SUMMER 2026

FREE

The

Good Life France

ISSUE Nọ 46

ISSN 2754-6799

Magazine

ANGERS

The regal Loire Valley

city that’s full of

secrets and surprises

Saint-Paul-De-Vence

Heavenly hilltop

village in Provence

DISCOVER

MARSEILLAN

Sun, sea, history and

heritage in the south of

France

HIDDEN

France

Le Cannet, Goult, Etretat

SPOTLIGHT ON

Pont du Gard, Loire

Valley, Dordogne,

Brittany, car free holidays

Delicious recipes

Bringing you an irresistible

taste of France

152 148 pages

Of inspirational features

and gorgeous photos

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wel comes you !

Welcome to the Summer 2026 issue of The Good Life France

Magazine — discover the timeless beauty, irresistible flavours and

hidden soul of France.

In this edition, journey from Paris to the fragrant landscapes of

Provence and the sparkling shores of the French Riviera. Along

the way, uncover the secret corners that make France endlessly

fascinating — the places where shutters creak open onto flowerfilled

lanes, and vibrant market squares are filled with delicious

aromas.

Discover exquisite Goult in southern France, a dreamy Provençal

village of golden stone and winding lanes skies. Wander through

glorious gardens of the Loire Valley, where grand chateaux are

a backdrop for gorgeous gardens. Explore charming Le Cannet

near Cannes, beloved by artists for its honey-coloured streets

and Mediterranean light, and savour the easy seaside pleasures

of lovely Marseillan in Languedoc-Roussillon, where oysters,

vineyards and sea breezes define the good life.

We also take you to places rich in character and authenticity:

Angers, a city full of surprises and secrets; the vineyard-fringed

beauty of Bergerac; historic Brittany and Normandy; and the

captivating regions of Vienne, Saint-Paul-de-Vence and the sunkissed

Var. Plus we look at cities that are easy to reach by train,

easy to walk and have great public transport, so you can leave

the car behind.

For lovers of French culture and history, this issue is packed with

fascinating stories. Stand beneath the awe-inspiring Roman Pont

du Gard, uncover the remarkable history of the humble potato in

France, and discover the extravagant — and decidedly not-sohumble

— dining habits of the Bourbon Kings.

You’ll also find practical travel guides, insider inspiration and

mouth-watering recipes from some of France’s top chefs,

bringing the taste of French cuisine straight to your table.

And as always, The Good Life France Magazine is completely

free — created by professional writers, the crème de la crème of

travel journalism, who share a passion for revealing real France in

all its beauty, flavour and charm.

And now – it’s time to enjoy this completely free magazine which

is also free to subscribe to, just hop on to page 4 and sign up! And

please do share this issue with your friends – that’s free too...

I wish you a very happy Summer.

Bisous from France,

Janine

Janine Marsh

Editor

Bienvenue

Follow us on Twitter,

Instagram & Facebook

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Contributors

8

CONTENTS

The Good Life France Magazine

No. 46 Summer 2026

ISSN 2754-6799

ON THE COVER

8 Angers, Loire Valley

A city of secrets and

surprises and a unique plantbased

theme park.

36 Marseillan

A nautical paradise where

life is lived at a gentle pace.

Gillian Thornton is an

award-winning travel writer

specialising in French

destinations and lifestyle.

Her favourite place? ‘Usually

where I have just been!’

Ally Mitchell is blogger and

freelance writer, specialising

in food and recipes. Ally left

the UK to live in Toulouse in

2021 and writes about her new

life in France on her food blog

NigellaEatsEverything.

Rudolf Abraham is an

award-winning travel writer,

photographer, author of

over a dozen books and has

contributed to many more,

and his articles and images

are published widely in

magazines.

Rudolfabraham.com

Anna Richards is a writer

& guidebook author living in

Lyon. Her work has appeared

in Lonely Planet, National

Geographic and many more.

www.annahrichards.com

Carolyn Boyd is an awardwinning

writer and author

of Amuse Bouche: How

to Eat Your Way Around

France. She writes a regular

newsletter at francetraveller.

substack.com

Freelance journalist Karen

Tait has been Editor of French

Property News for over 20

years and contributes to titles

such as The Sunday Times.

Dana Facaros has lived in

France for over 30 years.

She is the author of several

guidebooks and the creator

of French Food Decoder

app: everything you want to

know about French food.

Originally from Seattle, travel

writer Todd Mauer now lives

in the Loire Valley. Keen on

cycling and history, he loves

to ride in the tracks of historic

characters.

Jeremy Flint is an awardwinning

photographer

(Association of Photographers

Discovery Award Winner,

National Geographic Traveller

Grand Prize Winner, and five

times finalist Travel Photographer

of the Year), and writer

specialising in travel, landscape

and location photography.

Love

France?

Subscribe to The Good

Life France weekly

newsletter for free and

get fabulous features,

guides, recipes and

more delivered direct to

your inbox.

