Tourtour
Tourtour is a member of ‘Les Plus Beaux Villages de France’ and lives up to its name, perched 2,966ft above sea level in the remote hills beyond Draguignan in the Var region. It’s called ‘the Village in the Sky’ and it’s impressive Romanesque church of St Denis boasts a vast…
St. Tropez
St. Tropez, whose ancient name was Athenopolis, belonged to Greece who founded Marseille in 599BC, and it was the Romans who invaded the region in 31BC and built opulent villas. Artist, Paul Signac discovered this light-filled place that later inspired Matisse, Bonnard & Albert Marquet. Painting styles of pointillism and…
Collobrieres
The mountain road to Collobrieres climbs to over 700m with sensational views across to Le Lavendou and ‘Les Isles de Porquerolles’ beyond. Located in the heart of the Maures hills, this cobblestoned, picture-postcard village dates back to the 12th Century and times of copper mining and cork production. Today, its…
Lavender Blue
When I moved to my home on the Sunshine Coast in beautiful British Columbia, I planted a row of lavender in my garden to remind me of Provence. That was fifteen years ago, and I now boast an abundant crop of aromatic, bright violet buds blushing in tufts all across…
Toujours Les Issambres!
The sweet scent of pine fills the senses as you drive along the Corniche, the Mediterranean caressing the shore on one side, and villas draped in magenta bougainvillea on the other. Leaving the church tower and boat-laden marina of Sainte Maxime behind, head north for eleven kilometres to Les Issambres.…