Welcome to our
Riviera Retreat
Le Turenne 6 AllĂŠe AndrĂŠ Vinson Antibes 06600 France
This guide should help to answer most of the questions about the apartment but if you think of any other information we should add to the guide, please add it to the last page. VERY IMPORTANT! Parking spaces are all assigned to other tenants. Do Not park in the spaces inside the gate. If you have rented a car please find parking on the street. Parking is a valuable commodity all over France, but it is getting more and more difficult in Antibes. There are some spaces just outside the gate and along Allée André Vinson that you might get if you’re lucky. There are also spaces by the Lycée Audiberti (the high school) on Ave. Gaston Bourgeois (at the entrance to Allée André Vinson).
The gate code for the pedestrian gate is: The code to open the large gate is:
2510A
1025A
There is no code to open the door of the building, into the lobby. You will need to use the flat key on the key ring with the apartment key. The keyhole is on the left by the directory. You will hear the lock buzz, indicating you can open the door and enter the building. Always use the stairs and elevator to the right of the lobby to get to the apartment. Take the elevator to the 2nd floor: press 2 inside the elevator. The key to the apartment is unique and somewhat tricky. Put the key into the keyhole and then push a little more before you turn the key to unlock the door. Do not loose the key—it is very expensive to replace and takes a long time. To let people into the building from the apartment, use the telecom next to the door of the apartment. When a visitor presses 24 the number next to our names (which are spelled incorrectly) at the entrance to the building- you will hear a ring in the apartment. Lift the receiver and ask who is at the door. When you want to open the front entrance to the building, press the top button and hold for a few seconds. This open the door then wait for you visitor to arrive at the apartment. Antibes and the entire Riviera respect the environment. Paper and plastic shopping bags are not automatically given at stores. If you want a bag you’ll have to pay for it. We have provided a few reusable shopping bags (next to the cabinet in the entrance) for your convenience. Please take them with you when you go shopping. Put one in the trunk of your car for those occasions when you find that amazing produce you just can’t resist. The only thing we ask is that you don’t take our shopping bags home with you.
2
The water throughout the apartment is all connected. This means if someone turns on the faucet in the kitchen while you are in the shower, it will affect the water temperature in the shower. It’s a bit shocking when you get a blast of cold water so be mindful to not flush a toilet or turn on a faucet when someone is using the shower. There is a good cross-breeze in the apartment, which helps to keep it cool in the summer. But is also will blow the doors closed if they are not secure. The slamming noise is startling. Remember to use the doorstops that are placed throughout the apartment; some of them are pieces of marble and some are traditional doorstops. The shutters on the front and back windows of the apartment are motorized. The switches will raise and lower them. The shutter in the kitchen is not motorized-you have to raise and lower it by hand. You can lower them part way at night and open the glass doors for fresh air. When you go out, please lower the shutters and lock the glass doors. There are two air conditioners in the apartment and two remote controls. The large air conditioner in the living room will cool that room and the front bedroom. The controls are in English and easy to understand. If you close the doors to the bedroom and the hallway, the living room will cool very quickly. The same is true for the back bedroom. If for some reason, you find yourself without electricity in the apartment. You may have to flip the circuit breaker. You can reset the circuit easily. Go to the closet in the hallway by the kitchen. Open the left side. The circuit box is in the closet to the left—turn all the way to your left. There is a light in the closet, but you may need a flashlight.
Checking Out When you are leaving the apartment to return home, please take the sheets off the beds and place them, along with the towels, on the floor by the door in the kitchen. Go through the apartment and make sure you have packed all your belongings (remember your phone charger and other electronic devices). Put all your luggage out in the stairway. Leave the key on the buffet inside the front door and then close the door. The door will lock. We ask that you leave 100 € on the buffet for the cleaning fee.
