A lot of people would have heard of Cannes and Antibes in the south of France. Actually, the whole coastline along that area is a holiday destination for Europeans in the summer. The vivid blue, sparkling water of the Mediterranean sea and the coastal aspect brings a relief from the heat. The area is littered with large pleasure crafts in the water, buzzy alfresco restaurants and crowded beaches. The day time temperatures in August are unpleasantly hot. The mornings are pleasant and the temperature drops as the light fades at the end of the day making an evening stroll an absolute pleasure.

The landscape in this region is drier and more rocky than other parts of France. It more closely resembles Australia.

The old city of Antibes is quite crowded with tourists in August. There are lots of small alleyways and quaint shops. The wait staff in the restaurants swap effortlessly into English to cater for the English speaking tourists.

Due to the love of dogs in Europe, many European cities smell of piss. It’s unfortunate as the stench mars a lovely visit. Perhaps more greenery in some of these old towns would help both with cooling the place in the summer and give the dogs (and maybe the men) somewhere more absorbent to relieve themselves! France has been a country where there are no free public toilets. This, I suspect, results in many of the male population relieving themselves for free where they can.

The beaches here are so much more crowded than Australian beaches. The quality of the beaches are also inferior to many Australian beaches as the sea floor is quite rocky and the sand is not as pale and fine. Nevertheless, it is so hot that everyone heads to the beach to cool off!

Whilst this area is beautiful, my strong recommendation is to avoid this region in August. It is too hot, crowded and expensive.