Stroll around the Yacht Club, see what's in and other Antibes, France Things to Do Tips

There are usually ten or more boats in at any one time - and you are free to walk around to admire them, though don't even think of boarding - strictly no admittance.

Pictured here, in 2003 Paul Allen's 416 ft "Octopus" briefly took the number one position as the world's largest yatch. Costing Allen a mere $200 million she has a permanent crew of 60 people, including several former Navy Seals, two helicopters, seven boats and a remote-controlled vehicle for crawling on the ocean floor. Its "James Bond" interior includes a dry dock for a submarine, which has the capacity to sleep eight for up to two weeks under water. Microsoft's "accidental zillionnaire" Paul Allen - worth $20bn according to Forbes, third richest man in America - owns three yacht monsters - Octopus, Tatoosh & Méduse.

Nothing stands still. Octopus was toppled from its number one position by Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellisdon's "Rising Sun" - a full 12 metres longer. Paul also owns the magnificent Villa Maryland on the Cap Ferrat, allowing him to host parties during the Cannes Film Festival that allow him to associate with Hollywoods most top celebrities. Not to be outdone, Larry Elisdon parked Rising Sun in the bay off the Croisette during this years Cannes Film Festival (2009) to host bigger parties. You mean you weren't invited?

In the yacht-world size is everything, so no one retains the coveted number one position for long. The Crown Prince of Dubai ordered a 160 metre yatch "Platinum". With oil reaching $140 a barrel the Crown Prince had to find even more extravagent ways to spend those petrodollars. Roman Abramovich then commissioned a new world number one built in Germany, over 300 metres in length. Within weeks of his new commission he was also rumoured to have lost $12bn in the meltdown of the Russian stockmarket, and ex-wife Irina since walked off with a mega divorce settlement including his then largest mega-yacht.

Its not easy being extraordinarily rich is it?

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Stroll around the walls of the old town.

Antibes was strategic within the Roman Empire occupation, named Antipolis as the city opposite Nice - "anti - polis". The fortifications are purely decorative now since the most recent occupation has been mainly from retiring elderly Brits, and the walls provide very little defence against incursion by low-cost airlines

Old Antibes has a slightly "hippy" charm. Couples with equally bohemian outlook - he with pigtail but in grey, her with boho flouncy dresses and also "snow on the roof". Behind them a creative career, something unorthodox in the arts media or publishing. Ahead, growing old disgracefully, they grow old but not grow up. Good on 'em.

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Landmark Chateau Grimaud houses a fine collection of works by Picasso - who generously donated them to the town after painting for several months in Antibes as a guest of the Chateau in 1946.

The collection includes over a hundred paintings - many discovered to be painted over older works stored in the basement that Picasso considered mediocre - iron cast sculptures and a large unusual collection of faces painted onto ceramic plates that I'm not sure would do much for your breakfast table.

The visitors include many earnest ladies with sketch-pads "doing art class", paying homage to the master.

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Address: Chateau Grimaud, Old Antibes

Old Antibes is a magnet for everything from the mildly eccentric to the full-blown clinically certifiable. A cafe table at the Place Nationale or Avenue George Clemenceau guarantees you a ringside seat, (but the price sometimes includes being busked at by a one-tune accordionist armed with a portable Karaoke rythm section).

The chap with Pocohontas as sidekick is living theatre: a gallic Billy Conolly with Frank Zappa facial hair, a nautical striped vest and attitude in spades. Its in the jaunty cocking of the head, the raised eyebrow, the self-assured matching of white, with black and white stripes, with the near full head of greying hair. Wonderful.

Pocahontas is the bit-player, to his peacock. Her beer glass is still three-quarters full, whilst his is down to the last few centimetres. She defers to him to instruct the waiter with their requirements. Her rich flowing black hair constrained into pigtails, so not to compete. Or am I misreading the cues? Who knows.

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As with most French towns, at the very heart of old Antibes is the main town square, the Place Nationale. Lined with a selection of restaurants, cafes and brasseries, plenty of places to sit and enjoy a salad or brushetta and a glass of wine, and watch the ever-changing people scenery.The residents of Antibes are more eccentric and bohemian than either Cannes or St Tropez. You will hear a lot of English spoken amidst the French and Italian.

On Sudays, between the shade-giving plane trees, market stalls come out for you to browse an interesting array of bricabrac, books and antiques, CDs, nicknacks and thingumajigs. A totally relaxed and laid back attitude pervades old Antibes. The pace is unhurried, there is nowhere you have to hurry to get to, because you have already arrived at where you want to be.

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A winding uphill walk to the centre of the Cap , among the villas and pines, is the Eglise de la Garoupe. The interior of this small church is brimming with votive offerings, pictures, of loved ones, letters paintings and memorabilia. This is a collective community heritage - dedications mainly to those departed, often related in one way or another to boats.

A little cafe outside permits you to sit and reflect in the peaceful setting.

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Crowning the top of Cap d'Antibes is the Phare - lighthouse - a modern construction replacing the original which was blown up in 1944 by German visitors in uniform as they departed .Todays visitors are generally more polite.

The panorama from here affords fine views east over Antibes towards Nice and West over Juan Le Pins over Golfe Juan and towards St Tropez.

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Yup, its definitely a Cathedral.

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Home each year to the prestigious International Jazz Festival, Antibes is a town is full of music. Sit a while and enjoy live jazz with your Sunday lunch

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Fronted by a bust of General Championet, commander-in-chief of the army of Italy, under Napoleon Bonaparte.

The market sells typical Provencal artifacts.

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