SUBSCRIBE

36

98

98 Saint-Paul-de-Vence

The pint-sized perched town

that will steal your heart.

DISCOVER

16 Pont du Gard – a bridge to

the past

One of the wonders of the

ancient – and modern –

world.

24 Le Cannet, the ‘crown’

of Cannes

This French Riviera gem

is a hub of art, history and

gastronomy.

30 Discover Bergerac

A land of history and wine in

the heart of Dordogne.

The Good Life France Magazine

Front Cover: Tourtour, Le Var © Cyril Moingeon, Leggett Immobilier

Published by: TGLF Media Ltd.

Editor: Janine Marsh, editor@thegoodlifefrance.com

Advertising & Enquiries: Trudy Watkins, trudy@thegoodlifefrance.com

Layout design: Philippa French littlefrogdesign.co.uk

ISSN 2754-6799 Issue 46 Summer 2026

42 Spotlight on Brest, Brittany

A vast natural bay and lots to

do and see.

48 Orléans

History, architecture and

gastronomy make this a real

gem of the Loire Valley.

52 Chateau d’Anet

Home to a ‘queen without a

crown.’

4 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 5

56 Dining traditions of the

French royals

Le Grand Couvert – a nightly

feast at Versailles.

62 Belleville – authentic Paris

The cosmopolitan area is not

well-known but well worth a

visit.

REGULARS

118 What’s new

All the news and events you

need for your next trip to

France.

146 Last word

Reasons to love France.

56

82

72

68 Spotlight on Vienne

The little roman town with a

big history.

72 Let the train take the strain

Great cities for car-free

holidays in France.

78 Seaside specials

Beaches you can easily reach

from Paris!

84 How the French fell in love

with potatoes!

The fascinating history of the

humble pomme de terre.

88 Gorgeous Goult

A sun-kissed, rather secret

corner of Provence.

92 Cycling in the footsteps of

Henry V

From Normandy to Azincourt

on two wheels.

104 Stunning Loire Valley

gardens

A medieval priory and chateau

gardens with wow factor.

124

150

134

GUIDES

122 Learn French

Top tips to help you learn, or

improve your, French.

124 Le Var

Why the north of the Var

department is one of the best

places to live.

130 Visa Insurance

Planning to move to France

and applying for a visa – read

this first.

132 Pools in France

Advice and tips from the

experts.

134 Life in the Loire

Properties to suit all budgets,

world-class vineyards and

picturesque vllages.

BON APPÉTIT

141 Cherry clafoutis tart

A delicious recipe from the

Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts.

112 Étretat, Normandy

Dramatic natural wonders

have long made this a winner

with artists, royals, writes and

tourists.

PHOTO SPECIALS

116 France Calendar

Summer in France – lavender

fields, blue skies and chilled

rosé.

142 Strawberry tart

Nothing says summer quite like

strawberries.

144 Pissaladière

The French ancestor to pizza.

4 Subscribe to The Good Life

France Magazine

Everything you want to know

about France and more –

subscription is totally free.


Angers is a mix of contrasts - old and

new. Trams whizz around the city with

its mighty medieval castle, there are

museums galore, a vibrant cultural

life, and it’s one of France’s greenest

cities. It’s also home to a unique

cutting-edge theme park dedicated

to plants, and a mysterious island that

you can only reach by hand-pulled

cable ferry. Janine Marsh explores this

Loire Valley gem.

Château d’Angers © Romain Bassenne Destination Angers

ANGERS in the

Loire Valley

A city of Secrets and surprises

Angers began as a Gallic settlement before

becoming the Roman town of Juliomagus.

Its strategic position made it a key

stronghold throughout the centuries, but

the city really came into its own in the

Middle Ages as the seat of the powerful

Plantagenet dynasty. In the 13th century,

King Louis IX (AKA Saint Louis) ordered the

construction of the formidable Château

d’Angers, still one of the most impressive

fortresses in France, which dominates the

city today as it has for centuries.

With 17 huge bastion towers, and enclosed by

walls 600m long, the castle looks fearsome,

but it was even more imposing before two

storeys were demolished in the late 1500s.

King Henri III actually ordered the whole

building to be destroyed but the job was

delayed, the king died before it was complete,

and so the castle was saved. The walls have an

interesting striped appearance due to the use

of local shale and white limestone. And the dry

moat, where once animals roamed during the

reign of Good King René (who was actually

never a King of France but was King of Naples,

Sicily and Jerusalem, and was considered a

good ruler of his provinces) is now planted with

gorgeous gardens.

Inside the castle, the world famous

“Apocalypse Tapestry” portrays the

apocalypse as described by Saint John in the

Bible. It was commissioned by Good King

René’s grandfather, Duke Louis I of Anjou.

