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Show Sunday, September Travel Also in this section: Theater THE HERALD, Provo, Utah, 23, 1990 D6-D- 8 - Page Dl Sunday Scpl. L;j, !))() D French Riviera coast seeks identity as economic sun belt The faNICE, France AP) miliar sound of metal balls glancing off each other is in the air of every town square along the Cote d'Azur. But Lucien Sivilotto, an aficionado of "boules," says the game has lost its character, as surely as the region is losing its soul. Like many other longtime residents, he frets about a Riviera threatened with overdevelopment and overrun by tourists, summer residents and wealthy retirees. "The tourists are impersonal and with time the people of the land have grown impersonal," he sighed. "Even the game of boules has become impersonal." Traditionally, the local folk worked up an appetite over a d an pastis aperitif and a round of boules, known formally as "petanque." "Boules, the real boules, that no longer exists," sighed Sivilotto, who goes by the name Loulou. anise-flavore- "In the past, there were big graceful gestures," he said, winding his arm back like a baseball pitcher. "At a game of boules, people got together and talked." But like the Cote d'Azur itself, "It's lost its cachet, its personality," Loulou said. Loulou is a taxi driver from Le Lavendou, at the western end of the Cote d'Azur. But he works the coast between Nice and Toulon a stretch he describes as "one big suburb." officials expect that And rope's economic Eu- unification in 1992 will be bring even more development to the Riviera. They foresee the region as "a continuous city, something like Los Angeles," said Christian Borghese, chief engineer for city planning in Nice, capital of the Cote d'Azur. Some say that day has already come. "Everything has been touched. From San Remo (across the But builders have proved that the landscape made famous by Pissaro, Picasso and other art masters is not immortal. The light so loved by painters is still special, but the inspirational countryside is increasingly marred by concrete and cranes. Back hills not ravaged by forest - reputation as a capital of wealth and excess still intact. "People want to be seen here with the beautiful car or the big motor bike," said a longtime city hall employee who recounted the above incidents. She spoke on condition she not be named. The town's new mayor, Alain Spada, tried to put a damper on it all with a decree banning nudism on public beaches. The impact was negligible. "We make the rounds, we look, and if we find someone naked, we ask them to get dressed," said a policeman. "It's not really a prob "When the Romans invaded they followed just that route," said Borghese. Today's invasion is still mostly seasonal, limiting the region's revenue to summer months when tourists flock by the millions to the Cote d'Azur, scrambling for their patch of sand. The gracious "belle epoche" architecture recalling the Riviera's heyday still flourishes. But Nice "is now betting on another sort of wealth, employment, which is much more sure," Borghese said. In 1989, 700,000 square feet of a lot for office space was sold a city that five years ago sold virtually none. A former casino on the seaside promenade is being torn down to make way for offices. d new highA speed train system will put Nice within four hours of Paris by the much-dispute- year 2000. lx)cal officials and residents of Provence, to the northwest, are trying to block the TGV trains whose tracks would g wind through a scenic region. d high-spee- wine-growin- On the Riviera, groups are protesting a second highway through the back country to handle overflow traffic from the coast road, which in places already resembles a congested California freeway. Nice is also studying a metro system that would link it with nearby Antibes. "All of Europe has but one wish, to come and work on the Cote d'Azur," said Borghese. "Now, people would rather die poor but in the sun." A second wave of immigrants is not welcome news to Loulou and others who feel their way of life threatened. "Thirty years ago, this was a region with an art of living," Loulou said. "We feel like strangers in our own land, anonymous," he said. Even at a game of boules, when the tourists gather, "It's like watching the natives at their tribal dance." St. Tropez survives another summer 'Paradise or Hell?' A ST. TROPEZ, France (AP) woman called St. Tropez City Hall in August seeking a special sticker to drive her car in a harbor-sid- e pedestrian zone. Permission refused, she became indignant. "How can you not give it to me?" she exclaimed. "I rented a Ferrari to be seen in St. Tropez." A few days later, a car carrying a sheik knocked over a young motorcyclist. "Let's not get involved in insurance," the sheik reportedly said. "How much does a new motorcycle cost?" The little world