I was very pleasantly surprised at how beautiful St Tropez was. From its reputation I was expecting a typical over priced touristy south of France seaside resort, known for topless bathing.

What I found was a wonderful preserved mediaeval port and city with charming old streets and restaurants. It is one of the nicer places on the Cote d'Azur. During the 1960s, Saint-Tropez became a favourite hangout for the international jetset transformed by the Brigitte Bardot 1956 film 'And God Created Woman'. Prior to this it was just a sleepy fishing village frequented by painters and writers.

There are many eating places in Saint Tropez. Be wary of hidden costs. A reasonably priced pizza will become and expensive meal when the cheapest bottle of wine is three times the price of the pizza. check for a sensible option. Take a coffee or beer in one of the cafes around Place des Lices, the central square of Saint Tropez and watch the world walk past.

Take a coffee or beer in one of the cafes around Place des Lices, the central square of Saint Tropez and watch the world walk past. Then have a stroll around the old port and marina. Have another drink and watch the beautiful ships entering the bay. The houses have colourful fronts in shades of terracotta, beige, orange and rose pink. It's not too hard to climb the stairs to the 16th century fortress - La Citadelle.

You will be rewarded with a beautiful view of St. Tropez and the surrounding sea. La Citadelle, is a museum, la musee de la marine, showing the naval history of Saint Tropez. Be prepared for the big traffic jams in the summer especially on Saturday which is Market day. Go early to avoid the traffic and find a parking place.

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