Created between 1373 and 1380, it is an

Statue of Good King René in front of the Château d’Angers

La Cité

amazing medieval artwork with an astonishing

history. When René left Angers for Provence,

turfed out by his nephew King Louis XI in 1471,

he donated the tapestry, 130m long originally,

to the Cathedral of Angers, who later tried

8 | The Good Life France

Apocalypse tapestry © Alexandre Lamoureux Destination Angers


to sell it without success. During the French

Revolution the Cathedral was ransacked,

the tapestry was thrown onto the streets

and the locals cut bits off to use as carpets,

bedspreads, even horse blankets and cart

covers. In 1843 a search for the remnants

began and around 60% was recovered – most

of it in a local rubbish dump!

Opposite the entrance to the castle is the old

town of Angers, La Cité – a maze of cobbled

streets and beautifully preserved ancient

buildings from the 12th century onwards, and

well worth a wander though most are private

dwellings and can only be glimpsed when their

wooden carriage gates are open!

Cathedral of St Maurice

The Cathedral of St Maurice, built in the 12th

and 13th centuries (the one which tried to

sell the tapestry) has glorious stained-glass

windows dating back almost 900 years, plus a

15th century rose window that’s breathtakingly

beautiful. A monumental organ with some 4600

pipes, was being tuned the day I visited, the

mournful lament of the notes and the wonderful

acoustics are hauntingly unforgettable. A

modern stone canopy has recently been erected

over the front of the Cathedral to protect the

Maison d’Adam

magnificent façade – not everyone loves the

new addition, but then not everyone loved the

Eiffel Tower when it was built.

Behind the Cathedral is the Maison d’Adam

which has been recently restored and looks

as it did 600 years ago, its wooden posts

decorated with around 50 carved figures

including an apple tree on a corner turret.

Adam and Eve, who were also featured,

disappeared in the French Revolution. I can’t

help thinking that somewhere in this town

someone has a room with 15th century wooden

figures hanging on the wall overlooking a

carpet made of 13 th century tapestry!

Galerie David d’Angers

Close by is the Fine Arts Museum which has

a lovely collection of medieval paintings and

Renaissance furnishings. Next to it is the

Galerie David d’Angers. Pierre-Jean David

d’Angers (1788–1856), commonly known as

David d’Angers was called the Michelangelo

of Paris by Victor Hugo, and his commissions

graced the Chateau of Versailles and towns

all over France. A mould of the pediment

he created for the Pantheon can be seen in

the museum, representing the allegory of

the French Revolution, it features men who

contributed to the progress of the nation

– including a youthful looking Napoleon

Bonaparte. The artist gifted a collection to

the town in gratitude for the scholarship he

received in 1810. The vast display is on show

at the former 13th century Toussaint Abbey

church which now features a wonderful glass

roof that casts light over the monumental

work. Moulds of statues that adorn cemeteries

and city squares throughout France include

an outsize King René and a giant Jean Bart, a

popular French pirate, plus busts, medallions

and working drawings. It’s an extraordinary

museum (and if you go an hour before closing,

entry is free).

La Doutre

Doutre has a country village vibe

Often missed by visitors, La Doutre – from

d’Outre-Maine, ‘beyond the Maine’ - is the

district on the ‘other side of the river’ – easily

reached on foot across one of the bridges.

Once inhabited by the aristocracy and

wealthy bourgeoisie, it fell on hard times

Plunging view over the Maine river to Doutre from the St Maurice 103-steps

stairway in front of the Cathedral

after the French Revolution but is now an

affluent area undergoing a regeneration. It

has a countryside air to it, tree-lined avenues,

green squares, and fine houses - some dating

from the 16th century including no. 67 rue

de Beaurepaire which once belonged to an

apothecary. Here you can open one of the

shutters to see the amazingly well-preserved

17th century check carvings.

Doutre is home to the former St Jean

Hospital, founded by King Henry II of

England and Anjou in 1174, now the Lurcat

Museum, where “Le Chant du Monde’

(the Song of the World) tapestry by Jean

Lurcat is displayed. The artist, visiting

Chateau d’Angers in 1938 was inspired by

the Apocalypse Tapestry and later created

his own contemporary masterpiece, a work

of hope and peace against the fear of the

atomic bomb.

Photo small The old Cointreau distillery

Cointreau fans (yes, I am!) will love a tour

of the Cointreau factory and museum.

Established more than 175 years ago

in Angers, Cointreau is one of the world’s

most famous crystal-clear spirits. Cointreau’s

The old Cointreau distillery


Cointreau fans (yes, I am!) will love a tour of the

Cointreau factory and museum. Established

more than 175 years ago in Angers, Cointreau

is one of the world’s most famous crystal-clear

spirits and the distinctive amber square-shaped

bottle is a global icon. Made from bitter and

sweet orange peel, every bottle of Cointreau

comes from this site. A slew of famous cocktails

feature Cointreau, some of the best-known

include the Sidecar, London 1922 (Cointreau,

Cognac and lemon), the Cosmopolitan 1934

(Cointreau, gin, lemon and raspberry syrup),

and the Margarita 1948 (Cointreau, tequila

blanco, fresh lime juice, and a salt rim). You can

find lots of cocktail recipes, and book a cocktail

masterclass at Cointreau via their website!