of St. Tropez has survived another summer, its fires are dotted with tract houses. The coast road is lined with housing developments, commercial centers, public toilets and billboards offering, "Your Apartment With Sea View." "The rich today are not the same as before," said Borghese, referring to the wealthy British patrons who made Nice famous. "Richness has evolved, democratized." Nice officials say their city is part of the "spinal column" of the Europe of 1992 when economic frontiers will disappear. They hope to make Nice a center for high technology, a "clean industry," according to Borghese. Their strategy is to link Nice to industrial centers stretching in an arc from Milan, Turin and Genoa, in Italy, to Madrid. Ital- ian border) to St. Tropez, it is just one big city," said Noel Perna, president of Region Verte, a French ecological group. "Here, concrete is worth more than vegetables," said Perna, a municipal official of St. Laurent du Var, outside Nice. Officials there recently voted to convert the last remaining agricultural zone to building space. Verdant hideaways and azure coves abound. Bougainvillea still bloom, umbrella pines offer a cooling respite and the blue mist rides the rocky crescent to the sea. races facing the yachts. The lem here." Nudity is, in fact, passe in St. Tropez. The new trend is black leathers, shiny tights and plenty n of studs, to accompany a motorcycle. Police said that within two months they removed more than 2,000 illegally parked motorcycles. The bikers cruise around the main square, then descend on the port area at about 7 p.m. when the multimillion-dolla- r yachts are yachts' occupants lounge on the deck, in full view of the thousands combing the quai. With a year-roun- d population of 5,700, St. Tropez attracts 60,000 to 80,000 tourists daily in July and August, according to city hall. Harley-Davidso- swinging into There are as many summer residences. homes as year-roun- d Writers from Guy de Maupassant to Colette and Jean Cocteau took refuge in St. Tropez. But it was Brigitte Bardot's arrival that much-covete- d brought international berths. notoriety and hastened the fishing village's transformation into a tourist mec- - Crowds gather on the cafe ter ca. Bardot has railed at the fate of her hideaway, even threatening to move to Mexico. "I can no longer live in what St. Tropez has become," she said last year. "I am leaving it to the invaders." Mayor Spada appears inclined to agree. He complained in a recent TV interview about the hordes who descend on St. Tropez "just to eat ice cream," cheapening the ambiance and contributing nothing to local coffers. "Laxness is total in St. Tropez," he said. "It's time to straighten up, to take care of our image." Spada, who refused requests for an interview, was speaking on a show called, "St. Tropez: Hell or Paradise?" It drew no firm conclusion. "I try to remain lucid," said the pastor of St. Lopez, Michael Moncoult. During the summer, "there is a concentration of all of society's problems here. You have the impression that things are very serious. ... But I don't believe, in reality, that this is a place of sin more than any oth- er." South D akota mine and museum a virtual vacation gold mine By BOB HUDSON Herald Staff Writer LEAD, S.D. - There's gold in them thar hills. n That's a fact. n The fact is because the Homestake Mining Co. has extracted billions of dollars worth over the past 110 or so years. well-know- well-know- Tourists who visit South Dakota's gold region can take a surface tour of the Homestake Mine. But, because the mine is still in operation, they can't go inside. But, at the Black Hills Mining Museum, just up the street, they can get an idea what it's like inside a typical mine. Atlantic abounds with hideaways ("Eastern Islands: Accessible Islands of the Atlantic East Coast," by David Laskin, Facts on File Publications, 1990, $24.95) America's East Coast has long held a special allure. From the rocky shores of Maine to Florida's toasty beaches, the Atlantic coast has long been a popular destination for tourists. But few travelers venture off the coast to the range of islands that stretch up and down the Atlantic coast. David Laskin surveys the rich history and scenic beauty of 30 of these fascinating stopovers in "Eastern Islands: Accessible Islands of the Atlantic East Coast." In this comprehensive guidebook, Laskin, a travel writer and editor, brings to life the history, geology, resources, wildlife and lifestyles of n such hideaways as: Swans Island, located off the coast of Maine. This island can be best explored by bicycle. It offers backroads lined with wildflowers and fat blueberries that lead to forests, coves and headlands. The island's economic mainstay is lobslittle-know- ter fishing. Shelter Island, located off the eastern end of Long Island, boasts the Mashomak Preserve. There