Antibes

Antibes is a wonderful town half way between Nice and Cannes. Alot actually goes on there. It is where Steve swims on his lunch break, has an old village, a Picasso museum, a wonderful market, good shops and restaurants, an old fort, and a major harbor with some very big yachts in it. The beaches are some of the better beaches on the coast, right after those in Mandelieu. In the old town there are some ramparts left over from the 16th century that run right along the shore. We had fun there one time in the winter watches the waves crash into the rocks below. That is, until one very large wave came along and the spray shot straight up into the air until it got up to our height. Then the wind grabbed it and blew it right into our faces. We got back in the car.

Antibes was first settled by the Greeks in the 4th century B.C. who had come over from the settlement in Marseille. They named it Antipolis. It was taken over by the Romans, and then later the Grimaldi family who ruled it until 1608. That is the same Grimaldi family that still runs Monaco, better known as Prince Ranier and his family. Because it was in a strategic position between old France and Savoy, it was fortified in the 17th and 18th centuries, which account for the ramparts we see today. But most of the fortifications were torn down in 1894 to allow the city to grow. And grow it has.

Here Connor and Patti enjoy an outdoor cafe in Antibes.

This is Fort Carré, which is unfortunately not open to the public. It was first constructed in 1388 and has undergone many changes since. It is shaped like a 4-pointed star and I am told offers great views, but since it's closed to the public we will never know. It has been used as a military barracks up until 1967. Now, it is undergoing much restoration.

Did I mention that the beaches in Antibes were exceptional ? Look at those large....    tracts of sand !

Here is Steve looking over the ramparts outside the Picasso museum. That's not a Picasso on the wall. Steve was probably looking at the sight from the previous picture.

Here is Steve, Patti, and our friend Anne from Belgium going through the Provençal market.

Here is a better shot of what the inside of the market looks like.

Here are a few pictures from just walking around the old part of Antibes.

Last update Thu Oct 3, 2002 00:52 CET