St. Tropez, Côte d' Azur

Anything Goes!

By Stefanie Michaels

      St. Tropez's reputation precedes it. No matter what you might have heard about this amazing area--it's all true! Basically, anything goes! St. Tropez (pronounced 'san-tropay' by Europeans) is one of the world's most decadent wonders, sporting the best of restaurants, nightlife, beaches, shopping and beautiful people.

No one should miss visiting this famous (or, some might say, infamous!) locale, on the Southern Riviera, in their lifetime. Coastal cities such as Monte Carlo, Nice, Cannes and Marseille and further south to St. Tropez, make up the Côte d' Azur. The Côte d' Azur, meaning "Blue Coast", is wedged between Italy to the north, and Spain to the South. Made famous by world renowned actress, Bridgett Bardot in the 50's, its perfect weather and party atmosphere make St. Tropez a 'must do' destination getaway.

Fast Fact: Saint-Tropez's port, at the beginning of the twentieth century, was mainly used for shipping and fishing. By the end of WW II (1944), the port was destroyed then rebuilt. An ideal location for Paris artists, writers and actors to set up shop during the summer months, St. Tropez garnered its reputation by the 1950s, as an eclectic area.

I found myself in the middle of a champagne spray fest dancing on my table. As I looked around, most of the crowd was now dancing on tables, chairs and the bar. The champagne spray fest quickly turned into a "lick fest"...

Getting There:
There are a few ways to get to St. Tropez, other than your own private plane or yacht. It is a quick hour and a half hop from Paris by plane, into Nice. You can also take the TGV, the super speedy train, which takes you on a scenic ride through France. The TVG south, takes approximately 7 hours and will also drop you into Nice. Once there, rent a car in Nice and drive an additional 2 hours along the coast to St. Tropez. Prepare to make this a leisurely drive, stopping at quaint villages such as Eze and Cannes, for some local wine and cheese.

Once in St. Tropez...

Le Byblos is "The" place to stay. Built in the style of a Mediterranean village, celebrities, royalty, and the privileged commence at the Byblos, from May through the end of July, to socialize, party and enjoy the 'scenery'. The Byblos boasts an incredible pool area, two restaurants, a piano bar, shopping and a nightclub. Rooms range from $600 US upwards to more than $3,000 dollars, per night.

After I checked in, I marched myself over to the concierge, and inquired about what I should experience in my limited amount of time in St. Tropez. He quickly went over a list of incredible options:

• For seafarers, there is yachting, motorboats, water sports, sailboats, and catamarans with skipper, water-skiing, jet skiing, game and deep-sea fishing.
• For the sporty people, rafting, canyoning, go-carts, mountain bikes, four-wheel driving in the countryside, horse riding, golfing, and my personal favorite: Formula 1 or Formula 3 driving school, (how cool is that!)
• For those seeking culture, visit local cellars for wine tastings at the local châteaux and domains and take a gastronomic tour or a walking tour of the countryside in Provence.
• For fun, you can try: the treasure hunts which are put on by the hotel, "Petanque" on the square besides the hotel, picnicing on the islands around Saint-Tropez, or lunch at one of the restaurants on the private beaches of Saint-Tropez.

All that is great, but I just wanted to party! "But ov corsze!" he stated, "La Voile Rouge!"

La Voile Rouge Restaurant is something of a legend in St. Tropez. In fact, it is described as "a journey through extravagance." And that is an understatement!

There is a kind of 'schedule' to follow in St. Tropez. It goes like this: sleep in until around noon, then roll yourself out of bed and onto the beach or shop. At around 3 pm you can head over to La Voile Rouge for some mid afternoon play. When you get tired of that, you can head back to your hotel for a nap until 10:00 p.m., then it's out to dine with friends and party it up at Byblos' nightclub or Le Caves du Roy until 6 a.m.

La Volie Rouge is situated on the cusp of a gorgeous sandy beach, with beautiful turquoise surf. Its beautiful beach attracts topless sunbathers, models and some of the most beautiful people I have ever seen. I had gotten there early to meet Gaté, pronounced Gah-tay, the infamous host extraordinaire. He helps lead the party at La Voile Rouge. You have to go through him to 'get in'. You must have reservations to sit at the tables. Having a table is like gold. If you're lucky enough to know Gaté, he'll save you one, or you can hang out at the beach bar.

It's 3:00 p.m. and, by now, standing room only. The music is pumping and the drinks are flowing. By four o'clock people are coming in off the beach, and a fashion show begins on an elevated catwalk that runs down the middle of the restaurant (think Playmates meets Victoria's Secret, meets some of the hottest, half dressed men and women around!). The clothes come from local designers, and anything on a model can be purchased. I bought a dress right off one of the models, at which point she pleasurably stepped out of it and handed it over to me. There she was standing totally nude, collecting my money, in the midst of the crowd she was modeling for--and no one even blinked!

By 5:00 p.m. the place was hopping like nothing I had ever seen before. The dance music was turned full blast, and Gaté led a procession of waiters around the restaurant with bottles of champagne to be purchased for the "afternoon champagne fight". The crowd went crazy! I found myself in the middle of a champagne spray fest dancing on my table. As I looked around, most of the crowd was now dancing on tables, chairs and the bar. The champagne spray fest quickly turned into a "lick fest" with partygoers licking their "recently aquatinted" friends bellies, arms and...u-hem. Let's just say that if you were there at La Voile Rouge, everyone was your friend that day!

Two hours later, dripping with champagne, and battling with the thought of a flight out the next morning, it was time for me to bid au revoir to La Voile Rouge. Hands down, it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I left St. Tropez begrudgingly, with a vow to return next season.

If you visit St. Tropez, stop in at La Voile Rouge and make sure to look for the girl with the grandest of smiles, dripping with champagne, dancing on the tables. Yep, that would be me!