My France Favourites: Lanie Goodman

Born and raised in New York, Lanie Goodman is an arts and travel writer based in the south of France since 1988. She is a frequent contributor to publications including T-Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Condé Nast Traveller and Departures, and the author of Romantic French Homes (Cico Books, London, 2013). Formerly a Professor of French Literature at CUNY, she now teaches courses in journalism and cinema at the SKEMA at  Sophia-Antipolis. Her second book, devoted to American artist Joseph Raffael (Moving Towards the Light: The Paintings of Joseph Raffael), will be published in October 2015. Goodman has also translated four French novels into English, including The Mustache by Emmanuel Carrère. Voici, Goodman’s recommendations for travel in France.

 

What’s your perfect day on the Riviera?

On Saturday: an early jaunt to the Provençal market in the village of Beaulieu-sur-mer for fresh produce, cheese, and great buys for clothes, bags and jewelry; a leisurely swim and lunch at La Paloma on the Cap Ferrat; a visit to the latest show at the MAMAC in Nice; an apéro at one of the bars on the rue Bonaparte; dinner at le Bistro d’Antoine in Vieux Nice.

Your favourite restaurant on the Riviera?

I love small bistros like Jan, Palmyre or Le Comptoir du Marché with affordable market-driven menus; for a gastronomic splurge, La Raison Gourmand in Beaulieu-sur-mer, or Le Mirazur in Menton are tops.

 

The most sublime meal you’ve ever had in France?

One of the most memorable was at the Château Saint-Martin in Vence.

Best travel memory in France?

Hiking around the Cap Corse in springtime when the wildflowers are in full bloom and the sea is already warm enough for a dip.

Favourite French region to travel?

I love the wild coastal stretch from the Camargue to Montpellier.

Top museum in France?

The MuCEM in Marseille for the architecture; and although it’s not an “official” museum, the spectacular outdoor sculpture and art trail at Château Lacoste, near Aix-en-Provence.

Favourite French film?

Impossible to name one, but the short list might include “Breathless” by Godard, “Plein Soleil” by René Clement, and “De Battre mon cœur s’est arrété” and “Un Prophète” by Jacques Audiard.

Souvenir for friends back home?

Olive oil in a packable tin and lavender essential oil and pillow spray.

Boutiques where you shop during the semi-annual soldes?

Fragonard, for their great soaps, housewares and accessories; Agnes B. for their everlasting cotton t-shirts, jackets and jeans.

 

A destination in France that you’re dying to visit?

“Fauve” country: Perpignan and Collioure.

Tip for first-time visitors to France?

If you’re traveling to the Riviera, don’t forget to pack some plastic jellies or flip flops in anticipation of the famed galets, the treacherous stones on the Nice beaches.