The place for rich and famous

US tycoon Donald Trump's ex-wife, the businesswoman and former model Ivana Trump whose star sign is beginning-of-the-year Aquarius, was seen feasting on cakes and champagne as she celebrated her birthday in midsummer St Tropez.

As an added boost for the celebrity-watching press, her Italian fiance Rossano Rubicondi is set to become her husband in 2008.
A few days previously, Bono, lead singer with Irish band U2, hit the headlines after being seen with Danish former model Helena Christensen and the doe-eyed Penelope Cruz in the small hours hitting the exclusive celebrity-filled bars of southern France’s Cote d’Azur.
Celebrity US actor Jack Nicholson is also a permanent fixture of the playground of the rich and famous that is the Cote d’Azur in summer.
St Tropez and the neighbouring Ramatuelle with their star-studded beaches such as Plage de Tahiti and Plage de Pampelonne have remained the chic meeting places of the rich and famous long after their heyday when Brigitte Bardot first graced them.
The contemplative fishing village with its charming church and rows of houses in the traditional colours of Provence is invaded in July and August by those not short of a bob or two.
Most of them are wealthy and well-known enough to party amongst themselves – relatively undisturbed – until the sun comes up.
One haunt favoured by those spending a few days in St Tropez is the Caves du Roy night club which, although its space is limited, always manages to find room for celebrities du jour such as Bruce Willis, George Clooney, Rod Stewart, Elton John or Naomi Campbell.
Southern French magazines such as Nice-Matin gobble up the details of the stars’ presence at the club and spit out their two-page spreads and photo specials.
There are reports of how Tom Cruise and his wife created a scene in the clubs’ VIP room. We read how US fashion supremo Tommy Hilfiger dined with his children in the popular Club 55 on the beach at Pampelonne and how Giorgio Armani was making use of his sojourn in St Tropez to check out his company's shop there.
However, the presence of photographers is not all that ensures the celebrities’ summer idyll is not totally undisturbed. The leisured classes swap their cars for boats to tour the azure blue of the Mediterranean and there are hefty fines for those caught speeding at sea.
Those who exceed the limit of 20 knots, can be promptly forced to fetch 500-700 euros out of their designer swimming trunks.
Police patrol boats full working along with a helicopter managed to net 15 juicy fines in the course of a few hours, the Var Matin paper reported.
One hapless US boat-owner had to be escorted to land as he was found to be lacking both identity papers and cash.
Then there’s the perennial problem of there being only a total of eight places for helicopters to land with their celebrity cargo.
Just recently local authorities had to intervene as helicopters were landing much more often than agreed and were disturbing the peace at night in the area. Almost 1,000 helicopter flights were counted within one month. In one day at the end of July, no fewer than 108 were counted.
Local authorities plan to impose air traffic limits in an attempt to protect the peace of local residents.
Blots, it seems, must appear on every horizon, even that of the rich and famous, summering in St Tropez.

By Hanns-Jochen Kaffsack