Saint Tropez, Cote d'Azur

After an hour of travelling from Toulon-Hyères airport, I arrived in the once sleepy fishing village of Saint Tropez. Located on a headland with narrow cobblestone streets, Saint Tropez came to prominence in the second half of the 20th century with an influx of artists and later wealthy socialites. Today it continues to draw wealthy visitors and tourists.

Saint Tropez was named after Saint Torpes of Pisa, the patron saint of sailors. Torpes was once a gladiator or knight, it's not clear which one but he was in the service of Emperor Nero. He turned to Christianity and when he refused to denounce it, the Emperor had him decapitated. His head was tossed in the Arno river and his body along with a rooster and dog were placed in a boat and sent out to sea. According to legend the boat landed in Saint Tropez near the current sailors' cemetery. Found by a holy woman, the town was named in his honour. The rooster and dog fled and both had towns named after them – Cogolin and Grimaud.

The town is often considered as one of three starting points of Côte d'Azur – the literal translation is Azure Coast. In English we refer to it as the French Riviera. The Riviera runs the length of the southeast corner of France through the well-known towns of Cannes and Nice, the city-state Monaco and ending in Menton right at the border of France and Italy.

The term Côte d'Azur was coined in 1887 by poet and writer, Stéphen Liégeard when he wrote of his experience on the French Riviera describing the beautiful area and the deep azure colour of the sea. The book titled La Côte d'Azur was printed in 1888. Said to have been one of his greatest writings, Liégeard was awarded a Bordin Prize issued by the French Academy of Sciences.

At the foothill of Saint Tropez's harbour pier is Tour Portalot, a 15th century tower that was built along with three others to fortify the town and protect its coast and port. Taking the stairs to the top of the tower, I am enchanted by the expansive views of the sea, as far as the eyes can see. The tower overlooks the Gulf of Saint Tropez, busy with ferries and pleasure boats cruising in and out of the harbour.

To the west of the tower up on a hill is the 17th century citadel. Built in a hexagonal shape with three turrets and several cannons, the citadel can only be accessed via a drawbridge. With its prime position on a hill, the citadel together with the towers built in the port, protected the town and the coastline for nearly two centuries. When the citadel couldn't withstand the strength of modern artillery shells its protective and strategic role diminished and fell into disuse. Following extensive renovations the citadel was opened as a maritime museum. Its rooftop terrace provides sweeping aerial views of the town and Mediterranean Sea.

Before I departed Saint Tropez, I took a short stroll to La Tarte Tropezienne Restaurant to check out its famous pastry of the same name. When Alexandre Micka, a young Polish baker, created a dessert using his grandmother's recipe in the 1950s, he could not have imagined how iconic the dessert would become in Southern France. The dessert rose to fame when Brigitte Bardot, in town to film a movie, was introduced to the delectable pastry and is said to have fallen in love with it. Brigitte suggested that the dessert be named after the town and as Brigitte grew in popularity so did the dessert. The pastry name was eventually trademarked and many stores were opened across Southern France.

An uncomplicated dessert the original version was made up of traditional French brioche that was split in half, filled with a vanilla and lemon cream, and topped with hard sugar crystals. Today the dessert is available in different shapes and sizes and occasionally with strawberries. More than 65 years later the cream filling remains a closely guarded secret and continues to be made with traditional methods.

A new challenge with much better scenery than the Route 66! I'm traveling with my friend who also went to London with me.