Thursday, June 19, 2014 at 11:02AM ST. TROPEZ: How to Do It Right
Brigitte Bardot, the ultimate St. Tropez girl. All pics by me.
You might have noticed that I didn't post last week. I'm so sorry for abandoning you and I have some 'splaining to do. James and I were invited to a private villa in St. Tropez by an old friend from London; he's a chef and his clients let him stay at their villa for his birthday week each year (bastard). We hemmed and we hon-hon-honn'd because we could only score five days of babysitting. But with Aeroplan points saved up and a way-too-good-to-pass-up invite, we finally decided that 4 full days in St. Tropez were way better than none.
And so we took off, leaving behind a jam-packed schedule, our precious few, and an imminent move to Kitchener for the sun and sand of St. Tropez. The week was short but the days were long. Our trip itinerary went a little something like this:
Café au lait, baguettes, butter, more butter, morning rosé, jump in pool (splish, splash), long lounge in our chaise longues, pre-lunch rosé, boozy lunch at Le 55, home to nap, dinner, gin and tonics. And sometimes more rosé. Sleep. Repeat.
I know what you're thinking: heaven, right? And yes, I'm a lush. But only when on vacation. If you've been to the south of France, you'll understand its magic. If you haven't, do whatever you can (ie. skip your daily lattés, use your points, beg your parents to spend some 'quality' time with their grandkids) and just go. You'll be so, so glad you did.
Some important things to note if you do go:
1) The St. Tropez Place des Lices open-air marché is held on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. We flew in on a Tuesday afternoon and out on a Saturday morning so missed it by a few hours. I've been before and let me tell you, it's actually worth arranging your flight schedule to make this happen.
2) When in doubt about what to wear, the following are always appropriate in St. Tropez: white, black, navy, pale pink, pale blue, breton stripes, anything linen, straw fedoras, straw bags, aviators. The town walks a fine line between ostentatious displays of wealth and so laid-back-hip it hurts. Best to err on the side of laid-back - carefully edited laid-back, of course. 3 South of France style essentials: K. Jacques Sandals, Saint James breton stripe tee, Villebrequin swim shorts for him.
3) Lunch at Le Club 55 is also a must. However, nobody calls it Le Club 55. It is 'Le Cinquante-Cinq'. When calling to reserve, tell them your last name is Rothschild and you'll likely get in.
4) After lunch, wander over to the gift shop on the beach and get yourself a 55 beach bag and wine bucket. You'll debate whether you really need them, and of course you don't, but because you can't get these items anywhere else, you'll really regret it if you don't.
5) For the best people-watching, head to Senequier for their gin & tonics, though I would highly recommend the Senequier Mojito (made with passion fruit purée and champagne) - a cringey 24 euros but worth it for the view of the mega yachts on the harbour. Then make your way to Nikki Beach if you want to go late night. I left my entire purse (including my wallet) there overnight and came back late the next morning. Still there, Visa, ID, and euros still safely housed inside. Fine people the French (read: I was SO lucky. The gypsies in St. Tropez are so talented that they drive mostly Porsches and Ferraris).
6) Rosé is the wine of choice in this region of France. If you haven't had a good rosé lately (or ever), my friend Harry believes that the paler, the better - and you'll be shocked by how lovely and dry it is. He has cooked for everyone from Anya Hindmarch to Claudia Schiffer so I trust him on this. If buying in Canada, always get a French (specifically, Provençal) rosé because they do it better than anyone else. Best served up icy cold over a luxuriously long lunch.
7) If not in the mood for rosé, try a pitcher/punch bowl full of Pimm's Cup which isn't french but is so delish. Recipe below - like sangria only better.
8) Pack the right sunscreen. Vichy asked me to test out their new Vichy Capital Soleil Invisible Mist. I burn quickly so I do what I can to avoid the sun altogether, but I do like to get a little colour on vacay. I don't normally talk beauty but this sunscreen gave me the most even, most perfect St. Tropez glow that I never thought was possible with my skin and will make you want to toss all of your other sunscreens. Worth every single penny.
9) On your St. Tropez playlist add Waves by Mr. Probz, Welcome to St. Tropez by DJ Antoine (crazy cheesy but super fun), G's and Hustlas by Snoop, Sexy Bitch Acoustic version by Joyce Jonathan (so funny, pretty sure she doesn't even know what it means), Rather Be by Clean Bandit.
Check out my trip pics below. Sigh...can I go back now, SVP?
All that sun can make you thirsty.
Harry's riff on Pissaladière (millefeuille, caramelized onions, cheese, olives), baguette & fresh greens.
Parma ham, peaches, roasted peppers, fresh basil, goat cheese. Yawn...Is that the best you can do?? ;)
Nikki Beach where I left my purse and posed for this pic but don't remember doing so. Textured Cotton Dress, J. Crew Factory; Wraparound Sandals (shown below), Zara.
The crazy view from our villa. #nofilter
My 55 outfit: Straw Fedora, Gap; Oxford Popover, J.Crew Factory; Floral Mini, J. Crew Factory; Bucket Bag, Roots.
Welcome to Le Club.
Can I take a selfie?
An inside view of Le 55. Imagine the sound of waves, the gentle hum of happy conversation & the clink clink of wine glasses. Makes you want to crawl under the table and stay there forever.
My score at the beach boutique.
James in his pink shirt and linen pants. Love... (the outfit and the guy)
What you get when your order (directly translated) white fish. After the initial surprise wears off, it's amazing how good these taste with a squeeze of lemon and good aioli.
Don't mind if I do...
Shameless product placement but seriously, LOVE this sunscreen.
A fresh platter made from local produce, complete w radishes, peppers, heirloom tomatoes, fennel, and quail eggs.
One of the many impressive boats on the harbour. Loved this old-school sailboat.
Senequier, St. Tropez where you pay a hefty drink premium if you sit in the front row.
My ship has come in. I asked but was not on the Sephora guest list. Le pout.
Grocery shopping essentials.
Bringing a little Joe Fresh swagga to St. Tropez. Peasant Blouse, Joe Fresh; Striped Shorts, Joe Fresh; Bucket Bag, Roots; Rio Metallic Sandals, J.Crew.
Orange you glad you came?
RECIPE FOR PIMM'S CUP
INGREDIENTS
- 1 part Pimm’s
- 1 slice of orange
- 1 slice of lemon
- 2 slices cucumber
- 1 strawberry, sliced
- Sprig of fresh mint
- Ice cubes
- 3 parts lemonade or lemon-lime soda
DIRECTIONS
1. Pour the Pimm’s into a large pitcher or glass.
2. Toss in all of the fruit and the mint. Add the ice cubes and top it off with the soda.
3. Stir just a little. Et voilà!
