• Carl wears
    coat and trousers Gant
    shirt Stylist's Studio

    belt Tiger of Sweden

    shoes Eytys
    ring All Blues

    Viktor wears

    total look Hermès

    ring All Blues

    .

    photography Martin William Landl

    fashion Åsa Maria Camnert / Agent Bauer

    Swedish Duo Tomode Brings a ’70s Disco Flair to Modern Electronic With Its Music

    Written by Josie McNeill by Sandra Myhrberg

    Tomode, composed of Carl Leandersson and Viktor Westerberg, finds inspiration for its songs in “French touch” house music as well as each member’s personal life experiences, dreams, moods, and aspirations. The duo looks up to groups such as Daft Punk and Earth, Wind, and Fire–if that gives you a good idea of Tomode’s disco-electronic sound.
    Leandersson and Westerberg met while studying at the same choir school in Stockholm. Westerberg had heard of Leandersson’s band, which was playing ska and jazz music, and wanted to be a part of it. Westerberg said he first started with percussion and then moved to keys because of his piano background. In high school, Westerberg said the two started playing together more and writing songs together, while the other bandmates left to pursue other life paths. When it was just the two of them left, Tomode was born.

    What inspired your name?
    VW: Everyone asks that. I lived in Tokyo for a little while, and you know, with [the] Japanese [language], they don't have letters, they have syllables. And just for fun, when I was learning Japanese, I started just combining different letters. Leanderson arrived for the interview and got caught up on the question.
    CL: Everyone asks the same question.
    VW: So I think I started combining those kinds of letters. Then we played around with some different names. And then we just found Tomode. I think it's nice because it doesn't actually mean anything, but it sounds interesting. So you can fill it with your own meaning. The music stands for itself. It's like with Daft Punk, no one knows what it really means. But it still has a particular feeling. So I think that's the easy answer. Do you have a better answer?
    CL: No, no. I mean, Daft Punk was a review of the music. It sounded like a daft punk band.

    Your music sounds kind of disco and indie pop inspired. What artists inspired your sound?
    CL: Daft Punk.
    VW: That’s very easy. It's a big one.
    CL: Random Access Memories was probably the first first album that we bonded with eachnother over. We weren't really that close before that album came out. So I think we've bonded a lot around that album.
    VW: I think that Daft Punk is a super big one, of course. And then this French label called Ed Banger has an artist called Breakbot. It's that sort of synthy ’70s-inspired disco, but it's also a bit futuristic. It's not taking itself too seriously. We also bonded a lot over Earth, Wind, and Fire [and] Chic. From the beginning, we had that sort of electronic disco, classic Daft Punk sound. But Random Access Memories, that album was so cool because it combined both of those–thatold retro sound with a futuristic edge. I think somewhere around there we thought that this is something we want to keep going with.

    So you released your most recent EP Riviera in April. Can you talk about your process of writing it and what kind of inspired the songs?
    CL:
    Yeah, I mean it was mostly Viktor’s idea, to be honest. He wanted to do a concept EP with a lot of sunny inspirations.
    VW: It's so easy to talk about disco music and sound as being sunny and disco but I still felt thatsomewhere underneath that sound or in general life, there's some kind of melancholy still  underneath the surface of this shiny, luxurious disco yacht environment. And I also travelled abroad–I went to Italy. I always felt that in those moments, when you were sitting by the pool, watching the sunset, of course, it's beautiful. But there's something lurking underneath that's kind of melancholy. And I think that's what our sound has developed into–some kind of ’70s disco, but then there's this Scandinavian melancholy hiding inside it. That was the start of that–sitting by the pool, the sunrise, everything being beautiful, but still something being a bit off, you know? We started writing a bit with that in mind. Being in Sweden, it's dark, it's cold, sometimes the winters are really long. So in the studio, we sort of just travelled to this imaginary beach town, and just wrote the tracks there, in our mind. I think that was the inspiration.

