Menton is the last town in France before Italy, the finish of the Route des Grandes Alpes, and after seven hundred kilometres of mountains it feels like being tipped into a warm bath. The old town tumbles down a hill to the harbour in tones of ochre, apricot and cream, topped by the baroque Basilica of Saint Michael with its glowing facade. The climate is the mildest on the French Riviera, sheltered by the mountains behind, and the local lemons are famous, celebrated each February in the Fête du Citron, when huge sculptures made of fruit and flowers fill the gardens and people parade through the streets.
The town has a gentle, slightly faded elegance, a place where Victorian visitors came for their health and a gaggle of grand villas still look out over the water. Jean Cocteau, the writer and artist, decorated the registry office in the town hall, and a museum of his work stands on the seafront. A short walk away, the gardens of Garavan, planted with exotic trees and flowers, benefit from a warmth that few other places in France can match. The Italian border is just beyond, close enough to walk, and many people cross for lunch.
The final ride down the mountain is the real subject. Many riders arrive from the Col de la Bonette, at 2,715 metres the highest paved pass in France when including its extra loop, or from the Col de Vars, at 2,109 metres. The descent toward the coast winds through high pastures, then narrow gorges, then pine and chestnut forest, before finally dropping through olive groves and terraced hillsides toward the sea. Along the way, perched villages such as Sainte-Agnès, at about eight hundred metres the highest coastal village in Europe, cling to rocky crests above the bay, with narrow lanes and glorious views. The temperature climbs as the road falls, and a rider can go from a frosty morning to a hot afternoon in a few hours.
Practical matters are easy in a town of nearly thirty thousand. Fuel stations line the approach roads, and there are cafes and restaurants all along the seafront. Traffic along the coast is heavy in summer, and parking is tight, so look for a secure garage. Pastry shops sell tarte au citron, and the local speciality is socca, a thin chickpea pancake, or pissaladière, an onion tart. Treat yourself with a swim: it is the tradition at the end of this journey.