South of France

To list all of the lovely villages scattered across Provence would be a substantial job to say the least – at every turn there is another hamlet perched on a precipitous hilltop, a perfectly preserved medieval village with locals sitting on benches in the shade of ancient plane trees, or a small town where the boules court is the heart of social activity.

Marseilles is a city with an ancient seafaring vocation, so an essential route to see the attractions of Marseille should depart from the ‘old port’ of the city. Built in an area protected by the hills of Saint Lorent, Moulins and Carmes and two fortress (Saint Jean and Saint Nicolas) it is also a characterful place with its wharves dating back to the seventeenth century, and the sight of colourful fishing boats at anchor, the fish market and a great [...]

The Triumphal Arch in Orange (near Avignon) is about 22 meters high and 21 metres wide, and consists of three arches. It is located on the ancient Via Agrippa (the Roman trade route from Lyon to Arles) and features numerous ornate carvings relating to the history of the conquests of Augustus, the Roman supremacy over the Gauls and various religious symbols. In the nineteenth century it was called the Arch of Marius because it was assumed that it was erected [...]

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 [...]

On my travels last year I took a rare break from rushing around visiting and photographing places to chill-out on a two hour boat ride. Although I still called it work when I was telling Mrs B what I’d been up to. Setting off along the coast from Cassis towards Marseille, the trip was to pass by several of the so called Calanques of Marseille. These stunning rock formations are dramatic white limestone cliffs that plunge hundreds of feet into [...]

Yes, I know that Monaco is not in Provence, or France.I’m allowed to take liberties, especially for somewhere so attractive as the Exotic Gardens of Monaco. If you are in this part of south-eastern France a visit to these gardens is indispensable. Covering about 3 acres the garden is set on a cliff overlooking the bay of Monaco and the French and Italian Riviera. It is absolutely stunning. Cacti and Succulents as well as Mediterranean plants cover the cliff and [...]

The coastal section of the Var department is quite well known, with the resorts including Toulon, Saint-Tropez and Saint-Raphael attracting very large numbers of visitors. But what lies inland in the Var department? Heading towards the centre of the region you pass first through the forested (or deforested, where fires have destroyed the ancient woodlands) hills of the Massif des Maures. Head for the remote Chartreuse de la Verne, or follow the road between Cogolin and Collobrieres for some of [...]

On a recent trip across southern France I at last give into temptation and stopped off at Cassis, south-east of Marseille, so that I could take a boat trip along the calanques. The coast in this part of France consists of high craggy cliffs that plunge into the turquoise sea below, with occsional inlets where boats can enter to be surrounded by this dramatic landscape – these inlets are known as the Marseille calanques. Some of the calanques even have [...]

OK, I grant you, this picture could have been taken anywhere in France, or plenty of other places in the world. So you are just going to have to take my word for it, it was taken at Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, a resort on the French Riviera betwen Sanary-sur-Mer and Bandol. Be that as it may, it’s a lovely photo with the inevitable bright colours and reflections that you look for in a picture of this type that really does give you [...]

The Luberon is towards the west of the Provence region. It is the beautiful region made famous by Peter Mayle during his year in Provence. It is to the east of Avignon and to the north of Marseille. The Luberon is best known for its hilltop ‘perched’ villages – small, often steep, traditional villages built centuries ago on top of rocky spurs in the region. Many of these ‘perched villages of Provence’ are now also classified as ‘most beautiful villages [...]