President Sarkozy and Carla get away from it all in the French Riviera

August 3, 2008Aug 3, 2008, 11:00 PM GMT+1

The couple began their holiday by soaking up the rays and snorkelling on a rocky outcrop overlooking a sheltered cove at Cap Negre, in the Var region of the French Riviera. Widely recognised as the most peaceful part of the region it's favoured those in search of privacy, and Carla's family has a villa close by.

Apart from a brief trip to attend the Olympic opening ceremony this Friday, the French premier and his wife will spend the next three weeks dividing their time between the Bruni property and the official presidential summer residence of Fort of Bregancon in the picture perfect village of Bormes-les-Mimosas.

The restored 16th-century town perched on a hilltop overlooking the mediterranean is a maze of pink-tiled houses and narrow streets lined with the mimosa trees which give it its name.

A fine view of the old quarter can be seen from Saint Francoise de Paule square, while the Musee d'Arts et Histoire - which features works by local landscape painters - makes a great stop-off for those in search of a little culture.

The French premier and his glamorous wife began their summer holiday with a snorkelling excursion at a secluded cove on the French Riviera, close to where Carla's family own a beachfront property

The Cap Negre area is one of Riviera's most peaceful

He may have been on holiday, but that didn't mean the fitness enthusiast was going to spend his days lazing around in the sun. Here he heads off on a jog along the coast

The couple will divide their time between Carla's family villa and the presidential summer residence of Fort Bregancon, a majestic, 16th-century building in the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas

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