Bandol wine
August 27, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Bandol is a popular harbour town on the French Riviera, with an extra attraction – the wines for which it is very well known.
After exploring Bandol itself and before venturing out to experience the rest of the of the Var, be sure to tour the vineyards. For anyone accustomed to the glitzy tasting rooms of Napa filled with expensive glassware and expansive displays of wine-related do-dads, it will be an experience to remember.
Here, in most cases, you will follow a simple rustic sign to a modest house or barn where, after ringing a bell, you will be welcomed into a simple tasting room, by the proprietor or a member of the family who will offer you generous pours of whatever wines suit your fancy.
Carcassonne Cité
August 25, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Carcassonne is situated in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. It is one of the most interesting towns in the region, indeed in the whole of France. The history of the town dates back to the medieval Cathar Wars, in which the town played a very important role.
Located 90 km to the south-east of Toulouse, Carcassonne is in the ‘gap’ between the Pyrenees and the Massif Central, at the crossroads of two major traffic routes in use since Antiquity: the route that leads from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, and the route from the Massif Central to Spain that avoids the Pyreneean mountains.
Carcassonne is divided into two parts: the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the larger lower city, known as ‘the ville basse’. The fortress was inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1997, and is also a listed National Monument of France – see Carcassonne visitor information for admission times and prices.
Mussidan
August 17, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Mussidan is a sizable town in the (less visited) north-west of the Dordogne region, north of Bergerac.
Escaping from the impact of tourism is perhaps a good thing for a town – but tourism also brings with it facilities, and money for maintenance. Perhaps the best way to describe Mussidan is that it has escaped both the benefits and the ‘perils’ of tourism.
Unfortunately these perils are what visitors are looking for, and it is true that you do need to search rather hard for the jewels in Mussidan. Keep looking though, for there are various sights and buildings to discover if you spend the time to explore a little.
The area around the church is attractive, and there are various bridges across the river where you catch glimpses of the history of the town – a pigeonnier here, a mill there…
Les Restanques, holiday village – review
July 28, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
If you are looking for a family holiday somewhere on the Bay of St Tropez then the Pierre and Vacances holiday village, Les Restanques is well worth considering. I can say that with confidence because we just spent a week there ourselves and I’m very happy to recommend it, having had a great time!
The holiday village has about 500 apartments and villas and is set out on a hill overlooking St Tropez and the bay of Saint Tropez. The villas and apartments have been built in the style of the region and the 25 acre site has been planted with a mass of Acacia trees, Oleanders, Agapanthus etc and is very attractive.
There is a very large wave pool which was a huge hit with my children. If you are looking for something quieter there is a smaller pool nearby which I found great for an early morning swim. There are also tennis courts, football pitch, volley ball, Roller Park etc available and an outdoor theatre where regular events take place.
Grimaud, Provence village
July 24, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
The action packed town of Saint-Tropez stands just a few kilometres from Grimaud, and in dramatic contrast!
If you are visiting the Riviera and want to leave the car behind, why not take the train? It is possible to get to Grimaud on a little tourist train that parts from Port Grimaud, the coastal ‘twin’ of Grimaud and itself a sophisticated town – a nice hassle free way to reach the village.
A visit to this super-attractive perched viillage is a highly recommended excursion if you can tear yourself away from the beaches. It is a very pretty place, with narrow cobbled streets winding up the hill between houses clad with greenery – including the bouganvillea flowers, the ‘trademark’ of the region.
Gorges du Tarn
June 17, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Head inland from the Languedoc coast, and north into the Lozere department, and you will find one of France’s scenic highlights at the Gorges du Tarn.
The gorges run for some 40 kilometres along the course of the Tarn River, starting west of Florac finishing near Les Vignes.
There is a road that follows along the bottom of the gorge offering some very impressive scenery and a sprinkling of villages to discover en route.
You might not realise as you travel through the cliff-lined valley but these are the deepest gorges to be found in Europe – they don’t ‘feel’ as big as the Gorges du Verdon further east in France for example.
South of France hotels
June 16, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
If you are planning your visit it is very likely that you will be looking for somewhere to stay!
We’ve looked at various options before but I thought I’d list a few hotel options to make your life easier. Some regions have more hotels than others – Gascony has far fewer than the French Riviera for example. But unless you are staying somewhere very rural most places have a wide choice available.
Likewise, the larger airports have several hotels next to or nearby, whereas for smaller airports and for those that have opened recently and don’t yet have a fully developed infrastructure, you will probably need to venture into the nearest town.
Our recommended hotels come from booking.com – they offer a very wide range in many regions, and offer a ‘best price guarantee’ (see their site for details of this guarantee). Instant online booking is also available of course.
We are happy to recommend them because we use them ourselves when we go exploring! The following should be useful:
For lots more options and to search for your selected destination see booking.com .
Medieval market halls
June 9, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
One of the more unusual building types that you will come across in southern France – especially in the medieval and bastide towns of the south-west of the country – is the traditional market hall.
These typically date back up to 700 years, and have long served as permanent ‘covered markets’. Because of this role they are usually found in the centre of towns (eg Villereal, Monpazier, Domme and many others), usually in a large open square.
There are various different versions of the structure, even in the unmodified form.
Mont Lozere
June 8, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Mont Lozere is in the Lozere department, northern languedoc-Roussillon. To the north is the valley of the Lot River, and to the south the valley of the Tarn.
The road across the mountain runs from the village of le Bleymard, heading south for about 30 kilometres to eventually reach the town of le Pont-de-Montvert.
Leaving le Bleymard you at first enter a verdant tree lined valley. The road climbs rapidly and the landscape changes, and within a few kilometres you are in pine forest.
After passing through the Mont Lozere ski station you leave trees behind and enter a more barren landscape of open moorland where a few trees battle for survival against the wind and winter cold.
Ardeche villages in photos
June 7, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
The most attractive Ardeche villages receive the award ‘village of character’ from the local tourist authority. Much like the national ‘most beautiful village’ award it is a recognition of the village itself and its attention to preserving the fabric of the village, and also a tribute to the setting of the village – typically running down a hillside below a ruined castle…but not always.
In tribute to these selected Ardeche villages, a selection of photos…
Alba-la-Romaine
