The French Riviera's Mimosa Trail

There is something special about celebrating nature's seasonality. Take, for example, the mimosa forests of the Côte d'Azur. For 50 weeks a year, the trees provide shade for people and respite for birds after the long Mediterranean crossing. But for just two weeks or so, each year from late January to mid-February, they have an explosion of bright yellow flowers that transform coastal hills into a carpet of colour and fragrance.

Although not native to Europe, the mimosa tree is perfect for the dry, sunny climate and rocky soils of the Riviera. These trees do not require much water and they retain their leaves year-round. Their flowering season is short, but spectacular.

The Mimosa Trail is a series of wild forests, ordered plantations, and suburban parks and gardens, stretching from the town of Mandelieu-La Napoule on the coast, east of Cannes, towards the hinterland hilltop town of Grasse. The route runs through historic villages such as Mougins and Pégomas.

The fragrance of the mimosa flower is subtle but distinctive. It is their vibrant, bright yellow colour, however, that attracts hikers to this trail every year in late Winter. The small, round yellow flowers grow in bunches, like grapes, and last for only a couple of weeks before they start to lose their colour, turning brown and eventually falling or scattering in the wind.

The best way to see the Mimosa trail is to head towards the Tanneron nature reserve. Exit the coastal A8 motorway at Cannes, and head north-east on the D3 road. The walking trails around Tanneron and the Siagne river are well signposted. Take a bottle of water, as facilities in the forest are limited, and the Riviera's weather can be quite dry and warm, even in Winter.

Mougins

Mougins

Mougins

Mougins

You'll be joined by a steady stream of hikers from the Riviera's towns. Seeing the mimosa forests in their full yellow splendour is a popular activity in February. The colours are bound to brighten moods, and to remind everyone that Spring is just around the corner.

Love seasonality? Find out why the Riviera is a year-round destination.

Thinking of your next retreat? Choose the Riviera as your next destination.

Photos: Scorcio.it

Why the Sanremo Music Festival is a big deal

This week (1-5 February 2022), the 72nd Sanremo Music Festival (or Festival della Canzone Italiana, the Festival of Italian Song), is taking place here on the Italian Riviera. Since 1951, the Sanremo festival has been the premier event in the Italian music industry's calendar. Singers compete over five nights for the top prize, chosen by a public vote and a judges' panel, and each year the winner becomes Italy's official entrant to the continent-wide Eurovision Song Contest. It is also a major television event - each night, over 50% of televisions in Italy are tuned in to the festival.

The Sanremo Festival is the premier event in the Italian music industry's calendar

Here are some of the reasons why Sanremo holds the whole of Italy's attention for a few nights every winter:

The Stars

Famous Italians often appear in Sanremo's Ariston Theatre at this time - not just singers, but celebrities from other walks of life show up to be photographed and to compere the evenings, give interviews and network. This year, the top-ranked Italian tennis player and Wimbledon finalist, Matteo Berrettini, was a host of the opening night.

In previous years, internationally-renowned singers have joined the Italian talent on stage. Louis Armstrong, Cher, Stevie Wonder, Dusty Springfield and Shirley Bassey have all performed at the Sanremo festival. Italian pop diva Raffaella Carrà performed, hosted and gave artistic direction regularly between 1983 and 2014. Sophia Loren has also walked the Ariston Theatre's stage as a host.

Sanremo Festival winners include Eros Ramazzotti, il Divo and worldwide sensation, Måneskin

The Fashion

As you might expect of an Italian media event, fashion is absolutely central to the Sanremo Festival. It is a chance for established fashion houses to reinforce their brands, and for exciting new designers to get a foot in the door - especially if a young performer in the "Newcomers" division gets noticed in an outfit from a bold new fashion creator.

Fashion personalities like Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Giorgio Armani and Donatella Versace have all made appearances at Sanremo. Keeping count of the designer outfits is certainly some people's idea of fun; for the record, last year Dolce & Gabbana had 24 outfits on the stage, Armani had 14, Versace and Gucci had 6 each.