    How do you think this EP has grown from your first one, Synergy?
    CL:
    More listeners?
    VW: That’s definitely one of them. But when I listened to the old EP and the new one, I think we were still searching for our sound. It's like, we love a bit of indie rock, and then we love a bit of indie pop, and then we love electronic music, and we were sort of still finding our way. That's very beautiful in itself, painting the map of your sound. Riviera had a bit more focus. It's more cohesive. I think that's the biggest difference. It's very noticeable when we play live. So when we play songs from Riviera, it's quite cohesive with the chords, chord. structures, the harmonies, [and] the feelings are quite similar. Then when we play the songs from Synergy, it's a bit all over the place. The different influences are quite a bit wider.

    Your most streamed song on Spotify is “Forget About It” with Antoine Chambe. Can you talk about how the song came together and what it was like working with him?
    VW:
    This is a question for you.
    CL: He's on the same record label and he wanted to do a song with us. So he sends an instrumental to us. [But we] couldn't download it from SoundCloud, so I just ripped it off of his SoundCloud, [and] it was very low quality. Then we just recorded our own vocals on it and sent it to him as a demo. We didn't hear anything for like half a year, and then it came back. Or [actually] he did reply immediately. [He] said you can work on it more.
    VW: “I love the chorus, the first verse needs a bit more work.”
    CL: And then half a year later. He says, “Okay, I want to master this and we're gonna release it.”

    The SoundCloud one?
    VW:
    Yes! Which I think makes the track more interesting. But it's like, you know, not hearing anything for that long of a time, and then he's just like “okay, so the track is mastered and going to be released.”

    Can you talk about your song “Golden Retriever” and the graphic that's on your website that goes along with it?
    CL: I mean, it was written as a joke, or is a joke, I guess. It was much more electronic in the beginning. But we took some advice from some manager who said that we should try to do it more ’80s rock [style]. And that's what ended up being. But the graphic designer actually is someone Viktor was in contact with who he knew from earlier.
    VW: The song cover is actually your dog.
    CL: That's my dog.
    VW: Who is not a golden retriever, unfortunately.
    CL: He’s a Labrador Retriever who becomes a golden retriever in the music video.
    VW: He transforms in the chorus. With the graphic, I think [Carl] had inspiration from some sort of Disney video where I think Mickey Mouse painted a world in colour or something. And I think we sent that to a graphic designer, Karolin Gu. She's really super talented and has this very comical, very vibrant style. So we sent that to her and sent the song. She really liked the song, which was so cool. And then she came back with some sketches. We worked on it, and then instantly, we knew that it had such a good vibe. The vibe was just so clear and beautiful and full of life. That's the whole sort of essence of the song. It’s like even though he’s not a golden retriever he sort of becomes one in the chorus. It's that kind of attitude to life, you know?

    When you travel around Europe, what's your favourite place you've performed?
    CL:
    Denmark has always been good.
    VW: Yeah, Denmark always has a good vibe. The crowd is super warm. I thought it was really cool to play in Paris. When we played in February, [we were] talking about musical influences, like a “French touch,” disco sound. I think it was so cool because we played there and everyone we talked to knew all the references. It's almost biological to them. They know that kind of music so well. So I felt like we were kind of at home in Paris.

    What would you say is your main inspiration when you're writing songs?
    CL: Depends on what mood you're in.
    VW: For me, it's definitely the chords. Chords for me are like a secret language. [They] evoke so much emotion. I can either hear a chord progression in another song or just hear one in my head, and it's so clear what it feels like. It could be the other way around that you just experience something in everyday life, and you get a particular feeling, and you want to translate it into a chord structure. So for me, that's always the starting point. I actually heard like, you know, Pharrell Williams, he said what he tries to do is get a feeling [and try] to reverse engineer the feeling into a musical track. If you figure out chords that might give you the same feeling, it's like you've sort of deciphered something really cool.

    To add onto that, do you try to create the same feeling in your live shows?
    CL: The live shows are much more energetic. We usually play the songs faster and with more instrumental parts. So the songs are much longer. There's a lot of jamming around.
    VW: Turning [the songs] into something different…I think that's the most enjoyable thing about playing live.