are also miles of open beaches. The many barrier islands extending from New York to Miami, all offering a wide range of activities and a rich historical legacy. Organized geographically listing islands from North to South, the guide offers facts and statistics not found in other books, from each island's discovery and development to the variety of birds, schools and government, industry, village life and economy. Each entry includes island size, population, access from the mainland, and information on island towns and public facilities, such as parks and beaches, bringing to life the beauty and customs of each area. The book includes more than 100 photos. ("The Civil War Battlefield Guide," The Conservation Fund, edited by Frances H. Kennedy, Houghton-Miffli- n Company, $16.95 paper; $29.95 cloth) The Civil War ended 125 years ago, but its battlefields remain among the most evocative places in the American landscape. "The Civil War Battlefield Guide" brings history to life in words, maps and pictures. The book covers not only the famous battlefields in the national park system, but many others that have been all but forgotblack-and-whi- ten, including Around America Cost is reasonable $3.25 for adults, $2.25 for youngsters 6 to 12 or $10 per family. The museum features, among other things, an opportunity to pan for gold just as prospectors of old did. Cost is $3 with a few flakes to take home in a bottle guaranteed. In the basement of a converted grocery store, though, is the big attraction. Following an explanation of some mining terms, a guide takes a tour group of 20 or so into the "mine." According to the guide, those who built the museum consulted miners to ensure authenticity. The tour, with stops at a dozen or so stations, takes about 40 minutes. Each station features a dummy miner or two and shows the various ways men have extracted ore from the Homestake over the years. Also featured is some historic equipment. And, after the tour is over, there's more to see. First, one can theater for some stop in a historic footage of mining operations. Then tourists can browse through dozens of displays of historic memorabilia, including a mockup of an assay office. And, as a souvenir, people can take home a core sample drawn from the real mine. The brittle shafts of rock are reputed to make stones if good knife sharpening your souvenirs must serve a useful purpose. And, if you want other souvenirs, they are available for purchase. Included are authentic stock certificates, Black Hills gold jewelry and pieces of rock from around the region. The book, "Whiz Trips for Kids," recommends the museum highly. The recommendation is valid. My own children were fascinated with the tour. Lead is approximately 50 miles northwest of Mt. Rushmore. Some have said that one visit to the stone faces is enough to last a lifetime. But, others reject that view. There's something magical about the monument, the bits of history around the visitors' center and sculptor's studio, that draws people from around the world. The Black Hills region features plenty of things to see and do. Lamping and fishing are popular activities. And, if you don't want to buy a license and scout out the best streams, you can stop at one of those guaranteed catch places that charge by the inch. Two of the both called "Trout Haven," are near Hot Springs and near the twin cities of Lead and Deadwood. And, speaking of Deadwood, there's plenty of history. Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are both buried in Mt. Moriah Cemetery. Saloon No. 10, where Jack McCall killed Hickok, is still in operation. If you enjoy gambling, Deadwood offers plenty of opporunity. Gambling is legal in that community again. People from surrounding states are making the city into a smaller version of Nevada communities. Western South Dakota and the Black Hills are a little over a day's drive from Central Utah. d, HAUNTED HALLOWEEN saiem wiassacnusenes battlefields saved. those paved, THE JUNE MORRIS SCHOOL OF TRAVEL not battlefields and campaigns are described in essays by Sixty-fiv- e such distinguished historians as James M. McPherson and Stephen 1 Sears. Each is illustrated with a map that shows the topography landand includes both present-da- y marks and those of the 1860s. Dozens of photographs and drawings show the battlefields as they look today and as they were during the war. Essays by Sen. Sam Nunn, Sen. John Heinz and others asoffer insights on lesser-know- n pects of the Civil War, including mapmaking, the use of battlefields by military historians and the role of black soldiers. The guide was a project of the it orConservation Fund, a ganization which works in partnership with other organizations and agencies to acquire wildlife habitats, open space and historic sites for conservation. 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