Anjuna, Eze-Sur-Mer, France
Saturday June 6, 2015 – Basking in the glorious sunshine as I greeted our Maclynn8 group outside the brand new and glamorous Monaco Yacht Club, an international visitor commented –
“Barbara I can see how you’ve got the perfect work/lifestyle balance living between Monaco and London – what’s not to love about this place!”
She was right of course, 27 degrees and stunning blue sky, the buzz of weekend activity at the Yacht club coupled with the hum of boat engines and flutter of sail boats. Monaco’s Port Hercule; a cluttered sea of boats – the ultimate toys of the rich.
And speaking of ultimate toys; it was around midday when our VanDutch boat transfer pulled in to collect us to take us 20 minutes from Monaco to Eze for our sublime Anjuna lunch. Louise Clark heads up sales and marketing for VanDutch – as well as being one of my Monaco must-have girlfriends around a rosé lunch table she is an accomplished Yacht Captain; not to mention being totally hot!
The boat ride made everyone’s day – what a dream to get out of port and zoom past Fontvieille and Cap D’Ail with Louise having great fun pushing her VD 55ft with its 2 x 900 HP engines to an exciting and excitable 38 knots…giddy up! That’s one sure way to kick start your adrenalin and put you in the mood for a fun afternoon.
Arriving at Anjuna our partner in our first South of France event, handsome wine entrepreneur Bradley Mitton of Club Vivanova greeted us at the entrance of the restaurant. Bradley is English but his wine distribution company Mitton wines is based in Germany. It’s that mix of German effectiveness and English fun that make both working with him and enjoying his events such a dream team.
Our choice of restaurant Anjuna in Eze-Sur-Mer is a piece of Balinese paradise. It’s a favourite haunt of celebrities – Bono and The Edge live across the road and are often seen there entertaining their friends like Leonardo di Caprio. Racing legend Eddie Jordan regularly plays for the fun lunching crowds with his band Eddie & The Robbers. It’s no wonder Anjuna was my top choice to amuse our group.
So back to dream teams and dreamy lunch participants. Our group was 24 people pretty much evenly matched handsome men and beautiful women. We had a couple of men too many – but the ladies weren’t complaining! International weekend visitors hailing from Scotland, London, English South Coast and Paris. Our local crew from Nice, Cannes, St Jean Cap Ferrat, Monaco and Italy. Smart, sophisticated, attractive and cosmopolitan our lunch ensemble was by far the best looking group in the restaurant and we were definitely having the most fun.
The food was amazing. Simple and fresh. Burrata, fragrant local tomatoes and purple basil to start and followed by the freshest fish or a massive plate of ribs for the carnivores. I ordered fish but was having huge rib envy; the man sat next to me enjoying his ribs developed rather pointy elbows and was not sharing! The rosé flowed endlessly throughout lunch and we ended with a lemon cheesecake and Limoncello; home-made of course and delivered in magnum Domaine Ott bottles. It seemed to a good idea at the time have Limonello shots competitions; just an ordinary day for the staff watching on from Anjuna!
And so the day ended with ever-capable Louise taking us back to Monaco in her super-charged and super-chic boat. The landscape somewhat more blurry, making it the perfect idyllic background for the big big smiles on everyone faces. What an amazing time – an unforgettable experience. Roll on October 3rd when we do another one. Contact events@vida8.com for more details.
From G. – Antibes,
Dear Barbara, thank you for turning just “another” day on the Riviera into a day to remember.
The organisational flow was seem-less and effortless. The transport straight out of the movies, the venue absolutely amazing. Just stunning! The food was seriously good and so fitting for such a grand occasion. And my fellow companions were above and beyond expectation.
Both you and Bradley were excellent hosts on such a grand day. What a day to remember!!! Thank you thank you thank you.
From P. – Scotland,
Morning Barbara, Just a little text to say thanks for a great weekend. Made good friends with X (female), we got on fantastically. Whoever she meets is going to be a lucky guy! I had a great chat with X he is an interesting and kind guy and of course X (male) who is just like me. Looking forward to returning again soon.
From D. – Nice Cote d’azur,
Hi Barbara. Thank you so much for a really great day – a little worse for wear today. A great group of fun and interesting people and although I didn’t chat to everyone I most enjoyed the day and look forward to another. A very good way to start the summer!
From K. – London,
A fantastic afternoon in the sun with fabulous people, stunning scenery, delicious food and wine and lots of laughter. One to definitely be repeated!
From L. – Monaco,
As a CEO and Entrepreneur I value incredible experiences more than just time out. I like to mix with people who stimulate great conversations and who can have fun. Yesterday’s amazing event at Anjuna was a fun experience; great people and great venue. Priceless for a busy exec!
From D. – London,
Thanks Barbara for a lovely weekend! The lunch yesterday was so enjoyable in a wonderful setting. Trying to do less work so do let me know if there are any other events coming up!
From J. – Monaco,
Hi Barbara, yesterday was a wonderful day. Well organized with a great group of people to meet and socialize. Perfect day!
By Barbara Brudenell-Bruce, Managing Director Maclynn8
Barbara represents Maclynn in Monaco & London, and in 2014 launched Maclynn8, an invite-only private members networking club for the world’s most exceptional people. She pairs her incredible list of contacts with an intuitive sense of compatibility and environment, channeling the elusive magic ingredient that brings people together. events@vida8.com