Angers is also home to La Maison Giffard who

have been producing the famous pastillementhe

liqueur since 1885. They also offer a

tour, tasting and workshops.

Terra Botanica

You may never have heard of this theme park

but if you are ever in Angers or close by – put

it at the top of your list. A short tram ride

from the city brings you to Terra Botanica

– dedicated to the life of plants. You can

easily spend an entire day here amongst the

Île Saint-Aubin ferry

butterfly houses and themed areas which

range from the discovery of plants around

the world, huge greenhouses of exotic

plants and orchids, Siberian-cold sheds,

and everything in between. There are rides

through the treetops, on tractors and in

boats, plus superb animations – a 4D film

about the life of a raindrop will have you

staring in wonder next time it rains! This

has gone on my list of top theme parks in

France, not just because I love gardens and

plants but it’s a really fabulous way to relax and

spend a day. There are restaurants on site but

also plenty of places for picnics.

Just down the road from Terra Botanica is one

of Angers’ secrets and the locals’ favourite –

the mysterious island of Île Saint-Aubin. You

can access it from April to October (it floods

each winter) via a hand pulled ferry. It’s a little

bit of paradise, fields of wildflowers and an

enchanting little café – I felt as if I was in an

Impressionist painting here.

What to see close by

A little further afield, the massive

seven-storey Chateau Brissac is the

country’s tallest castle, built in 1502

and still occupied by the Ducs of

Brissac. It stands in the midst of 500

acres of beautiful parkland.

As you might know, this is wine country

thanks to the Romans who first planted

vines in Anjou, and vineyards are never far

away in the Loire Valley. Chateau d’Epire,

run by Paul Bizard, the 5th generation of

the family of wine makers, offers a tour

and taste visit (in French/English) in their

magnificent cellar – in a former church.

Terra Botanica boat ride ‘through the Loire’

Île Saint-Aubin

Cellar of the Chateau d’Epiré, Savennières


Embark on a Timeless Journey:

Discover the Soul of the Loire Valley

Unveil the secrets of ancient châteaux

and savor the enchanting landscapes

with our expertly guided tours

Place du Ralliement © Alexandre Lamoureux Destination Angers

Kitchen of the Château de Brissac

Gastronomy

They take their food seriously here, there’s

even an artisan chocolate vending machine

on the corner of rue St-Aubin (an old Roman

road). There are markets on Wednesdays and

Saturdays and a huge choice of restaurants

including the popular Halles Coeur de Maine

alongside the river, with more than a dozen

food retailers under one roof – and outdoors.

Central square, Place du Ralliement is

popular for apéritifs, as is Rue St-Laud,

a sort of ‘rue de la soif’ (thirsty street),

lined with bars and cafés. My favourite

apéro secret is Port d’Angers on the

banks of the Maine River, a mooring spot

for boats and departure point for river

cruises (aperitif, wine tasting, cocktails,

dinner and discovery cruises). From this

idyllic location, there are guinguette

style bars (open-air tavern) and you have

fabulous views over the castle.

Les Petit Pres Place du Ralliement has a

fabulous wine list, and utterly delicious,

innovative cuisine (when I was there, a

Banksy exhibition was on and one of the

dishes paid homage to the artist).

Carmine A lovely restaurant with a big

terrace overlooking the river. An open

kitchen, great ambiance, classic dishes

with a twist and generous portions

(including the divine desserts).

The Hotel Markus is superb, an elegant

old building with glamorous rooms, huge

beds, and lots of lovely details from a

yoga mat in the room to the gorgeous

little jam pots at breakfast.

Barely an hour and a half from Paris.

Find out more about Angers, things to

do and see, events and much more:

destination-angers.com

loirevalleychateautours.com/tours

LE MOULIN

SUR CÉLÉ

An enchanting luxurious riverside retreat in the beautiful Célé Valley

Experience la France Profonde

www.lemoulinsurcele.com


Pont du Gard © Richard Sprang, Pont du Gard Tourism

THE PONT DU GARD

One of the wonders

of the ancient – and

modern – world

Rising high above the Gardon River in

the Gard, southern France, the Pont du

Gard is one of the most extraordinary

surviving buildings of the Roman world.

Almost 2,000 years old, and almost

perfectly preserved, this golden-hued

structure is an engineering masterpiece

and the sight of it takes your breath

away. Janine Marsh visits a bridge to

the ancient world.

A little bit of history

I started my exploration of this magnificent

monument at the fascinating Pont du Gard

Museum, a short walk from the aqueduct.

