Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Asian chicks hit St. Tropez!

I know! Tell me about it. One of the best places that I have ever been is the land of the rich and famous, St. Tropez. It is located along the French Riviera in southern France. Legend says that the name St. Tropez came from a martyr, St. Torpes who refused to give up his faith and because of it, he was beheaded and his body was thrown into a boat, which drifted to what is now called Golfe de St. Tropez, where he finally came to shore.


We drove down here from an 8 hour drive from Paris. The view was breathtaking and the traffic was well, there was none. In Europe, drivers can go as fast as 150km/hour. But if your car can go faster, then let it fly. Unfortunately, we were not using a sports car so my need for speed was not completely satisfied. Our good friends from Switzerland, Fernando and his gang were kind enough to drive us around Europe and we were very lucky to have had them because they were able to get a 5 star resort hotel for us to stay at for a very cheap rate of 112 Euros/night. The rooms had a kitchen, living room, dining room, lanai, storage room and a very spacious bathroom.

The resort has a huge pool with woven sun loungers (probably made from the Philippines). Even if it was a bit chilly in the evenings, I still had to take dip because it was too beautiful to resist.


The weather was perfect. The restaurants and clubs were filled with people from all over the world. We saw a big bunch of Norwegians in one club and lots of Mexicans in another. Italians were also present as well as the French from nearby cities. But one thing Steffie and I did not see much of are Asians. And that's where the party starts. Steffie and I stood out and it was funny how much attention we got from these people.


In this bar that we went to, Chez Maggie, I received roses from one guy, drinks from another and this other guy and his friends wanted to have photos taken with ME! They even asked if they could kiss me on the cheek. It was hilarious but fun. It was my moment of celebrity life.

The next day, when we decided to have lunch in this super expensive restaurant which had reminded me a lot of the Philippines because of the furniture they had used. I felt so proud even if I wasn't 100% sure but I truly believe that the lounge chairs are made by Budji Layug or from someone that does the same thing.




After lunch, we headed down to the beach to catch some sun. The water was blue and the sand was fine but in my book, the beach of Boracay is still the winner.


I think that my whole European tour would not have been as great if we missed going to this wonderful city. So if I were you, please make St. Tropez your next destination. If you do decide to follow my advice, aside from your bathing suit, don't forget to pack your evening attire because people here know how to party. You may also just buy your clothes from the many shops that have super great but expensive things! Just to give you an idea, a big bottle of mineral water cost me 18 Euros (P1,160). Imagine that. Anyway, they have just about everything one can need in a place like this but it would be best if you buy them all from the grocery where that bottled water would have only cost me 1 Euro (P65).

Also, it is best to buy them from their version of a tiangge (street market). Opens at 9 am and closes at around 9 pm. Best time to go would be May to June and September. If you need a tour guide, please send me a message and we can discuss my fee and requirements. I will make sure you get to be a celebrity too, at least for 1 night.