    You said you had been working on a new song in the studio this week. Can you talk a little bit about what it's about and what direction you are going with it?
    CL:
    It’s with Antoine again.
    VW: It's called “Reverie.” We've been discussing it a bit as well [as] being on the border between what's real, like your normal life .. and then every time you close your eyes and every time you relax, something comes back to you. We got the idea and then we wanted to make it work. I think it's sort of about being on that border and being haunted by your dreams.

    Viktor wears
    suit jacket Ermenegildo / Sellpy
    shirt Prada / Sellpy
    necklace and ring All blues
    feather necklace Stylist's Studio
    Carl wears
    suit jacket Stylist's Studios
    shirt Weekday Archive

    Carl wears
    suit Filippa K
    shirt Gant
    tie Napoli Centrale

    .

    Viktor wears
    shirt Napoli Centrale
    leather pants Deadwood

    tie Talent's Own
    rings Stylist's Studio and All blues

    Viktor wears
    suit jacket Ermenegildo / Sellpy
    shirt Prada / Sellpy
    trousers Eytys / Sellpy
    shoes J. Lindberg / Sellpy
    necklace and ring All blues
    feather necklace Stylist's Studio
    Carl wears
    suit jacket Stylist's Studios
    shirt Weekday Archive
    shoes Burberry
    photography Martin William Landl 

    fashion Åsa Maria Camnert / Agent Bauer 

    photography assistant Mikaela Landeström 

    fashion assistant Levi Sebastian Martine

  • photography Sandra Myhrberg
    fashion Rebecca Cohen / xo.studio

    .

    dress Prada

    Nicole Sabouné on Music, Liberation and Kismet

    Written by Natalia Muntean by Sandra Myhrberg

    How does music and neuroscience coexist within the same person? “The passion to do both things comes from the same drive and the same kind of place,” says Nicole Sabouné, one of the most interesting voices on the Swedish music scene, adding that she will probably live for the rest of her life balancing these two paths. After having recently graduated with a master’s degree in neuroscience, the 32-year-old artist released her fourth album titled Kismet at the beginning of October.
    “I always get into this fragile state, when opening up and releasing new music, of course. But it is also a relief, because it’s not mine anymore. And that is liberating,“ she tells me days ahead of the release. Kismet has been in the works for more than a year and a half, working in the lab during the day and spending her evenings in the studio. “I had a couple of hours every evening to get things done. So it’s been both good and bad. I think you get very effective and you don’t go back and forth a hundred times until you don’t know what’s good anymore,” she continues. Influenced by artists such as PJ Harvey, Air or Joy Division, Sabouné dug into herself and her own experiences for Kismet, a record that explores love, fate, liberation and acceptance. “Music has always been my output, especially when I feel something strongly and cannot express it in a good way.”

    Natalia Muntean: I can imagine you get very surprised reactions from people when you tell them about your two career choices, but when did you know you wanted to become an artist? Or would you define yourself as an artist?
    Nicole Sabouné: Yes, I would define myself as an artist. And it has been there since I was a kid. I don't remember not thinking that I would like to pursue some kind of career in music. From the start, it was only about getting some kind of output because I was quiet. So I found music to be it for me, which was really important. I think that has been there with me as a tool to be a part of something bigger.

    NM: When you were little do you remember listening to music and singing? Or were you writing? Were you composing?
    NS:
    I did everything. And my interest or passion comes from what happened to me when I listened to music when I was a kid. And I still have that - there's nothing that I can compare with that feeling of really listening to music that you enjoy, and that you feel, “Oh, this is my space”. And then I have been singing since I was… well, always.

    NM: Do you have any memory of a song? Like maybe, your first ever memory of a song that you were listening to?
    NS:
    Oh, I think there was a mix between like Spice Girls, Radiohead and Nirvana.

    NM: A pretty wide range for a five year old!
    NS:
    I think it's my brother's fault, to be honest (laughs). And then I went into Swedish punk, so I just came in contact with the punk scene. And then I started to move over to everything that came from the UK. And then it was just like spinning. I went into post punk and I’ve been there since.

    NM: You explored different genres…
    NS:
    I think I did. But I always kept in the darker space. When it comes to music, it has to have some kind of melancholic vibe in it for me to be interested. Otherwise, it passes through me. With some kind of music, I can tell that it might be good, but something has to happen; it has to grab something in me, and I think it's the dark vibes that work for me.

