As I mentioned in my previous blog, many, many years ago, somewhere back in the Dark Ages, myself and a friend took ourselves off on a coach to a campsite in Port Grimaud. Les Prairies de la Mer was it's name. We had booked a week's holiday in a mobile home intending to find work during that week and stay for the season. Well, after the week was over, my friend decided it wasn't for her, she was missing her new boyfriend, so she decided to take the coach back to the UK leaving me behind. I had given up a job with the local housing department and couldn't go back after a week for goodness sake. I remember waving her off feeling very lonely and apprehensive - what did I do now? I had to leave the mobile home we had paid for and find somewhere to live, find work to earn some money and make some friends. Somehow, I did manage to do all of this, and still have some of those friends today. Prairies became my summer home for the next three years, so you see, it is a very special place to me.
Well, the mobile home my friend and I stayed in all those years ago was beyond basic in comparison to those available today. It was large but spartan, colourless, with just a toilet and handbasin - no shower, we had to use the campsite shower blocks for that. Today, if you don't have a shower you're in a tent. In addition, you can get air conditioning (most welcome as tin boxes, however luxurious, become sweltering in the summer sun of the Rivieria), flat-screen TV's, fridge-freezer's, en-suite shower-rooms and chic furnishings.
BJ Riviera Holidays are one of the longest-standing holiday companies who operate on Les Prairies de la Mer. They were there when I was and had just been taken over by a couple from the UK. The company is still in the same family but is now run by their son who was brought up in the area and in the business. I can think of few people more qualified to run this type of business, and few who know Port Grimaud and the surrounding area better. If you were recruiting someone to run this business, your list of requirements would describe their son perfectly.
BJ Riviera's mobile homes are second-to none and an immense pride is taken with their presentation. They are immaculate and feature a wide choice of models to suit all families and all budgets. On arrival at their office near to the main-road entrance of Les Prairies de la Mer (as opposed to the Main Entrance - opposite the entrance to Port Grimaud itself), you will be given a warm welcome by one of the team - all of whom speak English. You will be shown to your accommodation (there are shady or sunny pitches, some near to the beach and most around 200-250m from the water), and given all the information about your holiday home and the campsite. If you need any assistance or information during your stay, the team will be only too happy to help.
Les Prairies de la Mer is one of the most popular campsites in the Riviera being situated on the large sandy beach of Port Grimaud, and just a short stroll from Port Grimaud itself. Port Grimaud is a manufactured town conceived in the 1960's by Francois Spoerry - a renowned architect. 'Manufactured' might give the wrong impression though - it conjurs up visions of concrete and souless streets, but this is very wide of the mark for Port Grimaud. Port Grimaud is a triumph. Built on a series of waterways, there is very little traffic, the houses are colourful and charming, and the main square is a very pleasant place to while away an hour or two, even joining in with a game of boules if you can muster up the energy. You can hire a small motor boat to explore the waterways at your leisure, or you can take a waterbus trip. There are also ferries to take you across the glittering Golfe de St Tropez and into that most famous of Riviera towns - St Tropez, where you can oggle at the enormous gin-palace yachts moored at the quay, totally overshadowing the buildings along the quayside. Sitting here you can people-watch to your hearts content whilst sipping a cooling glass of local Rose. Artists dot the quay taking advantage of the light so valued by artists such as Matisse who stayed here. The shopping is exclusive, catering to the yacht passengers, but you can also find some reasonably priced little shops, bars and restaurants tucked away in the maze of backstreets. You might see a couple of old Tropeziennes indulging in a game of chess along the harbour, or the trawlers bringing in their daily catch if you are up early enough. St Tropez is still very much a working port, although in the summer months tourism is by far the biggest industry and the town gets stiflingly busy. The road out of town and back to Port Grimaud could take you hours - so I would strongly recommend the ferry option. Don't come to St Tropez with your beach gear though, as the renowned Pampelonne Beach - a 3 mile stretch of soft sand - lies a few miles out of town.
I'd like to compile a listing of top ten favourite eateries in Port Grimaud, Grimaud and St Tropez in all price ranges. If you have any tips, I'd love to hear from you - just include the name and location of the restaurant, a set price menu price if applicable, or alternatively an average 3 course meal cost, suitability for children, and details on ambience, staff etc.
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