When the thirty volunteers working on the site, as well as the 80 workers from the 14 companies that worked on the renovation of the house, discovered that the structural work had to be redone, they could have given up, discouraged. But no, the unpleasant surprise of… 200,000 euros (!) did not dissuade them from getting back to work and continuing this titanic project.
As a result, after four years of closure and two years of work, the Antibes International Youth Relay has come back to life. The Caravelle 60, the name given in… 1960, is now in service and can once again accommodate groups passing through the city of the Remparts. Obviously, everything was not simple. In addition to the structural work to be redone, it is in reality the two buildings which make up the house which have been reworked, from top to bottom. New entrance, new kitchen, new staircase, creation of a catering area, creation of a passageway, upgrades to electrical, plumbing, security standards, renovation of facades, upgrade to PMR standards, new swimming pool… That is, in 2024, a brand new Caravelle 60 which has reopened its doors.
Capacity of 75 people
“This is a remarkably restored tool. Bravo for the work accomplished, congratulated Audoin Rambaud, deputy for tourism in the city of Antibes. This house is a real tool for our city.” A tool which, in the Cap d’Antibes area, literally stands out.
With overnight stays at an unbeatable price (from 28 euros per night with full board!), this new-look International Youth Relay and its seven employees in high season are ready to welcome all types of groups for a maximum of 75 people: football clubs, seaside classes… and even groups of senior citizens.
“If bureaucracy has made exchanges more cumbersome, our will has remained intact: we wanted to keep a real space for exchanges and sharing, said Valter Spirli, president of the CLAJ-Jeunesse Camping association, owner of the premises. Our Relays have an essential place in the world of leisure.”
Because besides Antibes, other Relais are available in the surrounding area: in Allos, Calvi, Valberg, but also in Nice.
“The sun shines for everyone”
And if the house in Cap-d’Ail is no more, it is its sale that allowed the Relais d’Antibes to be completely rehabilitated with work that ultimately cost 3.5 million euros. The house now has 25 rooms, 4 of which are specially designed to accommodate people with reduced mobility.
For the record, the house welcomed Danielle Mitterrand as a guest in the past…
Just like the “march of undocumented immigrants” from Paris to Nice which, in 2010, made a stop there. “Our magnificent relay is ready to see people from all walks of life pass through it, insisted the president of the association, moved. To make our slogan resonate even more: ‘the sun shines for all’“.
