GREAT DESTINATIONS ❘ ROUTE DES VACANCES


“THE N7 SLIPS BEHIND THE ROW OF GRAND HOTELS IN CANNES, WITH TANTALISING GLIMPSES OF AZURE WATER AND PARASOLS”


contrast from the climb. With an open aspect before me, the road twists and turns beneath a canopy of cork oaks, their trunks skinned and bare. Houses thrust upwards out of the woods on any surface that isn’t true-vertical. At L’Escaillon I am rewarded with my fi rst sight of the sea – a view of the bay at Cannes and the Îles de Lérins. It’s an exciting moment before my descent to sea level. The N7 (now the D6007) slips behind the row of grand hotels in Cannes au bord de la mer, with tantalising glimpses of azure water and parasols. It’s not until the route has bypassed Cap de la Croisette that it reaches the sea for an all-too-brief rendez-vous at Golfe-Juan before it darts inland again to cut through Antibes.


Sainte-Victoire, a Grand Site de France, shines silver in the sunshine, protruding sharply from rows of Côtes de Provence vines.


From top: Quiet beaches in Golfe-Juan – the town is


known historically as the place where Napoleon Bonaparte came ashore on his return from exile from the island of Elba; the N7 through the Massif de l’Estérel with Mont Vinaigre in the distance;


Pavillon Vendôme, one of the cultural masterpieces to see


in Aix-en-Provence; Menton, a burst of citrus vibrancy at the end of a long journey


Wild iris and manicured lavender fi elds offer Provençal hues on the way to Fréjus and the fi rst possible dip in the sea. I resist, eager for the wildest, most mountainous – and arguably prettiest – section of the N7, through the Massif de l’Estérel. Immediately to the east of Fréjus’ suburbs, climb upwards into the Forêt communale de Fréjus, where the rugged landscape continues to the Col du Testanier, the highest point on the N7 within the massif. From here, pause to take in the immense views over to Mont Vinaigre, the highest peak in the Estérel. Hiking boots laced, dusty red tracks draw me into the forest for a walk amid holm oaks, umbrella pines, strawberry trees, and explosions of perfumed wild lavender. A large lizard scurries beneath a rock, dipping momentarily out of warmth of the spring sunshine, while I pause for a sandwich with a view. The N7’s descent to Mandelieu-la-Napoule is a marked


THE GLITTERING COAST Lured by the sparkling water, I divert onto the coast road at Juan-les-Pins to Cagnes-sur-Mer and Nice. Here, the N7 (now the M6077) becomes a three-lane Voie Rapide above the city rooftops. To the east of Nice, it climbs the Moyenne Corniche, a road that provides lavish views of the coastal beauties of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Villefranche-sur-Mer, of Èze, Monaco and Cap-Martin. Then, suddenly, with the local école discharging its


fl ock into the thronging streets, Roquebrune-Cap- Martin becomes Menton. With almost 1,000km on the clock, the vibrant colours of France’s border town are like a refreshing citrus burst. As I climb above the dome of the basilica to Cimetière du Vieux Château for the best view in town, residents are returning home after their day’s work. A group of school children let off steam in the Baroque courtyard of the basilica. Counting in Italian, eyes squeezed tight, their faces are pressed to the church walls as friends hide: uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, sette. Yes, I thought, number seven. What a road trip. What a fi nale. Boum! FT


40 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Aug/Sep 2022


IMAGES © CAROLINE MILLS, C. MARCHAND/ CRT-PROVENCE-ALPES-CÔTE D’AZUR, A. MOUTON/ CRT-PROVENCE-ALPES-CÔTE D’AZUR


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