Friday, August 19
Today was the first time the Oosterdam has visited Saint-Raphael on the French Riviera, but it meant dropping anchor offshore and we had to use the tenders again. However from the ship we had a great view of the town and its beaches, and the beautiful bay we were in which had lots of speedboats, sailboats, kayaks and jet skis buzzing about on a sunny Friday.
We walked along the waterfront promenade, checking out the nice gardens and amusements along the way. The promenade was built in the late 1800s when Saint-Raphael was developed as a tourist destination, and although the beaches were either pebbly or coarse red sand they were very nice and the water quality was excellent.
Further development occurred in the early 1900s during the Art Nouveau period, so we passed some lovely Belle Époque buildings. As well as apartments and hotels, the Notre-Dame Basilica was also built during this period. As we headed for the old town, the lure of the patisseries got to us so we enjoyed a delicious cake and coffee - the French do desserts so well!
The old town was quite small, but it contained a hidden gem. The 12th Century Romanesque church had the Archaeological Museum attached to it, but this one contained lots of items recovered from the sea dating back to Roman times and it was very well presented. Inside the old church you could visit the crypts and the old foundations, as well as climb the 22m tower to get great views from the top. It was worth the effort!
We returned to the beach for a swim, and it was very refreshing as well as relaxing. Saint-Raphael had a really nice feel about it, and is obviously a very popular destination for the French and others to have a beach holiday. We certainly enjoyed our time here.
Today was the first time the Oosterdam has visited Saint-Raphael on the French Riviera, but it meant dropping anchor offshore and we had to use the tenders again. However from the ship we had a great view of the town and its beaches, and the beautiful bay we were in which had lots of speedboats, sailboats, kayaks and jet skis buzzing about on a sunny Friday.
We walked along the waterfront promenade, checking out the nice gardens and amusements along the way. The promenade was built in the late 1800s when Saint-Raphael was developed as a tourist destination, and although the beaches were either pebbly or coarse red sand they were very nice and the water quality was excellent.
Further development occurred in the early 1900s during the Art Nouveau period, so we passed some lovely Belle Époque buildings. As well as apartments and hotels, the Notre-Dame Basilica was also built during this period. As we headed for the old town, the lure of the patisseries got to us so we enjoyed a delicious cake and coffee - the French do desserts so well!
The old town was quite small, but it contained a hidden gem. The 12th Century Romanesque church had the Archaeological Museum attached to it, but this one contained lots of items recovered from the sea dating back to Roman times and it was very well presented. Inside the old church you could visit the crypts and the old foundations, as well as climb the 22m tower to get great views from the top. It was worth the effort!
We returned to the beach for a swim, and it was very refreshing as well as relaxing. Saint-Raphael had a really nice feel about it, and is obviously a very popular destination for the French and others to have a beach holiday. We certainly enjoyed our time here.
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