MENTON MELDS

BEST OF FRENCH RIVIERA

By J. Middleton

French Riviera, Côte d’Azur – a mere mention conjures either fantasies or memories. On the fantasy side of the ledger, even blue skies can’t set th. 

Mega yachts with a white-linen-clad crowd on deck (people who are likely trying just a tad too hard). Or maybe an equally elegant lapping of the Med on the wide, soft-sand beaches – equally populated by bikini-clad women and burpees-addicted men. Maybe it’s the thrill of the chase that comes to mind, as the impossibly fast and incredibly engineered Formula 1 cars throw themselves through the tight curves in Monaco. 

Or maybe … just maybe … you need a McDonalds. (We’ll come back to this in a bit.)

Moving west to east, France’s uncanny luck for natural beauty stretches from Marseilles to Menton along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Let’s focus on the ‘end’ of that well-worn route of discovery, beauty, charm and fascination: Menton. 

Menton’s embarcadère curves along the waterline on one side, offering a view of the southern Alps on the other. This last stop on the French Riviera has some truly unique features – some natural, others consequential.  For good reason, Menton is known as “the pearl of France.”

“Menton offers a slightly different take from other spots along the Côte d’Azur.”

There’s a microclimate here that provides 316 days of sunshine every year. The temperature tends to be warmer, on the daily, by a few degrees Celsius. 

After the Great War, soldiers were sent here to recuperate, or in the cases of many thousands, to die. The cemetery at the top of the hill speaks to this legacy, while offering stunning views and photo ops using your camera’s 360-degree function. 

Back at sea level, Menton offers a slightly different take from other spots along the Côte d’Azur. Again, moving west to east, Menton is less industrial as Marseilles. It’s less cosmopolitan (and crowded) than Nice. It’s far less oversold than Cannes. And it is not as flashy as Monaco. 

However, it’s near enough to the latter two locales that it’s easily reached by car, rail or ferry. That geography offers perfect day-trip opps, with Menton guaranteeing a calmer, warmer, welcoming respite. 

Menton offers a fairly standard fare when it comes to zones/areas of the city. There’s the Enlightenment-era architecture and mercantile center that many European cities (of all sizes) offer. There’s a towering church/castle/monument. (In Menton’s case, it’s a church tower.)

“a rogue wave slammed the rocks, water rising high, and … sploosh.”

The marina is smaller, but well populated. It offers day trips, fishing trips, and coastline tours, as well as safe harbor for anyone interested in sailing over for a long weekend. 

Also, just up the coast from the marina, is the Jean Cocteau museum and sculpture garden that is well worth any amount of time one can spend perusing - or even glancing.

Accommodations range from 4-star hotels to incredibly affordable, charming and well-located short-term rentals (Airbnb, etc). The local art scene is alive, but provincial. If a memory-inducing keepsake is in your plans, the options range from seaside watercolors to more serious, but localized, modern sketches and brushworks.

As we toured, explored and wandered through Menton (with an 8-year-old). That is, children can become somewhat overwhelmed, even unsettled, when bombarded with new sights, sounds and surroundings. 

On an early-day excursion, the child and I went to the levee, just past the marina, to snap some pics of the flags and sails. With backs turned to the ocean (trust me, I know this was a mistake, but it was early, ok?) a rogue wave slammed the rocks, water rising high, and … sploosh.

Post-drenching,  we stood a moment, dripping into our sandals, and glanced across the embarcadere toward the square where soon a daily farmer’s market would begin. A couple blocks up from that desto was a McDonald’s. 

It was open, dry, warm and welcoming. It also provided a sense of normalcy for a young person in a recent-weeks’ world of newness. After the friendly offer of a towel or two, we sopped off the water, ordered a breakfast sammie … and just sat for a few minutes. 

With batteries recharged, we duly charged into the farmer’s market, exploring the abundant produce and seafood (fresh eels, anyone?). We took selfies with all the dogs and even stumbled into some sort of costume-friendly party that was not only mobile, but was … filled with a tank of boozy enthusiasm.

Menton is akin to taking the best patchwork of other French Riviera sites – glamor, fashion, pace, culture, history, dining, lodging – and loosely stitching them together. 

In a way, if a rogue rain shower crosses the Med and washes over Menton, then this patchwork is tossed into a dryer at the laundrette where it shrinks. All the best elements remain, but in a more manageable, beautiful and even serene place. 

Perhaps the McDonalds isn’t a go-to, but Menton as a destination definitely should be – for the well-traveled and for those new to the XXXX of the French Riviera.

–30–

PS / Ventimiglia, just across the border into Italy, is a marvelous side trip as well. Should one fall in love with this region (as this writer has), the home prices and taxes are a tad better on the Italian side of that border.

PPS / If you enjoy a good noirish caper that has less violence, more humor and definite charm, check out ‘The Good Thief’ with Nick Nolte and some then-rising stars, as well. The heist is in Monaco, but the escape happens at the French/Italian border between Menton and Ventimiglia.