• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Patricia Sands

Author

  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
    • Can I visit your Book Club on Zoom?
  • Books
    • The Bridge Club
    • Love in Provence Series
      • The Promise of Provence
      • About Promises to Keep
      • I Promise You This
    • Drawing Lessons
    • Les Villa des Viollettes series
      • The First Noël at the Villa des Violettes
      • A Season of Surprises at the Villa des Violettes
      • Lavender, Loss & Love at the Villa des Violettes
    • The Secrets We Hide
  • Travel
    • Photography, France & d’Ailleurs
  • Instagram
  • If it’s Friday, it must be France…
  • Contact me

The Provence Post

Never too much of a good thing, n’est-ce pas?

August 10, 2018 by Patricia Sands 8 Comments

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Do you ever come across something special when you are looking for something else? Then you read it or hold it in your hands to admire and remember all sorts of good things about it?

This afternoon I was sending some information about Antibes to my good friend Julie Mautner, creator of the excellent website, The Provence Post.

The next thing I knew I was re-reading this article and a wealth of great memories wrapped around me. My husband and I often drop by the Hotel Belles Rives for a meal in the exceptional La Passagère restaurant or a drink on the dazzling terrace. It’s always memorable. But the particular morning I gathered information for this article is something I will not forget.

Today I’m reposting the article I wrote for The Good Life France in 2016. If you read it then, I hope you will enjoy it again. After all, we can never have too much of a good thing, n’est-ce pas?

Hotel Belles Rives ~ Antibes southern France

Written by Patricia Sands in Provence-Alpes

Entrance of the hotel Belles-Rives in Antibes with purple bougainvillea growing round the door

The frivolous lyrics from Cole Porter’s Let’s Misbehave might very well have epitomized the mood on the Côte d’Azur when the song was published in 1927.

“There’s something wild about you child, That’s so contagious. Let’s be outrageous, Let’s misbehave!!!”

Not only was he penning the song, but quite possibly Porter was working through it while he hung out with Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald. They were staying at their rented Villa Saint-Louis on the shore of a scenic cove on the west side of the iconic Cap d’Antibes. The Fitzgeralds loved partying with their Jazz Age friends. The semi-Bohemian crowd included wealthy Americans and visiting artists, writers and hangers-on. Picasso, Hemingway, Cocteau, John Dos Passos, Gertrude Stein and Dorothy Parker were just a few of the regulars. Porter was a fixture at the piano in the music room of Villa Saint-Louis, overlooking the shimmering Mediterranean.

From all accounts, notably captured in Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night, along with letters, journal entries and recorded memories by others in the Roaring Twenties, the French Riviera was rather a wild place to be. It was also, and continues to be, a fabled coastline of incomparable beauty and light that inspires artists to settle there and create.

The  Belle of the French Riviera

View from the bar of the Hotel Belles-Rives overlooking the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea

Since 1929 the privately-owned Villa Saint-Louis has been known as Hôtel Belles Rives. At the time it was the only hotel on the water along the Côte d’Azur. And since 2001, the gracious third-generation owner, Marianne Estène-Chauvin has guided her beloved 5-star, 43-room gem with a clear desire to keep the best of the Fitzgerald years alive.

TO CONTINUE READING, CLICK RIGHT HERE  for the link to the entire article and photos on page 55 of The Good Life France magazine. It’s a long article but worth the read (she said modestly …). ENJOY!

It was a pleasure to spend the morning with Madame Estène-Chauvin, a charming, savvy businesswoman and artist, who loves what she does. To sit and chat and then be shown around the beloved property by her was truly an honour. Have you visited this iconic hotel?

 

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • More
  • Pocket
  • Print
  • Email

Filed Under: Blog, France, If it is France..., Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: Antibes, Antibes-Juan Les Pins, Hotel Belles Rives, Marianne Estène-Chauvin, Patricia Sands, The Good Life France, The Provence Post

Like something out of a novel …

October 31, 2016 by Patricia Sands 2 Comments

IMG_3507

That’s how the fabulous Julie Mautner of The Provence Post heads up an ad for the last three spots on our women’s tour of the south of France. Find it on the travel page of her website.

Have you thought about joining us for twelve magical days in the footsteps of Kat Price, the main character in The Promise of Provence? The two previous tours have been a great success and a lot of fun.

In case you’ve missed it before, here’s the scoop:

Like Something Out of A Novel…

June 2017

Fall in love with Provence…just like the main character in author Patricia Sands’ award-winning “Love in Provence” trilogy!

This trip is planned perfectly to experience the settings in The Promise of Provence. With Patricia and her friend, author Susan Sommers, as your guides, you’ll explore the exquisite Côte d’Azur, as well as the brilliant Provençal landscape with its mosaic of fields of sunflowers and lavender. It will not take long to feel as captivated and inspired as have writers, artists and travellers for centuries. Each day trip while in Nice for 6 days, offers diverse experiences that share one certainty… charm and stunning views! Step out of our hotel into the heart of the old town in one direction and bask in the turquoise glow of the Mediterranean in the other. A stop in Aix-en-Provence marks the transition from the coast to the interior. Then, settle into enchanting Avignon for the next six days of the trip. From here you’ll discover the magic of the Provençal countryside as we visit Arles, Roussillon, Les Baux, St. Remy-de-Provence, having special experiences along the way.

