and the locals celebrate them in myriad ways, including a lively festival with carnival floats, walks in the mimosa forest at Tanneron, and chefs creating dishes with them. Their bright blooms, as well as trees laden with oranges and lemons, make the winter on the Côte d’Azur a special place to be when you live somewhere more gloomy. Little wonder the British, including Queen Victoria, first started holidaying here in the 19th century. I’ll share my articles that result from the trip as soon as they’re published.