A fascinating exhibition portrays how the bridge was built - at the

Pont du Gard Museum


With the exception of a couple of artefacts,

the exhibition is new, but don’t let that put

you off, it’s an incredible display that features

models of sections of the bridge, explains

how it was built and more. It’s interactive,

innovative and unless someone tells you that

what’s in the museum isn’t actually Roman,

you probably wouldn’t know - the rooms

are dimmed as if everything is real and the

exhibits are built using the same stone the

Romans used, from the same (hidden) quarry

600m away. And the biggest surprise for me

was discovering that the Pont du Gard was

not a unique achievement in the area, the

Romans built many aqueducts, several of

which remain.

In the 1st century AD, the Roman city of

Nemausus - modern-day Nîmes - was a thriving

metropolis of about 30,000 inhabitants, and

vast quantities of fresh water were needed for

drinking, bathing, fountains and public life. But

that was a problem – there was no suitable

local water source at the right elevation.

The solution was bold and ambitious. Roman

engineers sourced water from the Fontaine

d’Eure near Uzès and designed a vast

aqueduct system to carry it all the way to

Nîmes, which though only around 20km away

as the crow flies, required the water to be

carried over a distance of around 50km.

The Pont du Gard was the most dramatic

part of that journey, built to carry the water

channel across the deep Gardon valley – the

highest Roman aqueduct in existence.

The water had to flow purely by gravity, and

the engineers couldn’t design it in a straight

line because of the many natural obstacles

including hills and deep valleys. The route

needed to curve and wind but be precise, so

they created tunnels and several aqueducts.

Astonishingly the incline over the entire

route was only 12 metres and by the time it

reached Nîmes, the system was delivering an

estimated 30,000 to 40,000 cubic metres

of water every day, the flow managed by a

series of doors that were opened and shut as

required. It was genius.

There are bricks sticking out which were used for scaffolding!

The building of the Pont

du Gard

Rising to nearly 50 metres high, the bridge

spans three tiers of arches - 52 in total.

But what truly amazes engineers today is

how it was built – a whopping 50,000 tons

of limestone and blocks cut so precisely

that no mortar was needed, and the stones

are held together purely by weight, friction

and perfect fitting. Everything was quarried

locally and assembled with remarkable

efficiency by a workforce estimated to be

800 to 1,000 strong.

And it was in use for almost 500 years.

Armed with this knowledge and more, I set off

to see the real thing. Nothing prepares you

for the sight of this astronomical bridge when

you see it for real. It’s mind boggling and has

had a reputation for being one of the wonders

of France for centuries. King Louis XIV visited

in 1660; King Louis XVI was so impressed by

it he commissioned a drawing for the dining

room at the Chateau of Fontainebleau. When

Napoleon III visited in 1850, he commanded

that it be restored and preserved for future

generations to admire.

Standing before this majestic building, it’s not

hard to see how their majesties felt humbled

by its magnificence.

And, it’s not hard to imagine how tough it

must have been to build the Aqueduct of

Pont du Gard. Even in early September when

I visited, the sun was blazing and a little

café at the base of the bridge was doing a

roaring trade selling bottles of water. I shut

my eyes and imagined the men who worked

here, cutting stone, transporting it to this

treacherous site, shaping the rocks into

enormous bricks (some weighing up to 6 tons),

cutting, pushing, pulling them into place,

climbing ever higher to build a three-story

aqueduct, come rain or shine for five long

years. I wonder if the builders were proud of

what they created when the water started

flowing along the canal - or did they just think

“thank the Gods that’s over.” Their work was

of the highest standard, if those workmen

came back today, they would recognise their

handiwork. Though they may see a change to

the first level of the bridge.

Suitable for Roman chariots but not for horsedrawn

cannons. The first level was widened

in the 18th century. Astonishingly it became

part of the D986 road, and cars, coaches and

Inside the channel where the water flowed – you can’t see to the end because the

bridge has a slight curve in it!

caravans were able to drive over it until as late

as 1996!

Now this UNESCO world heritage building is

car-free, and you can walk across it – as more

than a million people do each year. It gives

you goosebumps to be here, the same sort

of wow factor as the Eiffel Tower, people just

stop and stare as they approach, mesmerised

by the sheer scale of Pont du Gard, but it has

emotional pull too, you can’t help but think of

the years that have passed, the people who

have passed and the history that has taken

place since it was built.


Around the

Pont du Gard

View from the top of the bridge

The ‘rabbit stone’ replica in the Pont du Gard Museum

Book a visit with a guide and climb the 80

steps to reach the top of the bridge and

walk inside the 275m long water channel – a

truly special experience. Once lined with

lead to waterproof the walls (there are still

traces of it) the canal is narrow in places and

was covered to stop the water evaporating.

It’s extraordinary how the Romans created

something that required such precise

measurements. Though it turns out that even

Roman genius architects sometimes get it

wrong, you can see the line on the canal wall

where they had to add a new layer of stone to

raise the level, it was too low! But that takes

nothing away from the stunning achievement.