Thanks
3
Garbage and Recycling There are usually trash bags and other small plastic bags in the cabinet next to the refrigerator. Please place garbage in the bag-lined small trash container under the kitchen sink. Use a bag or box to collect glass and a separate container to collect the plastic, newspapers, and cardboard. The deposit for garbage and some of the recycling is in the basement. Always bring the key to the apartment with you when you go to the basement. (you will need it to open the apartment door upon your return!) Garbage 1. Please make sure the bag is sealed tightly. 2. Press SS in the elevator to go to the basement. 3. Turn to your right when you exit the elevator. 4. The first door, just next to the elevator is a large closet with 3 garbage cans. Recycling: Everything except glass 1. Press SS in the elevator to go to the basement. 2. Turn left after exiting the elevator and walk down the hallway. 3. Before the stairs there is a short passage on your right that leads to the garage. 4. Open the door by turning the knob. 5. The door will lock behind you so you must turn the knob, extending the deadbolt before the door closes. This will keep the door from closing and locking you in the garage. 6. The recycling bins are in the corner. 7. Be sure to lock the door on you way back to the apartment. Glass 1. Glass bottles must be taken to a public receptacle. You will see them around town. The closest ones are on the north side of the high school.
Â
4 Â
Washing Machine There are usually detergent/soap tablets in the cabinet next to the refrigerator. The washing machine is located in the kitchen next to the dishwasher. 1. Put the soap (Ariel tablets or a similar brand) into the bottom of the clothes compartment. 2. Add the clothes 3. Close the compartment door. It must click into a locked position. You may have to push forcefully. 4. Turn the knob to:
Temperature: 30, Program: COURT (If it is a load of Whites-use 60 degrees) 5. Press the “Marche/Arrêt” and the machine will start. 6. When the wash is finished press ” Marche/Arrêt” again. Then press the yellow “Porte” button to release the door. You may have to pull the door open. 7. To dry your clothes, hang them on the clothes rack on the back balcony.
5
Stovetop The stove is what’s known as an “induction” stovetop. The surface will only heat metal pots and pans. It will not start to heat until there is a connection between the metal and the glass surface. It will remain hot after you’ve cooked something so be careful. You will know that it is still hot by the blinking red X.
1. Place your pot or pan on the appropriate sized circle on the glass stovetop. 2. Press the on/off (0/I) button. 3. Press the + button to increase the heat. 4. When you are finished cooking, press the on/off button again. DOUX will allow you to simmer. VIF is for normal boiling. MAX is for maximum heat. It is very fast! MINUTERIE is a timer for that specific burner. Please clean the stovetop surface with a soft cloth after each use. There is a specific soap under the sink.
6
Dishwasher There are usually dishwasher soap tablets in the cabinet next to the refrigerator. 1. Load the dishwasher with dirty dishes. 2. Place a soap tablet into the open compartment and close it tightly. 3. Close the dishwasher door-listen for the lock to click letting you know the door is secure.
4. Set the TEMPERATURE to 65 degrees. 5. Set the PROGRAMME to UNIVERSEL for light wash and UNIVERSEL PLUS for stronger wash. If you wish to “rinse” the dishes you can set both the TEMPERATURE and the PROGRAMME to FROID. You do not need soap for a rinse.
7
The Television The TV is connected to Orange Digital for all the channels. You can get a few channels without turning on the digital cable but the quality and quantity are far superior with the digital cable. There are two remotes: white one for the digital cable and black one for the TV. 2. Press the power button on the White remote control. This turns on the digital cable box. 3. Press the power button on the Black remote control. This turns on the TV. 4. Use the White remote to adjust the volume and change the channels. 5. When you’re finished watching, press the power button on both remotes to turn off both units. Here is a basic list of channels:
English Language 170 171 172 173 174 175 176
SkyNews CNN CNBC Bloomburg BBC World France 24 (in English) Aljzera (in English)
French Language 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
TFI France 2 France 3 Canal+ France 5 M6 ARTE
8
The Apartment Phone The fixed phone in the apartment can be used for local calls or if you would like to receive calls. Please do not use the phone for long distance calls. If you would like to make long distance call it is best to use one of the free internet calling apps like Viber or Skype.
Important Phone Numbers This Apartment:
04 93 95 88 26
Boris and Maryse (caretakers):
04 92 90 33 08 (home)
(They only speak French)
06 09 88 82 10 (cell)
Dr. Monique Romand
04 93 34 33 33 (office)
(She speaks some English)
06 09 11 95 56 (cell)
Police
04 92 90 78 00
Medical Emergency
15
Fireman Emergency
18
SOS Medicine
0825 06 70 00
SOS Burns
01 44 73 62 54
WiFi in the Apartment The passcode for the WiFi is very long and case sensitive. Be patient and go slowly.
