The trip was short. Two days. Maybe three. Montecarlo first. Then Saint Tropez.
It is always a pleasure when design clients send you south to talk about serious things. Co branding. Development opportunities. Long term vision. These conversations land better when the sea is close and the light is honest.
Montecarlo in early June is precise. Clean streets. Controlled elegance. The port is quiet but alert. Yachts rest like animals that know they are admired. Meetings happen efficiently. Words are chosen carefully. Decisions feel lighter when the horizon is blue.
Work finished earlier than planned. That happens sometimes when everyone knows why they are there.
We moved west along the coast. Saint Tropez was already awake but not crowded yet. Early summer still belongs to those who arrive before the noise. The air smelled of salt and sunscreen. Linen moved slowly. Glasses clinked without effort.
We started with the port. Walking it end to end. Watching crews prepare boats as if for a quiet ceremony. Every deck told a story. Some loud. Some disciplined. Some still unfinished. The port is the real theatre. Everything else follows.
Later, we went to 1051 Club. Music was already warm. The crowd leaned into the night instead of chasing it. Drinks were cold. Conversations stayed short. The kind of place where ideas do not need to be explained.
Design discussions resurfaced without pressure. Colors. Materials. Scenarios. Co branding felt natural here. Nothing forced. Opportunities revealed themselves the way the coast does, gradually and with confidence.
By the time we left, summer had officially started. Not on a calendar. In the body.
Some trips are planned for output.
Others remind you why you do the work at all.
The Côte d’Azur does that well, especially in June.