You can easily make a day of it here with

several places to take a break: there are visitor

centres on either side of the river; Les Terrasses

restaurant (book in advance, it’s popular), a

bistro and terraces on the right bank where you

can enjoy a snack, ice cream etc. – all offering

fabulous views of the aqueduct. Hire a kayak:

(there are several companies in Collias and

Remoulins a few minutes by car), and float

under the bridge for another perspective. And

there are year-round events from a summer

sound and light show to concerts and festivals.

Pont du Gard sound and light show © Richard Sprang, Pont du Gard Tourism

The Devil’s bridge?

People in the past seem to have been

somewhat cynical about the abilities of

builders and commonly claimed that they

must have done a deal with the devil to

get the job done – especially bridges! And

that’s the case with the Pont du Gard. The

Romans placed a stone with the outline of

a rabbit believed to ward off the evil eye.

But in the Middle Ages the legend spread

that Lucifer offered to help the builder if he

agreed that the first soul to cross the bridge

would belong to the devil himself. The

builder’s canny wife suggested that since

the evil one had not specified the soul of a

human, they should simply pop a rabbit on

the bridge if you know where to look you

may spot the stone!

This really is a bridge to the past – and it is

quite simply, breath-taking.

Find all the information about the Pont du

Gard website, and the villages and places of

interest to explore in the surrounding area, at:

uzes-pontdugard.com/en

View of Pont du Gard from Castillon-du-Gard

Just north, hilltop Castillon-du-Gard exudes

medieval atmosphere, even if it was mostly

rebuilt in the 16th century. It offers views

down to the Pont du Gard and a Romanesque

chapel, St-Caprais, a setting for summer

concerts and art exhibitions. East of Castillon,

11th-century St-Hilaire-d’Ozilhan is another

charming village with an even older chapel, the

Clastre, standing on its own just to the south.

If it’s supermarchés or bustling sprawl you’re

after, there’s Remoulins, the area’s market

town and the gateway to the Fosses de

Fournès, a weirdly eroded lunar landscape

to the east. Southwest of Remoulins,

explore traces of the aqueduct in the hills

around Sernhac where the Romans dug

two impressive tunnels, one for the water

and one for maintenance, still bearing the

grooves left by the hammers that excavated

them, stroke by stroke. The extraordinarily

hard calcium deposits that accumulated in

the water channels were chiselled out as a

prized building material in the Middle Ages:

some went into the walls of the fortified

Romanesque church St-Bonnet-du-Gard,

near Sernhac.

Medieval town of Castillon-du-Gard

Vers-Pont-du-Gard

The Roman quarries that produced the Pont

du Gard are just off the Uzès road in Vers-

Pont-du-Gard, another pleasant little village

with another Romanesque church. Here, by

the level crossing on the D227 and down the

white road a couple of hundred yards to the

south, stand a few aqueduct arches in a state

of romantic abandon; other vestiges may be

seen between Vers and Argilliers, just off the

D3B, taking the side road that veers sharply to

the left.



Argilliers A Romanesque chapel and a

neoclassical colonnaded funeral chapel

dedicated to Saint Louis on the D981 mark

the entrance to one of Languedoc's most

curious follies, the Château de Castille, the

private mania of Froment Fromentès, Baron

de Castille (1747-1829). One of the great

travellers of his day, the baron was afflicted by

a serious case of columnitis in Rome, and on

his return to his estates in the Gard he erected

over 200 pillars and columns, of which only

some 50 survive, incorporated into garden

follies, porticoes and hemicycles inspired by

Bernini. In 1950 it was purchased by English

art critic Douglas Cooper (1911-84), a friend of

Picasso who fell in love with the estate. During

a visit in 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis,

he engraved a frieze on the wall of the loggia.

After a 40-year restoration, the Château is for

sale at the time of writing.

Collias South of Argilliers, down on the banks

of the river, Collias has a popular beach,

kayak rental and paths going up and down

the river from the Pont du Gard to Pont St-

Nicolas. The dramatic, wild beauty of the

sheer-walled Gardon gorge here inspired an

awe of religious proportions in the past, and

there are several old hermitages in caves

(take a torch with you), one near the Grotte

de la Baume (closed mid-Nov-mid-Mar &

May-mid-Aug for bat hibernations), with an

11th-century chapel (an hour's walk), and

another, the Ermitage de Collias, in a place so

beautiful that it has been classed like a historic

Sheep wandering the countryside near Pont du Gard

monument. People have worshipped here since

prehistoric times – there’s a little chapel by the

cave, a Roman bridge and fountain dedicated

to Minerva. Collias is also the perfect place if

you fancy a dip at the village plage, on the left

bank of the Gardon, and is a popular place for

a swim with both visitors and locals.