    NM: I wanted to touch upon this, actually, because I saw your music being described as “between darkness and romance”. And I'm just curious, how do you resonate with this, you know, description, and why do you think it encapsulates the essence of your music?
    NS:
    Of course it has something to do with references, the music world I come from, and what I like. Producing my own music is about wanting songs to evoke that specific feeling. With my voice as the main instrument, I always start by considering how I want to sing the song, how it suits my voice, and how I want it to appear. But it's a nice description, though, to be romantic and dark.

    NM: Why did you name the album Kismet and how was the process of working on it?
    NS:
    So kismet comes from the word fate or destiny, it has an Arabic origin and I'm half Lebanese, so I wanted a word that felt substantial, almost like a movie title because the album was inspired by Sofia Coppola. And then I saw this interview with Michael Stipe from REM, and he mentioned it was kismet that all of them in the band met. I had heard it before as qisma from Arabic, but didn’t realise you can say kismet in English. And then, when I started writing the songs, I felt like it suited really well into the concept of what I wanted to write about. Working with two of my best friends, Billy Cervin and Jon Bordon, with Billy and I co-writing a couple of songs and all three of us producing the album, has been the main experience of creating this album. It was a close collaboration, a dream team, everyone open-minded with good taste in music. We built this universe together, referencing songs I had in mind. I wrote some songs myself, picked up others from the past that I co-wrote with a friend and finished them, and the producing part of the album has been the most important, to be honest. Having the word kismet to be the title for this experience felt right.

    NM: Like tying everything together.
    NS
    : Yes, and making it sound like you want it to sound because, of course, you can have this song that you wrote and you love, but it takes a bit to make it sound like you want it to sound. So the producing part has connected everything together.

    NM: And then you mentioned that when you stumbled upon this word, you realised that it will fit very well with what you wanted to say on the album, what do you want to say on or with the album?
    NS:
    As a scientist, I have this really ambivalent relationship to fate. And I don't think I believe in fate in that kind of sense that most people do. When you talk about destiny, as in it was destiny that we met, and now we will share our lives together. This puts a lot of pressure on everything. So I thought this word is so huge, and it puts a lot of tension into things. And at the same time it’s such a beautiful phenomenon, that can be really relieving, and liberating. I wanted it to be a record about love, in relation to some kind of fate. So it has this red thread through the album, where it starts by really wanting someone and then it goes into all of the feelings of doubting yourself in the beginning and then you're not sure if you're capable of loving or being loved and, and then you just go through all the other relationships you had before… And then you have this fragmentation of love throughout the record. So it goes into not realising that it might not be fate that we met, that the relationship is not what we thought it was, or you are not the one that I thought you were. And then it goes into some kind of journey of liberating yourself from this. It ends in some kind of feeling of missing the other person so much, of loving the other person so much but you know it's coming to an end.

    NM: But, so correct me if I understood wrong, but it's basically about like, you have this idea that destiny can solve everything kind of, or it has everything set and you can’t decide anything. And then you realise that you can actually decide things and destiny…
    NS:
    Yes, that's a good interpretation. Because I think that finding your destiny can also be about the relationship to your own life or yourself. It's up to people to decide. But it's more or less about trying to understand that destiny might not be only one thing, that you can also… not control it yourself because that's not what it is, but more or less just be open to maybe other kinds of destinies, I guess. Because you can also switch it, right? You can say that  it was destiny that you met someone. But when it doesn't work, that might be destiny as well, which is kind of weird.

    NM: And were there specific emotions, experiences or sources of inspiration that fueled the creative process?
    NS:
    Everything in my life fits into this record, the good and the bad. I haven't been doing that a lot in my lyrics so this is one of the first times that I've said to myself, “Okay, this happened to me, and I'm writing it down, and letting everyone listen to it.” And I thought about how I can talk about this in a way where I don’t hit my integrity too much, because I'm a very private person otherwise, and I never like to talk about my private life. But still I cannot hide from some of these lyrics being really self-experienced.

