Happy Anniversary To Us!

 

As of today, February 11, 2021, it’s been 10 years since Experience The French Riviera first began and just over a week from when Gay French Riviera also started!

What started as a small idea to help those traveling to France from North America has grown exponentially to now serving people from every part of the world!

The six months before Experience The French Riviera initially started, in observance at the time, I had noticed some local key elements missing in what visitors were looking for in planning a trip to the French Riviera, and so after speaking with some close friends about some ideas I had in mind, the steps were taken for the journey to begin.

What really got the ball rolling was some friends who owned a villa in the perfume capital of Grasse and had been using the usual platforms at the time to try and get bookings for their holiday rental. A bit disappointed in how it was all working with those online platforms, they wanted more of a human touch.

This is when the importance of building a network came into place. Utilizing social media along with speaking with new and old friends, by word of mouth I managed to quickly book up their villa for the whole season.

They in turn told their friends about my more hands-on approach to help with their villa rental, who in turn told their friends and so on and so on...to the point we now have over 200 villa rentals throughout France and in neighboring countries such as Spain, Italy and Greece to where we expanded to The Villa.

To combine my initial ideas surrounding villa rentals, I thought it was important that a shared economy network also be set up and now it’s to the point we have now exceeded easily over 60 legal partnerships.

To be honest, the first couple of years were tricky learning how to navigate the bureaucratic system and getting people used to an idea of sharing work to benefit each other was no easy task but now as the years have moved forward, with many lessons learned, even during these Covid19 pandemic times, things seem to be have gone tremendously well so we continue to feel positive for the future.

Some of the key lessons learned is to stay focused, always move forward and be consistent and open to new ideas, take risks, don’t be afraid to meet as many people as you never know who will open a new door for you. It’s always important to expect change and to evolve in any circumstance.

Even though my small team and I feel we have a wealth of information and an extensive network of business partnerships in most any field imaginable. You cannot stop learning and growing.

If it’s tickets to a VIP event, private car service, charter jet and helicopter bookings, wedding and event planning, tours, yacht charters, hand-holding immigration services, holiday and long-term villa rentals, luxury real estate sales...whatever you require, including in the LGBTQ community, we can help you acquire. We have definitely seen and heard it all which makes every day different and most enjoyable.

From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of my team, thank you for all the ongoing support throughout the years and here’s to many more in the future!

Saint-Tropez Living

 

For some reason it seems a bit strange to be writing about Saint-Tropez in January as that’s the time of year the area goes back to the locals in a sense but it is a beautiful place to visit in any given season.

Living near Monaco, it can be tricky for me to get the opportunity to visit Saint-Tropez and the area as often as I would like, also because of my busy work schedule but it is one of those must visit places if you have never been.

If it is your first time traveling to Saint-Tropez, it should be noted that trains do not go into Saint-Tropez itself, however, you can take the train to Saint-Raphael train station, and from the Saint-Raphaël bus station (right behind the train station) where there are regular buses (more frequently in the summer) to the Saint-Tropez bus station which can take 1 1/4 hours (depending on traffic).

Alternatively, in the summer months there are ferries that can take you from places such as Nice, Golfe-Juan and Cannes to Saint-Tropez daily. Those trips can take at least two hours so plan ahead but it is a spectacular way of seeing the coastline with its varying colors and landscapes, you might even see dolphins.

If you are driving, also factor in your time. There is only a two-lane stretch to get right into Saint Tropez and at the height of the season, traffic can be a nightmare.

Saint-Tropez has a very long history and was a military stronghold and fishing village until the beginning of the 20th century, it was and still is to an extent a small town but surrounded by lush greenery in the hills.

It was also the first town on the coast of France to be liberated during World War II. After the war, it slowly became an internationally known seaside resort, renowned principally because of the influx of actors such as Brigitte Bardot (who still lives in the area) and Alain Delon amongst many others. Its laid back summer lifestyle helped make it became a resort for the European and North American jet set and tourists.

To this day St.Tropez is still a very much sought-after place. When the Covid19 restrictions were slowly being lifted after the first lock down here in France during the Springtime, it was the first area getting booked out by the nationals looking for a summer villa retreat through our own luxury villa rental business experience, with a stream of people from other countries clamoring to get there but couldn’t because of borders being closed.

To purchase a property there is also a great investment given the heated rental season.
But I digress...

The local beaches in the Saint-Tropez and Ramatuelle area are also a huge draw for everyone. Compared to other seaside places in the region, here places like Pampelonne and Tahiti beach offer miles of sand with the clear blue waves of the Mediterranean Sea enticing you in for a swim.

The beach restaurants are the places to see and be seen in the summer months and if yachting is your thing, here you will see yachts of every brand, make and model on show.

The town of Saint-Tropez is a highly regarded tourist destination. The colorful buildings at the edge of the sea are quaint and offer much charm. The port itself was once a very commercial destination but now is more of a place for tourists and for those with yachts to moor while they decide on their next destination or enjoy the local amenities.