Volare is one of the most famous songs premiered at Sanremo

The Music

Sometimes, global hit songs are premiered at Sanremo, such as 1958's Volare - originally sung by Domenico Modugno, later covered by Luciano Pavarotti in Italian and Dean Martin in an English version. Last year's winning band, Måneskin, also won the Eurovision Song Contest with "Zitti e buoni",and went on to have chart-topping English-language hits in the US and UK. Other famous Sanremo winners include popular artists like Eros Ramazzotti, Mahmood and the group Il Volo.

But even if a song, or a singer, doesn't become a global household name at Sanremo, they can still set the zeitgeist for Italian music for years to come. The Sanremo Festival is a place to try new things, experiment artistically with song, performance and fashion. It is, ultimately, a place for creativity and for contributing to Italy's rich modern culture. So pour yourself a glass of prosecco, and join most of the country in watching the Festival final on Saturday 5th February. 8pm CET.

Thinking of your next retreat? Choose the Riviera as your next destination.

Photos: Scorcio.it

A day in Nice with Riviera Route

We love to offer our corporate retreat clients a day in Nice on the French Riviera. It is a wonderful way to finish a successful, productive and re-energising travel experience. But what exactly does a day with Riviera Route look like? Here are some of the experiences in this beautiful French city.

The beautiful French city of Nice

Our clients often like to conclude their meetings in a different location. So, after hotel check-outs and breakfast, we have a range of meeting room venues across Nice to choose from. One example is La Passarelle meeting centre, in Central Nice. This high-standard venue is quiet and private, despite its location in the bustling Port Lympia area of Nice. Refreshments are available throughout the morning. You will be left to conduct your meetings in private, but a Riviera Route event manager will be nearby on hand to assist if required, as will staff from La Passarelle. If you prefer, meeting facilitators and motivational speakers are available to help you bring your work to a successful conclusion.

Port Lympia, Nice's Old Harbour

After this, it is time for lunch, and Nice has a huge range of restaurants. Why not treat your management team to lunch at Le Plongeoir restaurant? This restaurant is in a truly special setting. It is perched on rocks that drop steeply into the sea. There is a column of rock jutting from the sea; a little islet reached by a bridge with space for just a few diners to enjoy lunch surrounded on all sides by the lapping of the waves. Working lunches are a great opportunity for your management team to bond and discuss company business in confidence.

The extraordinary "Le Plongeoir" restaurant in Nice

If your group is larger and on a budget, we could instead guide you to a traditional eatery in the heart of Old Nice, to sample simple but classic Niçoise dishes such as socca, petits farcis, pissaladière, ratatouille, aïoli, and that most perfect of all summer dishes - the authentic salade niçoise.

After lunch, it is time for some fun exploring. One option is a guided trip to the Confiserie Florian luxury sweet manufacturer. Nice has a long tradition of confectionary manufacture, especially candied fruits. This tour of the Florian facility offers the chance to see how these sweets are made before being sent to the fanciest shops and cafés around the world. Visitors can buy souvenir boxes of sweets if they wish.

Nice's famous Mediterranean cuisine

Alternatively, why not combine your sweet tooth with your taste for history? We love to take participants on a walking gelato tour of Old Nice. We will take participants on a walk through the narrow streets of Old Nice, offering a historic account of this millennia-old city, and the chance to climb up the baroque St François tower, with its 360 degree views of this stunning city. The tour ends with a stop in France’s most famous ice-cream parlour: Fenocchio, in Place Rosetti. Choosing among the many dozens of flavours (which include lavender, orange-blossom or even rice-pudding) is never easy!

A tour of colourful Old Nice

A more relaxing option is to visit a lido on Nice’s beautiful pebble beach, right on the world-famous Promenade des Anglais. Participants can relax on deck chairs and order drinks from the bar, or dip into the warm waters of the Mediterranean one more time before your trip home.

Last-minute shopping is often popular with our clients. East of the Old City, between the main train station and the Promenade, are the chic districts of Le Carré d’Or and Jean-Médecin. These neighbourhoods offer the best of French fashion, from high-end boutiques to hip, trendy streetwear stores. We love showing clients around this beautiful part of Nice, finding just the right gifts to take home.

We want to give you the best experience on the French and Italian Rivieras, and we highly recommend spending some time in the unofficial capital, Nice, as part of your Riviera Route corporate retreat.

Thinking of your next retreat? Choose the Riviera as your next destination.

Photos: Scorcio.it