    NM: What prompted this decision to be more vulnerable?
    NS:
    Maturity, maybe. Feeling that you are more in control of yourself, letting yourself do things that are quite scary, but can be good for you in the end.

    NM: You mentioned situations that inspired you and that you put into words. I was wondering how you view the fact that as an artist, you can take a story that I assume happened with someone else and create art out of it?
    NS:
    I think I agree that you're allowed to have your own truth. And that's what art is about. I don't think there should be any boundaries to that, except not being a shady person. But more or less, art has to be some kind of liberation. I think it would be boring if you always took someone else's feelings into consideration when you're trying to be true to yourself or challenging yourself. I wouldn't call out someone's name but I think it would be boring if people started to think too much about what they're writing. I want it to feel raw and honest and authentic.

    NM: This period after releasing the album might leave you exposed in some way. How are you coping with it?
    NS
    : Leaving town, hiding somewhere (laughs). I have thought about it and I think I just need to face it, to be honest. This is my record and I'm very proud of it. I just need to teach myself to own it in a way that I haven't done before and also that it is okay to change and feel vulnerable and try to learn how to manage those feelings.

    NM: Why do you think that is?
    NS:
    Oh, God, where do I start? As a kid, I was quite isolated and didn't have many friends. I haven't practised talking about feelings much during my childhood. In my preteens and late teens, I struggled with social awkwardness, trying to understand how people connected. Getting into adulthood, fitting into the world, and navigating social norms have been ongoing challenges. I'm still practising all the social codes. I don't like the feeling of people getting too close; it's like, “Don't come any closer because I don't know how to handle it.” But every five years or so, someone comes into my life, like this amazing friend I met two years ago. Once I open up, good things happen, but I can still be reserved and selective.

    NM: That is very interesting because you are an artist, you are in the public eye, this comes with the job. But then you say you don't like doing that. So how do you do it?
    NS:
    It's a balance. And it's also a day to day thing. Some days, I don't want to talk to anyone. And some days, I feel brave enough to make it out in the world. And I think music makes me brave because there’s this thing to talk about and it’s easier if you have something to bring to the table, like a record, if we just talk about the industry. And other than that, I went to school for six years after releasing two albums. I had to move away from the public eye and I needed to ground myself into something else.

    NM: But going back to the album, you have a mix of genres in it. From what I heard, and I read it's like from Gothic elements to Nordic pop. How did you blend them all together so it's a melodically cohesive line?
    NS
    : It's always hard to talk about genres when it comes to music because people talk about my music as like, “Oh, she's the goth Princess of Sweden”. And then some people say I’m indie pop and indie rock and rock and post punk. But I don't think like that, to be honest. I never plan for a specific genre, I’m more or less just sticking to the song and the story of the song and just trying to figure out how to create a concept around the songs that I picked to be on the album. And there are some elements that we use for every song just to connect them. “I got it all” is the main pop song of the album, if we're talking about genres, and that was Björn Yttling’s input. But the songs I wrote myself have more or less the same melodic line because they come only from me. I think it's also interesting to collaborate with people, to get other input, to open it up a little bit.

    NM: Can you tell me more about Sofia Coppola and how does she fit into this?
    NS:
    She fits right into it. I mean, she's been around since I was a teen and I've always loved her movies. I think she's been a part of forming my musical preferences because she has this great taste in music and she shows that with her soundtracks. And I found a lot of bands through watching her films, which was really nice. For this album, the main reference has been Air, the French band who did the soundtrack to Virgin Suicides. I really love her aesthetics and connection to the 90s. And I just think she's a brilliant director, to be honest.

    NM: And you mentioned that you would like the album to sound like a soundtrack to one of her movies. What would the movie be about?
    NS:
    It would be about love in some kind of way. I guess it would be a story about two people trying to figure life out.

    NM: How do you balance your identity as the artist and Nicole, the private person, and how do they intertwine?
    NS:
    I feel more comfortable as the artist. I feel more myself and connected to what I do. I have confidence and trust myself a lot as an artist and what I want to do and how I want to communicate things. As a private person, I've been better in the last five or 10 years, surrounding myself with people I really trust. It was a long road of being selective, and I found my people. I feel more and more like myself as a private person as well, but I don’t trust myself as much in the private concept of myself.