Further west, the D112 will take you to Pont

St-Nicolas, where an impressive 13th century

bridge takes the scenic old Nimes-Uzès road

over the Gardon gorge. Just above it to the

west, the 12th century church of Ste-Anastasie

is all that survives of the Priory of St-Nicolas

de Campagnac; built with exquisite care, the

church is unusually large, sober, pure and empty.

Extract from Languedoc-

Roussillon, by Dana Facaros

& Michael Pauls with Jane

Falkner, published by Bradt

(bradtguides.com) in paperback, £18.99

(ISBN 9781804692806)


View over the Bay of Cannes from Le Cannet © Le Cannet Tourism

Le Cannet began as a humble hillside

settlement in the Middle Ages, its terraces

carved into the landscape above Cannes

like a crown. For centuries, it was shaped

by agriculture - olive groves, figs, and vines,

the city’s park - Tivoli Gardens, is where the

former fields once were. In the 15th century,

a new chapter unfolded. 140 Italian families

crossed the nearby border seeking work and

a better life. They brought with them building

skills, culinary traditions, and a vibrant sense

of community that still echoes in the town’s

rhythms today.

Bonnard Museum, Vue du Cannet, Pierre Bonnard, 1938-1942

LE CANNET

The ‘crown’ of Cannes

Janine Marsh visits Le Cannet and

discovers a beguiling hub of art, history

and gastronomy where la dolce vita

meets art de vivre.

Cannes is renowned for its French Riviera

glitz and glamour, the famous red carpet

rolled out for the swanky film festival,

expensive shops, polished promenades,

and beaches where people go to see

and be seen. But, a short way away, up a

winding hill just two kilometres from the

beaches, sits Le Cannet, which until

1774 was part of Cannes. Here life has

a quite different feel. Arriving early

one morning, when the shutters were

just creaking open and the scent of

fresh bread drifted through the narrow

lanes, luring me to join a queue at the

boulangerie, a local told me, “Ici, on vit

doucement,” here, we live gently. And

that, I soon discovered, is the essence

of Le Cannet.

Then came the artists. Chief among them

was Pierre Bonnard, who lived here for 27

years. Captivated by the golden light and

Mediterranean hues, he painted prolifically

until his death in 1947. From his home, Le

Bosquet, nestled on a hillside looking over

the Bay of Cannes, Bonnard would climb the

seven hills of Le Cannet to be inspired by the

beauty of the scenery, his paintings full of

colour and light, prompting Henri Matisse to

call him “one of the greatest painters among

us.” At the heart of Le Cannet’s cultural life

is the Musée Bonnard, which partners with

the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and hosts regular

temporary exhibitions. It’s the only museum in

the world dedicated entirely to Bonnard. Pop

to the tourist office to pick up a map to follow

in the footsteps of Bonnard and discover his

most beautiful landscapes.

Lose yourself in the old quarter, where


Mural on the wall, Place Bellevue, an homage to the 140 Italian families who settled in Le Cannet

Tobiasse Chapel

cobbled streets twist like ribbons between

the pastel façades of Belle Epoque houses.

Vibrant pink and purple bougainvillaea

spills over balconies, and tiny squares open

unexpectedly, revealing views that stretch all

the way to the sea.

Take a guided tour to discover Le Cannet’s

secrets and surprises (the tourist office

offers free guided tours). My guide Karine, a

former France volleyball player, took me on

a gentle stroll and told me of the town’s rich

history, how the Via Julia Augusta Roman

road ran through, that Saint Honorat came

here in the 5th century and how it was

believed that if you gave land to the church

you would go to heaven and locals worked

on the land for the monks. When plague

decimated the south of France. It was the

monks who encouraged Italian families to

come here and work the fields.

As we walked, Karine pointed out doorways

marked by a Maltese Cross – “the Templars

used to have secret reunions here, and the

cross marks their meeting places” she tells me.

Wide stairs lead to the upper town – “built for

donkeys to go up and down.” It’s a fascinating

tour – and completely free!

Pop into the Tobiasse Chapel, a former 14th

century chapel decorated by artist Théo

French playright Victorien Sardou, Place Bellevue,

whose family came from Le Cannet

Tobiasse – his theme “Life is a celebration”

is an explosion of vibrant colour. Le Cannet’s

street art is monumental – from a giant image

of Bonnard to a monumental fresco at the

fabulous Maison Bellevue restaurant called

the Heritage Orange Tree which represents

the 140 founding families who came to Le

Cannet from Italy.

The town has long attracted artisans who

prefer quiet inspiration over Riviera glamour,

says Le Cannet’s head of tourism Walid

Chaabani. And in Rue Saint-Sauveur, it’s easy

to see why the town has been awarded the

‘City and Crafts’ label, this long winding street

is chock full of small ateliers where artists and

artisan still work by hand, painters capturing

the same light that enchanted Bonnard,

ceramicists shaping earthy, sun-toned pieces,

a cabinet maker, a seamstress who creates

the most beautiful childrens clothes, books,

bags and beautiful things.