Saint-Tropez is also an artist's haven because of the history and ever-inspiring natural beauty. Here you can step into an abundant choice of artist galleries to suit everyone’s tastes. Speaking of tastes, the town has an amazing selection of top-notch restaurants for your culinary delight.

Known for its glam component, for all you fashion fiends, if it is luxury goods you are after, every imaginable, highly regarded designer shop can be found here for you to discover and often behind the gates of magnificent mansions: Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel, Hermès, to name a few.

As for the nightlife, that is also ever-changing seasonally with the parties being all night events, filled with hedonism and eye candy, although there is no gay-scene per se, the area does attract those internationally from the LGBT community so if you play your cards right, a party can be had.

Overall, whether you want to relax and retreat or have a most enjoyable and entertaining time, Saint Tropez can’t be beat.

Christmas In The French Riviera

Winter in the French Riviera overall is a more subdued time of year but still very pleasant when compared to how quickly things are moving here in the summer months with everyone trying to take in as much of the atmosphere and scenery as possible, especially if they are on vacation.

So, what is the Christmas season like? Well, it depends on what you are doing, if you live here or are on holiday, we still get a tremendous amount of sunshine during the winter season and there is always something to see and do in the Cote d’Azur.

Pre-Covid19 times it can feel very much like anywhere else, except there is no snow and if it does happen to snow, it melts right away. To experience the snow you would have to go into the back country at the French Alps, depending on where you are it could be as close as an hour drive away and where you can take in all kinds of activities like skiing or skating in the mountainous villages.

By the sea, all the small towns and cities during Christmas still go very grand and bold when it comes to colorful light displays which are quite beautiful to see when walking through the streets at night. Even the palm trees are lit up.

And many areas have Christmas markets set up, even this year with the pandemic going on you will find them in places like Monaco, Cannes and Antibes, just a bit smaller in size right now for safety reasons concerning gatherings of people.

People also love their Ferris Wheel rides here, which are also lit up at night and give a wonderful perspective from above of the city you are in during the season.

During normal times, the LGBTQ night clubs are open and celebrating with a festive cheer, bars and restaurants would also be open so this gives people both visiting and that live in the region a chance to have a holiday drink with each other. New Year's Eve has also become a much bigger celebration as time passes to ring in the year.

Traditionally for the season itself, Christmas Eve is the big night in which everyone gathers with friends and family most of which includes quite a gathering of gourmet food items, drinks and desserts along with swapping presents.

Christmas Day is still set for the children but it’s also a quieter time where people will visit with other or take leisurely walks along the beach, go for hikes in the mountains or just relax at home.

Of course, with the Coronavirus, that has all changed this year, especially with curfews and restrictions in place. A drastic change for many but in other ways it’s also a chance to perhaps reflect and start new traditions with one another and be very grateful for all our day-to-day blessings.

Whatever you are doing this Christmas, make it a good one and stay safe.

LGBTQ+ Real Estate in France

 

The world is an ever-changing place when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community these days. With widespread tolerance, acceptance and even a warm welcome now being the norm in many parts of the world you wouldn’t think there could be any more issues to tackle. Yet, there are still some basic human rights that unfortunately still need to be addressed when it comes to equality for individuals.

The real estate industry has thankfully been coming to grips with these changes over the decades and is now seen in a much more positive light.

No longer are we as a LGBTQ+ community made to feel confined to live in a certain part of a city or hometown. For quite some time now we have been able to freely pick and choose where and how we want to live.

In fact, it’s not uncommon to hear the term ‘pink dollar’ when it comes to LGBTQ+ finances.

Many of us are well educated professionals wishing to initially invest or expand our property portfolio. In addition, for a segment of the LGBTQ+ population, where and how we invest is important. Our propensity to be more community minded means we are usually doing this not only for ourselves, but also for those around us.

Much of it comes from a basic understanding built through business relationships. However, this is not yet completely commonplace within global real estate agencies so my business partner, Rhodri Ellis Owen, and I, Jameson Farn, wanted to do our part.

We want to show there is a more open-minded way of renting, selling or buying a property.

Our obsession with real estate in France and globally goes way back. If what you are searching for is very rare, or you're looking for your future forever home or simply wish to expand your property portfolio, we love nothing more than taking on the challenge with our private, extensive network to hand.

We have developed over the past number of years a very dynamic and diverse team of business partnerships in the global real estate industry. We work with those who are not only hard-working, but also considerate and professional in their approach.

This has also been beneficial when it comes to owners wanting to sell a property.

We are known for respectfully listening, observing and giving honest feedback on an owner’s property and to learn more about what their intentions might be for it. By doing this, progress is much quicker and smoother for everyone involved, whether an owner wishes for the property to be sold publicly or privately off market.

Despite a lot of progress to date, there unfortunately continues to be gaps in gender, ethnicity and socio-economic equality, along with LGBTQ+ awareness.

On a more uplifting note, it’s clear progress has been made in all these areas in recent years and is something we simply wish to maintain for the benefit of everyone long term.

Feel free to connect with us for your property request for not only France but globally at: Info@experiencethefrenchriviera.com