    NM: How has your music evolved since you first started singing and what has changed and what has remained constant?
    NS:
    I think the focus on my voice as a main instrument has been constant throughout my career. It's a part of my music and how I get identified with my fans. Starting out as a 20-year-old, it's been a journey, like any other job. I've improved over time, especially in songwriting. Initially, I had insecurities about writing melodies and composing because I wasn't sure how it would sound if I did it myself, given my early collaborations. That has developed a lot. Now, I can write something that feels like a song I genuinely created. The same goes for lyrics. I can capture a greater sense of what I want to express rather than just focusing on what sounds good. It's a journey, mastering every process in the whole thing.

    NM: It sounds like you've had a long journey and now you’re ready to fly! Can you share any specific experiences or influences that have shaped your musical style and artistic expression?
    NS:
    Oh God. I've watched a lot of movies. Honestly, many of my music references come from movies, especially in terms of style, from Chloe Sevigny to Harmony Korine. In my teens I also read a lot about punk history. And of course, I listened to musicians such as Patti Smith, Nick Cave, and PJ Harvey. So listening to a lot of music and watching great movies really shaped my taste. And concerts!

    NM: What was the first concert you went to? Do you remember?
    NS:
    My mom was born really close to where the Sweden Rock Festival is. So I was there from when I was a kid, like 12. I was raised at the Sweden Rock Festival. So, I went to a lot of concerts when I was a kid because my parents went to many, thanks to the festivals and all. So probably a metal or rock concert.

    NM: What was the best moment of your career so far?
    NS:
    Lots of great moments, to be honest. I met Patti Smith once, and I almost died. I was like, 23 or something, and I had this idea of becoming Patti Smith one day. So that was insane! But also, I think the small moments, like being on tour with my band, have been the greatest moments of my life. I love to rehearse and get the band together and enjoy the music. Those are the best moments.

    NM: So it's the little things, except for Patti Smith.
    NS:
    The little things and yeah, a little bit of Patti. (laughs)

    NM: What is your favourite track on Kismet?
    NS:
    “Before You Know It” because it has this intense and really raw output that I really like, and it's going to be amazing live. I have a lot of love for that song at the moment.

    NM: What lyrics from the album have a special meaning to you?
    NS:
    All of them, to be honest, but I think the most sensitive spot is “Stop Loving Me” because that's actually taken from just one situation. That was really intense and I'm proud that I could put the experience into words in an elegant way.

    NM: What emotions or responses do you hope to evoke in your audience?
    NS:
    I think some kind of liberation. I always go for that. I want people to feel like they are allowed to feel everything, and that they take themselves seriously, finding their own way of interpreting things. Just feel good about it, and as music has this really intense power, lose yourself in that, I guess.

    body and corsett Julia Weström
    jacket and skirt Rave Review

    top The Forumist

    jacket Laerke Dramshoe / The Forumist

    trousers Khéla / The Forumist

    tube topp A.O.A / The Forumist

    boots Eytys

    top Soda Lingerie / The Forumist

    jeans and boots Eytys

    dress Ida Sjöstedt

    photography Sandra Myhrberg
    fashion Rebecca Cohen / xo.studio

    makeup Linda Öhrström / Link Details

    hair Tony Lundström / MIKAs Looks

    makeup assistant Alicia Hurst

    special thanks to Victory Hotel

    dress Rasmus Georgiadis

  • photography yasmine mubark / shot on Lumix in Nice, Franc

    48 hours on the French Riviera

    Written by Jahwanna Berglund

    Expect the unexpected, such as delayed trains and flights, and even though things may not always go as you planned, be in the moment. Soak up the positive energies around you, have a glass of Chablis before lunch and know that there’s nowhere else to be and nothing else to do but being right here, right now.

    When arriving in Nice in early May you can feel the vibrating essence of the Riviera. It’s a certain light energy with a touch of elegance. There’s an excitement about the Cote d’Azur, that probably stems from old movies and the romantic scenes that have been played out there, both on and off screens since way back.
    Since our base for the next three days was going to be Antibes, we jumped on the train from Nice to Antibes, which is a short train ride away, going towards Cannes.

