WHERE LIFE IS A PARADE
Impressions of the Côte d’Azur
by Christine K. Zarb
 There are places on the Côte d’Azur you never imagined how glamorous they could be. Never have I seen such huge boats anchored in the marinas, or so many Ferraris parked alongside the road. Here, the hotel lobbies are decorated with flower arrangements the size of small trees.
Nowhere else have I ever seen someone using a swizzle stick. An impeccably dressed young woman at the table next to mine digs a manicured hand into her Hermes bag. She pulls out a leather case from which she extracts what looks like a small gold-plated brush. She uses it to stir the bubbles in her glass of champagne.
Everyone puts on a show on the Riviera and one must always be prepared for the next public appearance or to have one’s picture taken for the magazines. Mingling with the glitterati on this golden strip of France, where women wear cocktail gowns in the street, you feel the magnetic pull of the buzz and glamour.
The feeling of wealth is infectious. You get the impression that anything is possible in a place so unreal and you begin to think that something special can happen at any given moment. Often, it does. In Monte Carlo for instance, the preparations for the Grand Prix take place amongst the throng of tourists. You can walk up to a Ferrari mechanic and start a friendly conversation with him. Where else can you watch the racing teams weighing the Formula 1 cars and pumping tires in the middle of the street?
Welcome to the Cote d’Azur, where life is an unending parade.
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