Newport celebrates 25th anniversary of sister city alliance with Antibes

Cherri Penne-Myers likes visiting the beaches, museums and landmarks in Antibes, France.

But when the Newport Beach resident goes, often annually, it’s not as a typical tourist.

She’s visiting friends made possible by the Newport Beach Sister City Assn., an all-volunteer organization that arranges and fosters relationships with cities around the world.

“I enjoy going to Antibes, visiting the people, and I love the whole area, and its history,” said Myers, chairwoman of the association’s Antibes committee.

This week, Newport is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its relationship with the Mediterranean resort town in the south of France. Some 18 French delegates are visiting and touring the city. Planned activities include a French cooking demonstration at Corona del Mar High School, a tour of Crystal Cove and a Hornblower cruise.

The relationship started when two French engineers visited Newport on a work trip and urged the mayor to create a partnership between the communities, said Wolf Burg, chairman of the Antibes Sister City Assn.

Burg noted that the cities, both of which are by the water, are similar in terms of climate and population. Newport has roughly 87,000 residents, while Antibes has about 77,000. Both cities are also made up of smaller, distinct neighborhoods.

And both sometimes get overshadowed by their better-known neighbors. Antibes is proximate to Cannes and Nice in the way that Newport Beach is near Anaheim and Hollywood.

Franco interest in Newport Beach has grown over the years. The last time the French visited, in 2010 for the 20th anniversary, eight delegates came. This time 10 additional delegates came.

“The highlights are every time people from Newport Beach come to Antibes and vice-versa,” Burg said. “You don’t come to Antibes as a stranger. You will be welcomed, and straight away you will be part of our crowd. You will eat our food and stay at our homes. When you go as part of the sister city, you are there as friends. You’re not there as tourists or strangers.”

Similarly, Penne-Myers said the Newport Beach group has also gotten larger over the years and currently has about 75 members. Prospective members can join online at nbsca.org. Annual fees range from $15 to $30, depending on age.

While members do not receive discounts for individual flights to sister cities, they do enjoy group rates when they travel with the association, Penne-Myers said.

Melanie Woodworth, a volunteer in the Newport Beach Sister City Assn. who visited Antibes over the summer with her son, said the program allows her and others to develop a bond with people with whom she may not otherwise meet and immerse herself into a new culture.

“I just think it’s a great cultural exchange of friendship and ideas,” she said. “Since we’re all volunteers, it’s so pure because no one is funding it. It’s what you want to do, and that adds to the experience.”