Mandelieu-la-Napoule honors cultural past

By Samuel Gaytan
San Antonio Express-News Online

Mandelieu-la-Napoule's wealth is perhaps best noted in its ability to present its cultural history while still offering a wide range of entertainment options for the present.

Mandelieu boasts two of the Riviera's 22 golf courses. The city's oldest, the Cannes-Mandelieu golf course, was created in 1881 by Grand Duke Michel.

On the Riviera, all the courses are open to visitors, although reservations must be made at least two days in advance at the private clubs.

At the Riviera Golf Course, yellow mimosas and green hills greet players. But the blooms are more than decoration. Mimosas play a role in the city's economy, where between January and March, 8 million bouquets are exported by the 100 local mimosa growers.

The bloom's contribution to the city is celebrated each February at the Fête du Mimosa, honoring the Australian import that makes it the mimosa capital along the Siagne.

Perhaps nowhere is the honored role culture plays on the Riviera more evident than at the festival, a small affair celebrating the dress and customs of the area which was held this year from Feb. 14-16. During my visit, I was impressed by the small-town joy of the spectators and participants of the festival's parade, the Grand Corso Fleuri, and especially by the respect young girls on floats showed to the older women in the audience, gently reaching across the low fence to reverently hand them bouquets of mimosa.

It was no surprise that at the end of the parade, the people with the most mimosas were the young, who had scrambled to gather as many as possible, and the old, who were given theirs with honor.

The present also has a role in the festival, with jazz bands playing Dixieland tunes also taking part.

But there is more to the city than golf and mimosa celebrations.

With six marinas and 4,222 moorings, the city of 16,493 also is known as a sailing resort, with other activities including water sports, diving, yachting, fishing and relaxing on the beach. Each August, the International Rowing Meeting is held on the Siagne, drawing teams ranging from England to China.

And every two years, the International General Aviation Show and Festival is held at the International Business Airport of Cannes-Mandelieu, highlighting parachuting and acrobatic flying.

For those seeking more terra firma pastimes, horse-back riding, mountain biking and footpaths are available in the Provence countryside.

The city also has a 14th-century castle, reconstructed from ruins by American artist Henry Clews for his wife Mary. The castle features many examples of Clews work, including statues which seem like a cross between medieval gargoyles and South American totems. Although built to fulfill his wife's dreams, many might find the atmosphere more inspired by nightmares with its disturbingly dark works that are complemented by the gnarled trees on the grounds.

But the castle does offer a beautiful view of the seaside and is a favored place for luncheons and other gatherings. The castle, run by a U.S. foundation for the benefit of artists who have studios on the grounds, is available for special bookings by groups.

Mandelieu-la-Napoule also offers 50 restaurants and a casino with roulette and baccarat.

The city has accommodations for 6,000 in its 28 hotels, holiday apartments and bungalows. The city's only four-star hotel by the beach is L'Ermitage du Riou, which is adjacent to the Cannes-Mandelieu golf course. The hotel, owned by the Sumeire family, features wines from their vineyards that are only for sale in the hotel's restaurant. The rooms each feature a unique theme and color combination.

If you stay here, ask for a room with a balcony so you can savor the weather before and after your discovery of the area. The small, luxury hotel offers a bed-and-breakfast feel that can make for a refreshing change of pace.