By Vera Lang Looking for places to visit in the South East of France? Well, I would not skip the Cote d'Azur as it's a special place. If you're traveling by train from Italy back to the UK, you'll most likely pass right through it. Top 10 Destinations in SE France (places in order of driving from Italy; not ranked as best to worse) 1. Monaco: casino & nearby garden with meat eating plants 2. Nice: various impressionist art museums. 3. Nice old town. It's beautiful and filled … [Read more...]
French Riviera Vacation Guide – Bormes-Les-Mimosas
By Cheryl Antier Bormes-les-Mimosas means "the Sunny One" and it's an accurate description of this medieval village that is perched high on a mountain top. Bormes-les-Mimosas still has the imposing remains of a castle and the rampart walls that protected it during the Saracen invasions. Its official title as the "village of flowers" was given to Bormes-les-Mimosas for good reason - first because of the flowering trees called "Mimosas" that line the streets and lean out over … [Read more...]
The Wonderful Wines of Provence
The Wonderful Wines of ProvenceBy Peter Carnes Over half a century ago, Elizabeth David, the doyenne of British food writers, wrote somewhat disparagingly about the wine of Provence. "It was”, she wrote, “the kind of wine which it was wisest to drink out of a tumbler so that there was room for a large proportion of water"! She was talking specifically about the wines of the Luberon, but her opinion of Provençal wines in general was not much higher. "Most of them," she wrote, "are … [Read more...]
Premier Accommodation Option in St. Tropez
By Anabelle Lim-balanzar Dubbed as the millionaire’s playground, St. Tropez is home to some of the world’s most immaculate beaches. This medieval town remains to be well-known for its yachts that line along the harbors, and the expensive cars that cruise its streets. As a tourist mecca for the rich and famous, St. Tropez has its share of the best and the most private luxury villas in the world. Villazzo Villa Hotels are among those who cater to the special needs of the elite. With seven … [Read more...]
Markets in French Provence
Markets in French ProvinceBy Tatyana Kogut Provence. Saint-Tropez. Saint-Tropez has 12 markets: fruit, honey, flower, fish markets and Place des Lices – the region’s most popular street market. Two steps from the coast, under the plane-tree, old people usually play petanque. But on Tuesdays and Saturdays this place is occupied with long rows of counters. They sell traditional Provence fabrics. This is a parti-coloured cotton textile with a traditional pattern depicting olive branches and … [Read more...]
Traveling to Nice and the South of France
By Alice Flowers Nice is in the south of France. The Queen of the French Riviera, which the French call "la Cote d'Azur" (AzureCoast or Blue Coast). It is a wonderful city with lots of charm and character; a mixture of French and Italian cultures where the people are easy-going and friendly even if you don't speak French. Although you might think it is a summer resort, you can visit Nice at any time of the year and still have a good time. If you happen to go in the winter, you will … [Read more...]
Some Favourite Restaurants in Provence – Part 2
By Peter Carnes Here is the Second Part of our personal (and highly subjective) guide to some of the best restaurants in Provence. You know, the more often I eat Provencal food, either at home or in the places described here, the more convinced I become that the cooking of Provence is the lightest, tastiest, most colorful, most elegant and above all <i>healthiest</i> food in the world. I've eaten in other parts of France - mostly in Paris, of course, and also in the Burgundy … [Read more...]
Some Favourite Restaurants in Provence – Part 1
By Peter Carnes There are, quite literally, thousands of restaurants in Provence! Over the past couple of decades we’ve tried to sample as many as humanly possible – but we are beginning to realize that we’ve hardly scraped the surface! Here are some brief notes on just a selection of the restaurants we have eaten in (and enjoyed!) over the last few years. Most of them are in the Vaucluse and Bouches-du-Rhone regions of Provence (our favorite stamping grounds), with just the … [Read more...]