From painters, poets, writer and sculptures, over the centuries the Cote d’Azur has attracted many an artistic genius to its lands. Filmmaking is another artistic genre that has been drawn to this sensational region of southern France.

The late David Lean was one such film director who was unable to resist the unique charms of the Cote d’Azur. The English firm producer and screenwriter, who is best remembered for his legendary screen epics, including Lawrence of Arabia (1962), A Passage to India (1984) and Doctor Zhivago (1965), owned an idyllic luxury retreat on the French Riviera known as Moulin du Jardinier.

The story goes that Lean fell in love with the derelict 15^th century ruin, tucked away inconspicuously within a seven-acre garden in Mouans-Sartoux, a medieval town desirably located between Grasse and Cannes. Lean’s love affair with the ancient ruin allegedly began whilst the filmmaker was working on the screenplay for Nostromo in St Paul de Vence.

Lean restored the mansion to a standard that has been described as ‘almost clichéd Provencal beauty’, with its old walls scattered with wines.

Internally Lean’s Cote d’Azur retreat is said to merge baronial chic with bohemian opulence, being vast and open-plan where grand stone archways separate mighty rooms with staggeringly high ceilings where the eye is drawn to extravagant chandeliers. A huge canopy in the house is believed to pay homage to David Lean, which sits beside a mural of the snow palace from Dr Zhicago.

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The Cote d’Azur, with its stunning natural landscapes, charmingly quaint fishing villages and dramatically luxurious cities, framed immaculately by the unique colours and characteristics of the Mediterranean Ocean, such as its laid-back and agreeable lifestyle, has long be an inspiration for many an artist.

In was during the 20^th century when this inimitable region of the Southern France really began to attract artists from around the world and became legendary for its association with Modern Art.

From Matisse, Picasso, Bonnard, Chagall and Renoir, many of the world’s finest painters found inspiration on this stretch of Mediterranean utopia, inspired by its special light and devotion for ‘living’.

As a consequence of being such a hub for 20^th century artists, there are numerous museums in the region fundamentally dedicated for displaying the spectacular creations of some of the world’s most influential artists.

The Musee Renoir, for example, in Cagnes Sur Mer, is situated within a park brimming with olive trees, which was one of Auguste Renoir’s most cherished loves.

The Renoir Musee features 11 original paintings from the Cagnes and Nacre periods, as well as hordes of Renoir’s old photos, sculptures, sketches and personal belongings.

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When one thinks of Monaco, lavish cars, flamboyant casinos and luxury fashion boutiques immediately spring to mind, with ‘eco-consciousness’ and ‘green living’ rarely emerging in our thoughts about Monaco or the French Riviera in general.

Despite being world-renowned as being the hub of extravagance, affluence and flamboyance, over the past decade Monaco has been a beacon of eco-conscious creativity, in its drive to become a more eco-friendly community.

In continuing its pledge to lead an eco-conscious existence and to maintain a fight against pollution, Monaco has initiated a new environmentally friendly slogan, ‘Less energy, less water, less paper.’

At the heart of Monaco’s race to be a leading green city is the city’s Grimaldi Forum, Monaco’s main congress and cultural centre, which was the first congress building in Europe to have successfully obtained the certification in Environmental Management.

The Grimaldi Forum won this highly prestigious award in 2008 and has since continued championing eco-awareness and environmentally friendly activities.

The ‘Less energy, less water, less paper,” initiative has been launched to help lower the Grimaldi Forum’s carbon footprint even further, despite of cutting its electricity levels by almost ten per cent during the last five years.

Talking about the new eco-awareness campaign, Nathalie Paccino, the Grimaldi Forum’s environmental and human resources manager admitted that eradicating ‘luxuries’ had not been easy but “the return is worth the investment.”

“Less energy, less water, less paper,” these are the things we want to achieve,” said Paccino.

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When you are travelling along the exquisite, beautiful and luxurious coastline of the Cote d’Azur, one dominant feature stands out at virtually all of the harbours and quaysides – the vast amount of elegant super-yachts that can be seen gently bobbing up and down on the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean Ocean.

Super-yachts and the Cote d’Azur have long been associated and luxury yacht charter companies which specialise in Luxury Yacht Charters for the many exclusive events that are held on the Cote d’Azur throughout the year, including the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Grand Prix are bountiful on this stretch of coastline.

Contributing to the vibrant and world-leading luxury yacht scene the French Riviera has become renowned for is Monaco Marine, which is based around the slogan, ‘Pleasure is a serious matter’.

In a recent press release issued by Monaco Marine it was announced that the super-yacht charter and refit company has gained a foothold in Antibes in the Cote d’Azur by taking over the super-yacht refit yard Antibes Marine Chantier.

The acquisition means that Monaco Marine has extended its network of five shipyards to six, the others being dotted across the South of France in Monaco, Beaulieu Sur Mer, Saint Laurent du Var, La Ciotat and Cogolin.

In obtaining a new shipyard in Antibes, Monaco Marine has undoubtedly strengthened its existence in the Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur region, a place where luxury yachts and super-yachts are in high demand.

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The Cote d’Azur is world-famed for its beaches of beautiful sand, beautiful vistas and beautiful bodies. Four million tourists ascend on the French Riviera each year, the majority of them arriving during the summer months. To ensure that the beaches are in ship-shape order and live up to their reputation, the region has been preparing what is arguably its biggest selling point, for the imminent onslaught of tourists.

Over the past few months a series of cleanup measures have been in operation along the beaches of the Promendade des Anglais. The measures have included the arrival of 10,000 cubic metres of pebbles that has been spread across the beaches of Nice, including Coco, Lido, Magnan, Carras and Poincare beaches.

Determined to eliminate the amount of jellyfish accompanying swimmers off the Cote d’Azur shoreline, the installation of an extensive netting system has been in operation along the beaches of Mace, Roubine and Gazagnaire.

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