The Most Expensive Real Estate In The World

Today, being Tuesday, we decided against going to Grasse, as there was still a good chance that most things would be closed for the day. We decided to visit Cap Ferrat instead.

Recent real estate magazines that we have been collecting have confirmed (factually) that Cap Ferrat remains the most expensive real-estate in the world.

No wonder.

The Cap is a gorgeous isthmus of land that juts out into the Mediterranean Sea, like a long finger, situated between Nice and Monaco. When you depart Nice airport, you get a spectacular view of this most prestigious little bit of land. Long the haunt of the Rich and famous (the Baroness Euphressi du Rothschild built her magnificent mansion here, along with King Leopold of Belgium, and countless movie stars both past and present, from Charlie Chaplin to Brad & Angelina), most of the island is sort of hidden by high fences and hedges. But that doesn’t really matter.

The writer W. Somerset Maugham described it in a letter to his nephew, Robin Maugham, as "the escape hatch from Monaco for those burdened with taste."

Money may not buy you happiness, but it can sure get you the peace and quiet that Paul and I relish so much.

We headed off to the Cap today under cloudless skies. We adore catching glimpses of the few mansions that have more public exposure than others, of both the famous and the lucky unknown wealthy. A good example of a mansion that you can see plainly is that of the late actor David Niven. His house, originally called Lo Scoglietto (Little Rock) with its private harbour, is a beautiful pink Italianate villa built in 1880 by Alfred Bounin, the son of an arms supplier to the Sardinian army, himself an olive oil trader from Nice.

In 1920, the villa was rented by Duchess of Marlborough, Mme Balsan, originally Consuelo Vanderbilt. It was extended in the 1950s and rented by Leopold III, King of the Belgians, one year before his abdication.

Later Lo Scoglietto was bought by Charlie Chaplin, and in 1960 he in turn sold it to the film actor David Niven, who was very much part of Princess Grace's social scene.

The small square in front of the villa is named Place David Niven as a tribute to the late actor. Although the ownership of the house since then has been less well documented, there is an unsubstantiated local story that it was briefly owned by Dodi Fayed, who of course was the ill-fated suitor of Princess Diana

Recently restored at reputed cost of €10 million, the villa is now known as La Fleur du Cap.

No matter whom they are and where they come from – they have to have cash, but they are also some of the luckiest people in the world to own this little bit of Shangri-la.

Today’s photos from the top: A homage to St Jean by Jean Cocteau "There is a youthful mystery in the old stones of St Jean", aperitifs before lunch at a local bar, David Niven's house, A small boat floating in the private slip belonging to the house, My feet in the Mediterranean sea (sigh, yes, those are sandal tan lines - but look at the tan!).

Today was clear sunshine with a hot but dry hi of 30C. Yes, I said 30C.