Network: LIVEBOX 7316 Password: 6AF7C3524E26ED1A5DFDC19543 The Intercom and Opening the Door for Visitors To let people into the building from the apartment, use the telecom next to the door of the apartment. When a visitor presses 24- the number next to our names (which are spelled incorrectly) at the entrance to the building- you will hear a ring in the apartment. Lift the receiver and ask who is at the door. When you want to open the front entrance to the building, press the top button and hold for a few seconds. This open the door then wait for you visitor to arrive at the apartment.
Â
9 Â
Essentials in the Neighborhood Look for the BLUE numbers-not the red X 6 Allee Andre Vinson, Antibes 06600 1. Utile: small market with essentials like wine, ice, basic hardware, etc. 2. Pharmacy 3. SPAR: large supermarket 4. Pain d’Alex; best bread 5. Carrefour City and Picard: supermarket and a high-end frozen food store
10
There are many nice beaches in Antibes and Juan Les Pins. Technically, all of the beaches in France are for public use but most of the beaches are occupied by private businesses and charge a fee to use a chaise lounge.
Introducing Antibes-Juan-les-Pins With its port full of mega-yachts, 16th-century ramparts, and narrow cobblestone streets festooned with flowers, lovely Antibes is the quintessential Mediterranean town. Picasso, Max Ernst and Nicolas de Staël were captivated by Antibes, as was a restless Graham Greene (1904–91), who settled here with his lover, Yvonne Cloetta, from 1966 until the year before his death.
11
Greater Antibes embraces Cap d’Antibes, an exclusive green cape studded with luxurious mansions, and the modern beach resort of Juan-les-Pins. The latter is known for its 2km-long sandy beach and its nightlife, a legacy of the sizzling 1920s when Americans swung into town with their jazz music and oh-so-brief swimsuits.
12
Information There are three tourist information offices in Antibes-Juan les Pins: 1) 42 Avenue Robert Soleau (Antibes) Near the train station 2) 51 Boulevard Charles Guillaumont (Juan les Pins) 3) 22 Boulevard d'Aguillon (Old Town Antibes) In the old town near the ramparts.
Get In Both Antibes and Juan les Pins have train stations on the main NiceCannes line. Car: The usual method of driving to Antibes is to take the A8 and exit at the Antibes exit (junction 44) and then taking the winding road down to Antibes. There is a regular bus service (number 200, 1.5€) between Cannes, Antibes and Nice: there is a stop Place Charles de Gaulle in downtown Antibes. Alternate bus option is the "250 express": faster (takes the highway), more comfortable (not a commuter bus), stops directly at the terminal (gare des autocars) if you're going or coming from the airport, but also much more expensive (9€): bus stop is just above the main train station. There is a 200 and 250 express about every 20 min. Plane. The Nice airport is the closest airport to Antibes. It is not a relatively long drive from the airport to Antibes: 25 minutes when there is no traffic.
Get Around Walk. Antibes is a beautiful city. Walking to the old downtown is easy and makes for excellent views. If you like to walk for exercise, the Cap is an excellent place for walking. There is a well maintained “trail” that goes up to La Garoupe and starts on the right side of the road, just at the beginning of the Cap. Bike. Although Antibes may be very hilly in certain areas, riding bikes is certainly beautiful and somewhat rewarding. There are bike lanes starting at about the outskirts of the port on the Route de Nice and Bord de la Mer. You can ride from Antibes to Villeneuve-Loubet, and probably beyond, without much difficulty. Antibes and the surrounding beach towns have recently implemented the MetroBike or CityBike stations where you can rent a bike with your credit card. Train. Antibes is on the main Paris-Lyon-Avignon-Nice-Italy line, with local trains serving most of the coastal towns. Prices vary by day and season, but a typical Antibes-Nice round-trip costs around 6 €. Bus. Bus information is available at the Maisom de Tourisme, at La Rotonde (Place du Générale de Gaulle), where most of the buses stop. • Nice-Antibes-Aix. The Cars Phocéens bus company provides bus service between Nice and Aix-en-Provence. There are three buses a day; two go
13
•
via the Route Nationale and stop at Antibes; the other is an express that goes via the autoroute. Bus Line 200 Nice - Cannes Local: Bus line 200 is a local bus (many stops) between Cannes and Nice. In Cannes, the 200 stops at the bus stop in the street in front of the railway station, at the far left (west) end (not at the bus area to the right (east) of the station). There can be many local stops along the way, including near Cap3000 (a large shopping center), Saint Laurent-du-Var, Cros-de-Cagnes, Cagnessur-Mer, Villeneuve-Loubet, the Biot railway station, Antibes, Vallauris and Golfe-Juan. The full trip takes 1h30 and costs 1 euro.
