Provence is famous for its hilltop towns, known in French as villages perchés. These lovely villages, with their winding, narrow streets, were situated as high as possible, to provide protection against brigands and foreign invaders back in the old days. Today we can enjoy their charm and their fabulous views, while the only invaders are […]
A nine-day tour of the south of France in July taking in the lavender fields of Provence which are at their blooming best… Medieval villages, magnificent castles, cafés with tables and chairs spilling out onto cobbled streets and little squares. Narrow streets lined with pastel coloured houses, shops and galleries. Gastronomic good, wonderful wines and […]
When life gives you lemons, it’s time to visit Menton. You can be sure that someone there will find a creative use for your fruit. Shops in the bustling traffic-free Rue St Michel teem with products from candles, soaps and soft toys to food and drink. The town’s claim to be lemon capital of the […]
Gorbio, France is a hilltop medieval village, high-up above Menton, in the south-eastern corner of the Côte d’Azur. This picturesque village is a secret place, seemingly forgotten by tourists. As with other historic perched villages, Gorbio has an impressive view, 354 meters above the Mediterranean Sea. You’ll find it in the craggy mountain side of […]
To paraphrase Audrey Hepburn’s famous quote, “Paris is always a good idea,” I have felt the same way about the enticing old town of Antibes since I first set foot there … let’s just say many decades ago. These days there are a lot of changes happening in the vieille ville. Progress is catching up […]
UK arts writer, Tony Cooper, looks in on the Picasso Museum in Antibes on the French Riviera. It’s an area that was loved by the iconic and controversial 20th-century artist… I’m a regular visitor to France and I’m off on yet another great adventure to what I class as my adopted country travelling to Antibes […]
Of course, one day in Provence is never enough but, for those who really only have one day – it can still be super special and leave with you with memories that last forever. Beware, you’ll want to return and stay for a lot longer! We asked Emily Durand of My Private Chauffeur Provence how […]
Marseille is one of those places that you simply can’t visit just once. There’s so much to discover, so many facets to this bustling cosmopolitan city that you find you just have to go back. 5 million people a year visit the city. It’s the second largest and also the oldest city in France, a […]
One of the charms of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is the river that runs around and through it. This river, the Sorgue, is a favorite of tourists and fishermen alike, with its crystal-clear waters sparkling in the sun. The source of the river lies just five miles east of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in one of the most beautiful spots in […]
Montauroux is a small hilltop village in the department of Var, Provence. From its elevated position, surrounded by forests there are fabulous views over the gorgeous countryside. One of 8 traditional Provencal villages in the Fayence area, it is ideally situated between the mountains and the sea (Cannes beaches are only 25km away) and close […]
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On summer evenings, the swallows dip and swoop in nervous arcs as if anxious to protect, or preserve, the close of day in its melancholy stillness. A light hovers over Collioure, on the Vemillion Coast in the Pyrenees-Orientales. Caught in a pale brushstroke of watercolor blue, a wash which holds the houses together as they […]
Paris is an ancient, time-shifting, secret society. I made it to the ripe old age of 61 by creating plans and organizing my life around them. This should come as no surprise. The clearest memory I have of my father is him sitting at the breakfast table looking from my sister to my brother then […]
In the centre of Paris you can visit a café that’s also a cosy refuge for abandoned cats. Highly recommended for cat and coffee lovers! Margaux Grandelon opened her first Cat Café in 2013 in the Marais district. I visited her second little establishment close to the Bastille monument at 9, Rue Sedaine and enjoyed […]
In August 2014, I gave up my job teaching English in Lyon to house-sit a farm in Vienne and write a novel. I wasn’t particularly looking for the literary good life. I just wanted a break from the city. Six months later I finished it. But the elation was short-lived. I didn’t like it at […]
We chat to Rosy Rabson, a British expat who retired to Burgundy and run a gite from which all proceeds go to charity. Based in the Morvan area, with its regional natural park, a land of ancient castles, picturesque villages, forests and lakes, it is a largely undiscovered by tourists part of France – and […]
Katharine Tasker from London upped sticks in the city and moved to the sticks in rural northern France. With her she brought a sprinkling of urban style to her new build home and thriving new business, a café and shop… Pas de Calais is a region of meadows and forests, the countryside is criss crossed […]
British stand-up comedian, mod, expat, goat whisperer (maybe) – and now Chambre d’hote host – Ian Moore’s unique insights into life in the Loire Valley will make you laugh out loud… Hosts, Goats and Chambres d’Hôtes There’s a point in my first or second book, probably both, where my wife, Natalie, and I sit down […]
Making friends in France isn’t difficult I’ve found. They don’t care if my French is not great or I get my grammar all wrong. They don’t even care that much that I am “Flop chef not Top Chef” and can barely grill a bit of French bread without spoiling it. But there are some things […]