If you’re looking for a ski experience with lots of different runs, plenty of snow, fabulous view and a lot of fun, Montgenevre might be just perfect. In the French Cottian Alps, Haute-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur, it’s not well known and that gives is extra charm. Maybe you’ve skied the ‘Big’Uns’: The Three Valleys, Tignes/Val d’Isère, […]
Provence by bike One of the best things about Provence is that you can choose the way you want to discover it. By on foot, in a classic 2CV, by scooter and by bike… Monts du Vaucluse One of the best routes for a casual bike ride is from Goult to Roussillon passing through Joucas […]
Provence has many villages, valleys, vineyards and orchards. The slow life in the breath-taking countryside is what attracts many to the area, but sometimes you might feel like a little urban action. Aix-en-Provence, or Aix (pronounced X, like the letter) as the locals call it, is the perfect city for a hit of European cosmopolitan […]
Provence is one of the most popular destinations for holiday makers in France, once visited and you’ll always yearn to return. There are more than 800 villages and towns in this area of France and everyone will have their own preference but here are 5 of our favourites in lovely Provence… Avignon With its historic […]
Provence is famous for clear blue skies. Its brilliant sunlight has attracted painters such as Cezanne and Matisse as well as scads of tourists. There are plenty of things to see outdoors in Provence, like the colorful ochre mines of Roussillon and the lavender fields of Sault. But what if you happen to visit when […]
Orange in Provence is a sunny city with oodles of charm that has been built up over the centuries quite literally. The Romans were here two millennia ago and the town is proud of its ancient legacy. The UNESCO Listed Roman ruins You just can’t miss the incredible Roman theatre at Orange. It’s one of […]
You can’t go to Orange in Provence and not see the UNESCO listed Roman Theatre. I think it might actually be against the law! It’s not a theatre like we might know it, somewhere with a dark interior with plush velvet seats. It’s an open-air theatre with a 37-metre high wall and a stage facing […]
I nibbled on a flaky golden croissant for breakfast on the terrace of the hotel where I watched a couple of local fishermen down “keep me awake for a week” espressos. Across the Basin, the clock on the wall of the restaurant read the same time as it did when I arrived, the same time […]
L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in Provence makes for a perfect holiday destination year-round thanks to its status as the antiques capital of France. Not to mention the fact that it is one of the prettiest towns you’ll ever meet. It’s a lovely sunny place, full of charming restaurants, bars and cafés and a buzzing atmosphere. Here are some […]
To enjoy Provence in the fall is one of life’s most beautiful pleasures. The shades of autumn colour the vineyards and tree lined squares and avenues. The rays of the sun seem more golden than at their bright summer peak, making everything they touch glow and shimmer like a magical paint brush has daubed the […]
I first visited the Aude department in 2006 and found a rural area rich in history with great food, fabulous markets and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. My hosts brought me to the river at Rennes Les Bains where hot water from deep under the ground pours out through a pipe in the wall. In the […]
We talk to American expat and tour guide Sue Aran who tells how her heart was won by a house in Gascony despite many trials and tribulations… My husband and I first travelled from Seattle, Washington to Gascony in May 2006 with a couple of friends, looking for a house to purchase together. All of […]
With its medieval towns and villages, wild impressive coastline and abundant forests, picturesque Brittany offers its visitors so much more than just homemade cider and galettes dripping in ham and cheese. Whole days can be devoted to meandering the narrow cobblestone streets and charming squares lined with crooked half-timbered houses. But, as night falls be […]
Saint Omer cathedral in northern France has grace and beauty. It doesn’t have the conventional architectural detail of sculpture encrusted entrance doors. But, it does contain priceless art works so typical of the great cathedrals of France. Here those artworks hang in dark, dusty corners without pomp and formality. Saint Omer cathedral has it’s own […]
The chances are that if you visit Provence from mid-June to mid-August – you have lavender on your mind and in your sights. Though Provence is well known for the fragrant purple blooms, it is not grown in abundance throughout the whole of Provence, though you will find fields of the purple blooms during your […]
You could say that my love affair with France and passion for the French language began in earnest, when, at age eleven, I heard French spoken, loving the soft, musical and even sensual sounds that floated into my ears. But the truth is that the story began before I was born, when my father landed […]
One evening a few years ago my wife and I overheard several tales of woe that almost made us re-think our plans to buy a house in France. We were on a golf break in Le Perche, Normandy, staying at a lovely hotel with a fantastic restaurant. One evening, after our eighteen holes we went […]
April 1, 2018 marked the first hundred years since the creation of the British Royal Air Force. The combining of the Royal Naval Air Service and the Army’s Royal Flying Corps into a new service took place at St. Omer aerodrome in Nord, pas de Calais as the Great War was approaching its close. The […]