See • • • • •
• •
The Cap (very romantic under a full moon) and beaches The port with the super-yachts Old town and historic Marché Provençal (covered market) La Garoupe—the church and lighthouse on the top of the hill on the cap. Picasso Museum - For hardcore Picasso fans. It's where he lived and painted after WWII, on the sea. Some choice works: painted ceramics, and a sculpture garden (not Picasso's). Beaches of Juan les Pins Jazz Festival (July)
Do •
• •
•
The covered market (Marché Provençal) offers fresh products every morning except Monday. It is a magnificent selection of meat, fish, cheese and vegetables. Because it is close to the port, the prices at the Marché Provençal are very high. You are better off actually buying your vegetables at a supermarket. Marché Provençal hours of operation: o Sept-May: Tue-Sun mornings; June-Aug: all mornings o At the Cours Massena, in front of the Mairie (Hotel de Ville or City Hall) o Fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and flowers, along with other regional products Artisanal Marché Provençal (covered market): o Sun afternoons Foire (clothing market): o Thursday o Rue Fontvieille, behind the post office Brocante: o Thursday, Saturday; 8h-19h o Place du la Republic
14
•
•
Cap d'Antibes is a beautiful and invigorating walk around the cape. Do not forget good walking shoes and a bit of water. During bad weather, all or part of the “sentier” or path may be closed. In the area of Golf Juan-les-Pins, there are several nice scuba-diving sites. You could dive all year long but it's more pleasant from May to October.
Eat Antibes features both standard French cuisine as well as local specials focusing on fresh seafood and produce from Provence. Scenic restaurants can be found around the port of Antibes, in the old town, and in Juan les Pins. Here are a few of our favorites: PASTRIES, CHEESE, ETC. RESTAURANTS Palais du la Frandise Café Kanter 50 rue République 31 Boulevard Albert 1er Le Vauban 7 bis Rue Thuret
Fromagerie l’Etable 1 rue Sade (next to the Absinthe bar)
Ravioli Perrin 29 Cours Masséna (at the Marché Provençal) There are dozens, if not hundreds, of cafés, bars and salons de thé in Antibes. Tea tends to be expensive (up to 4 EUR per person) and not the highest quality (Lipton tea bags, for example). For the true European experience, sit in a café and enjoy a cup or Coffee or Espresso. L'Armoise 2 r. de la Tourraque
Antibes can be a difficult place for vegetarian or vegan travelers. Vegetarians should not have much trouble but vegans can expect ending up with a bland and expensive salad. Servers tend to not be very accommodating and are often visibly insulted if asked to modify a dish. There is hope, however. There is a 'falafel place' in the old town near the covered market with vegan options. There is also Chez Helen's, a vegetarian restaurant with vegan options in the old town. There are also a few Indian restaurants in the old town and, in Juan les Pins, a number of Asian restaurants.
15
Drink One interesting place to drink at is the Absinthe Bar La Balade (25 Cours Masséna, Antibes - Tel. 04 93 34 93 00 -email: balade@free.fr ). Absinthe, the mysterious green liqueur so much associated with 19th century artists and writers such as Van Gogh and Baudelaire, was outlawed for decades because of the health risks associated with its abuse, namely insanity and death. However these side effects seem to have been due to "quality control" issues and the herbs that go into absinthe are in fact good for you. Absinthe was only reintroduced legally again in about 2003, and there are very few places where it is possible to drink it. The bar is set in the basement of the Olive Oil shop by the covered market (Marché Provençal) of Antibes and is full of charm even without the lure of Absinthe. If there is a group of you the host will normally give each member of the group a slightly different absinthe so that you can try the different varieties. It is quite an experience and will set you back a mere €4 for a glass. Given the price of beer in the touristy bars by the port this is a real bargain. On Friday nights there is a piano man. The Absinthe bar also provides you with dozens of silly hats (yes, hats), which everyone wears and trades as the evening goes on. It’s great fun!
16