Travel Log: Saint-Tropez, France

Hello and happy hump day!  I have a couple more installments in my French vacation travel series, and today I want to share photos with you of our afternoon in Saint-Tropez.  Saint-Tropez is one of the most well-known cities in the French Riviera, due to being a resort town, filming location (the 1956 movie "And Got Created Woman" starring Brigitte Bardot in 1956 started the trend), and destination of the rich and famous.  The drive into Saint-Tropez took about one and a half hours, but most of that time was working our way into downtown via the two-lane road through Saint-Maxime after exiting the A8.  I heard that it can take up to four hours to cover this stretch in the summer due to the volume of vehicles!  We weren't in any hurry (vacation mode meant leaving the hotel around 11am) and it was a gorgeous day, so we didn't mind the drive.  However, if you are worried about time I would definitely recommend leaving early.  There is not a train stop in Saint-Tropez, but you could could take a train to the nearby stop in Saint-Raphael and then get into Saint-Tropez by either a bus or boat. 

Tanks: Wilfred via Aritzia and Express (old), similar "Vintage Cotton Tank" in bright blush, $24.50 at J Crew here and "Best Loved Bra Cami" in true white, $19.90 at Express here

Shorts: Nordstrom Rack (old), similar "3-inch Chino Short" in white, $45 at J Crew here

Sandals: DV by Dolce Vita "Faroe" sandal in natural, $29.90 at 6pm.com here

Crossbody Satchel: Dooney & Bourke (old), similar "The Sketchbook Bag" in carrot cake, $138 at Madewell here

Sunglasses: Kate Spade "Lulu" in tortoise gold/brown gradient, $82.04 (41% off!) at Amazon here

Let's start with the view of the old port.  After parking in the main public parking lot, we walked past yachts of varying sizes into the Vieux Port.  This is a great spot to stroll, check out the boats, and people watch.  You will also see many artists selling their paintings of this beautiful city.

 We walked along the Vieux Port checking out food on tables of the restaurants in order to choose a spot for lunch.  We settled on a restaurant called La Jetee, and were so pleased with our choice.  We shared a pork rillette, salade nicoise, and an amazing carbonara.  Just looking at the photos again makes me want to fly back to repeat that lunch!

Of course, we also enjoyed a bottle of local white wine.  All of the restaurants used these thick plastic bags filled with ice and water to keep the wine bottles cool, something I have not seen at home in Seattle.  It's an inexpensive and effective way to chill wine outdoors - and perfect for this climate.

There are many gorgeous views around Saint-Tropez, and some examples are below.  There are the boats on the water, the narrow city streets, the fabulous boutiques (hello Dior House!), and the view from the old citadel at the top of the town.

We had such a wonderful afternoon in Saint-Tropez!  I loved our entire trip, but Saint-Tropez ended up being one of my favorite stops.  I hope you enjoyed these photos and that you find the opportunity the visit this part of the world.  I just have two more cities to share with you: our home base of Nice and our last one and a half days in Paris.

Stay tuned for a giveaway on Friday!  My birthday is coming up on Saturday-this year I'm turning 31 (gasp!) and wanted to celebrate with a fun giveaway to you, my wonderful readers.  Thank you all so much for your comments and support, and be sure to check back on Friday for the details.  I hope you are having a fabulous week!