    Antibes is a charming gem with just the right amount of everything you need, like restaurants, cafés, culture, beautiful surroundings and of course, the alluring Mediterranean.
    We checked in at the Hotel Le Ponteil, which is a small private owned hotel only a few blocks from the beaches of Antibes. In this beautifully restored house, the owners, Efva and Martin, have created a magical sanctuary that feels like your home away from home. The hotel has individually furnished rooms with lots of charm and character.


    To eat breakfast outdoors in the morning sun, listening to the birds singing, watching a squirrel running up and down a tree trunk while the house cat is sunbathing in front of the kitchen door is incredibly peaceful. I don’t know if it’s because of the surroundings, the fact that you’re staying at the most charming hotel or simply that your breakfast is made out of the finest quality foods, but the breakfast here tastes amazing!

    Depending on how you enjoy spending your days, there’s truly something for everyone in Antibes.
    The beach is only a few minutes away – whether you prefer a beach club or the public beach. Bring a paperback or your favourite Spotify playlist in your headphones and soak up the sun! Or if you’re really on vacation to fulltime relax, you can easily spend the afternoon in the garden sofa, reading a book or sipping on your favourite wine. Enjoy the peacefulness and have a little meditative moment with your own thoughts.

    If you enjoy a bit more activity, you mustn’t miss the stunning hiking trail around Cap d’Antibes, Sentier de Tirepoil. Make sure to wear your sneakers or other comfortable shoes since parts of the trail are narrow with steeps towards the ocean.
    Along the path you pass beautiful villas, and on the waterfront side the setting is constantly changing, depending on the nature. All along the route you smell the different types of flowers in bloom for the season. Prepare for a 2-hour walk, bring a bottle of water and perhaps even your swimsuit if you feel for a dip in the blue. It is easy to understand why artists such as Picasso and Monet found inspiration in Antibes. The environment, the light and the energy are delicate, and you can imagine the spark of creativity that it generates.

    Pablo Picasso spent six months in Antibes in 1947, and later donated a number of paintings and drawings that are now on display at the Musée Picasso, that you find in the Château Grimaldi in Antibes. The creativity is blooming to this day and you’ll find a lot of small galleries in the old part of the town.

    There’s plenty of choices when it comes to eating and drinking in Antibes. Whether you enjoy seafood (did anyone say oysters?), steaks or vegetarian dishes, there’s something for everyone. The old town of Antibes is very charming with narrow alleys, lots of bars, coffee shops and restaurants.
    We were spontaneous when we noticed the beautiful courtyard of La Guinguette. Walk through the indoor part of the restaurant to the romantic courtyard, decorated with bird cages, lamp shades and other colourful items. Here they serve a “Mediterranean menu” inspired of both Italy and southern France. To sit at the table, enjoying the food, while watching the rest of the tables fill up with excited dinner guests is delightful!

    Thanks to the regional train company, SNCF, it’s easy to travel between the cities and villages on the Riviera. You can be spontaneous and jump on a train and discover something completely different, only a short train ride away. We made excursions to Nice, to get more of a city feeling, and to Monaco. Nice is a good option if you’re craving a bit more action than the calmer vibes of Antibes. Here you’ll find more shopping, more restaurants, and of course bigger crowds. Monaco is in our opinion overrated but hey – we wouldn’t know unless we hadn’t visited. Of course, you do get a bit curious about this tiny principality that attracts wealthy people, gamblers and Formula 1 enthusiasts. However, there’s plenty of other stops along the train line, and it’s really about how much time you have to kill. We got a recommendation to visit Menton, and since Italy is nearby, you can even take the train to Ventimiglia!

    When to go:

    -early May is a perfect time if you want to avoid the crowds that arrive during the peak of the summer
    -“Jazz à Juan-les-Pins” takes place between the 12th and 21st of July so if you’re a jazz fan – hit it!
    -July/August – expect lot’s of people and a more intense vibe since this is when the Riviera gets invaded by tourists and the crowd with summer homes here.
    -Cannes Yachting Festival from the 10th -15th of September – still a beautiful time to visit but not as energetic as July or August.

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