Dates: June 6 to 18, 2017.  Only 3 places left.

Tour Cost (per person):  CA $4995* ($3725 US).  Taxes and Gratuities (per person):  CA $325* ($243 US). Tour Cost for Guaranteed Single Accommodation: CA $6690* ($4990 US) *approximate.

Air fare not included but can be arranged.

Click right here to join us!

img_3780

 MEET YOU THERE! Allons-y!

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • More
  • Pocket
  • Print
  • Email

Filed Under: Blog, France, General Travel, Writing Tagged With: Cote D'Azur, France, Patricia Sands, Provence, The Promise of Provence, The Provence Post, travel, women's tour, Womens Travel Network

Friday fantasies in France

April 10, 2015 by Patricia Sands 12 Comments

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

St-Remy-de-Provence
St-Remy-de-Provence

Now here’s a great combination: support a worthwhile cause and have a chance on winning a magical week in a lovely villa in St-Remy-de Provence, plus additional goodies, FREE … not including airfare.

pool rental-provence-03

My friend, Julie Mautner has all the details on her latest issue of The Provence Post.  Click right here for all the links to this very worthwhile fundraiser. If you love to know what’s going on in Provence and don’t subscribe to Julie’s site, you should!

Each 10GBP donation (about $15.00) buys you one chance to win and you can enter as often as you like. All proceeds go directly to Busoga Trust’s water and sanitation projects in Uganda.

I’m going to buy my tickets right now. Good luck to you ~ bonne chance!

If you have a minute to relax right now, sit back and enjoy a visit to the beautiful hilltop village of Eze. Click right here for a photo essay of mine posted on the LLM website and it just might fuel some more of your travel fantasies.

Picture yourself strolling through this ancient archway …

1.DSC00381-768x1024

I’m deep in my writing den working on book #3 of the Love In Provence series,  but I always have time to indulge in fantasies about France. Just 15 more days before lift off for our summer stay over there. I’ll take you all along with me right here on the blog and also on Instagram. Will you keep me company? I hope so!

Bon weekend, tout le monde! As Ellen says, “Be kind to one another!”

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • More
  • Pocket
  • Print
  • Email

Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, France, General Travel, If it is France..., News, Social issues, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: Bosuga Trust, Eze, Julie Mautner, LLm Lifestyle, Love In Provence, Photo Essay, St-Remy-de-Provence, The Provence Post

Is paper dead?

January 10, 2014 by Patricia Sands Leave a Comment

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

I love surprises! Don’t you?canstockphoto3446146

Recently I was introduced to a great new page on Facebook ~

I LOVE PROVENCE ! Like many others, I developed a slight addiction to popping in each day to see what eye-candy photo had been posted. I was never disappointed because … well … if you love that part of the world, you just do!

PSandsPhotos
PSandsPhotos
PSandsPhotos
PSandsPhotos

This week I was invited to join the admin group of that page and have the opportunity to post my photos and chat about the south of France. Woohoo (it’s the same in French or English) ! Thanks so much!

Drop by whenever you crave un petit gout! I hope to see you there!

In reference to the heading here. Enjoy the following:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=V_gOZDWQj3Q%3Frel%3D0

If you can’t get enough of excellent information about what is happening in Provence, be sure to subscribe to my friend Julie Mautner’s fabulous The Provence Post.  In her words, “fresh, juicy, local”! It’s all that and more!

Have you seen this ad in North America? I haven’t but I wondered if it was in circulation here too. Paper is most definitely not dead!

Bon weekend, tout le monde!

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • More
  • Pocket
  • Print
  • Email

Filed Under: Blog, France, If it is France... Tagged With: I Love Provence, Julie Mautner, Patricia Sands, photography, Provence, south of France, television ad, The Promise of Provence, The Provence Post

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Join Me Here!

RSS
Facebook
Facebook
fb-share-icon
Twitter
Visit Us
Tweet
YouTube
Pinterest
Pinterest
fb-share-icon
LinkedIn
LinkedIn
Share
Instagram

Follow Me on BookBub

Follow Me on BookBub

Follow me on Amazon

Follow me on Amazon

Available from Amazon!

Available from Amazon!

Available Now!

Available Now!

Available from Amazon

Available from Amazon

Join me and 9 of your favourite women’s fiction authors

Join me and 9 of your favourite women’s fiction authors

The Good Life France Magazine

The Good Life France Magazine

Categories

Archives

Footer

Copyright Disclaimer

© 2020 by Patricia Sands. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to use short quotes provided a link back to this page and proper attribution is given to me as the original author. All photographs on this site are copyright of Patricia Sands

Follow Me!

RSS
Facebook
Facebook
fb-share-icon
Twitter
Visit Us
Tweet
YouTube
Pinterest
Pinterest
fb-share-icon
LinkedIn
LinkedIn
Share
Instagram
  • Privacy Policy

FTC DISCLOSURE

The Federal Trade Commission requires that I disclose any relationship I have between a product manufacturer or service provider when I write about a product or service. I may receive a small commission for purchases made via affiliate links on this site such as Amazon. The above does not affect my opinion of those products and services. I am committed to sharing the work of other authors with my friends and readers.

Copyright © 2023 By Patricia Sands · Theme created and maintained by Bakerview Consulting