Miniature

masterpieces, by

Nicolas Canet

Nicolas Canet at no. 258 makes delicate

santon accessories – trees, shepherds huts,

gardens and more for Provencal nativity

scenes. A former architect, he studied to

become a priest, and says he followed his

Pierre Bonnard by

Big Ben in Rue des

26 | The Good Life France Prés, Le Cannet


passion for santons in Le Cannet, “I did it my

way” he smiles.

Artisan jeweller Meggan, Wild Minutiae

Maison Bellevue

Artisan Meggan at Wild Minutiae creates

ethereal beaded jewellery that is so covetable,

you’ll struggle to leave her boutique without

taking something home to love forever.

There are specialist vintage shops and bijou

cafés dotted in between the artists studios and

it’s easy to spend a few hours browsing here.

There are lots of excellent restaurants, a

weekly market and terrfic food shops in

Le Cannet - whatever you do, don’t miss

boulangerie/café Mimi Faktory – the best

madeleines I’ve ever had, made by chef/

owner Sylvain Mathy, a French National

Champion of Patisserie. Cheese lovers will

love fromagerie Magasin Mons, and there’s a

great Tuesday morning street market.

“Le Cannet’s culinary scene reflects its

Franco-Italian soul” says Walid. “Menus

feature daube provençale alongside fresh

pasta.” At La Maison Bellevue restaurant

in Place Bellevue, sun beams dance across

tables shaded by leafy trees, a slight

breeze comes up from the sea. With a view

over the Bay of Cannes from the terrace

where a tinkling fountain cools the air, here

they serve the freshest fish and authentic

Mediterranean cuisine, and for me, this is

a true taste of art de vivre and the perfect

place to while away a few hours just being in

the moment.

Garden of Bruno Oger’s Villa Archange

Le Cannet’s most famous chef, Bruno Oger

has two restaurants, the 2 Michelin star Villa

Archange with its world famous cuisine (just 10

minutes from the Croissette), and the Bistrot

des Anges next door which is not starred but

has a fabulous (less expensive) menu.

Despite its proximity to Cannes, Le Cannet

remains refreshingly under the radar. It’s a

place that draws you in; its French elegance

mixed with Italian warmth gives it a distinctive

charm with its sun-dappled streets and the

echo of artists past and present. It’s a place to

slow down, to look closer, to feel the light as

much as see it.

ecannet-tourisme.fr


A river tour by gabarre is a must © Gillian Thornton

Rostand, Cyrano is a soldier-poet who thinks

he will never find love because of his big nose.

I have flown into Bergerac’s bijou international

airport for a welcome return to the Dordogne-

Périgord region which is divided into four

colour-coded areas. In the north, the Green

Périgord takes its name from the lush

farmland; White Périgord around Périgueux

from the chalk and limestone; the Purple

Périgord surrounding Bergerac recalls the vine

leaves in autumn; and Black Périgord around

Sarlat, the dark foliage of holm oaks.

Discover BERGERAC

A land of heritage,

history – and wine

An unspoilt river, delicious wines and a melancholy man with a big nose.

Gillian Thornton heads to Bergerac in the heart of Dordogne-Périgord.

Step aboard a gabarre in Bergerac and it is

easy to envisage an age when the quay beside

the Dordogne was lined with flat-bottomed

boats. Around 100,000 barrels of wine passed

through here every year until rail transport

took over from water, and as we cruise away

from the quay, I can imagine the noise of men

loading wine, raw materials, and fresh produce

onto boats, bound for Bordeaux for export to

England and the Netherlands.

An excursion by replica gabarre is a must-do

for any visitor to this fascinating town, famous

across the world for its quality wines and for

the fictitious character Cyrano de Bergerac.

Created by 19 th century author Edmond

Bergerac has a mellow feel to it © Pays de Bergerac, Joffrey Revoy

Men have passed through the area since

ancient times but Bergerac really began to

take shape in the 11 th century and in 1254,

English king Henry III, Duke of Aquitaine,

granted the town trading privileges that


launched the wine trade with England.

Demolished in the mid-19 th century, Bergerac’s

riverside castle allowed room for the quay we

see today. To find out more, visit Dordonha,

an excellent free heritage centre that takes its

name from the Occitan name for the river.

One of Dordonha’s two permanent exhibition

areas covers the development of Bergerac,

the other is an exhibition of delightful bronze

figures bequeathed in 2004 by the late Italian

sculptor Costi who fell in love with the town.

And how could you not?

of Cyrano. A painted one gazes longingly

up at an effigy of his secret love Roxanne in

the church window, whilst in nearby Place de

la Myrpe, the poet’s likeness is fashioned in

stone, but frequently devoid of his nose!

Cyrano in Place de la Myrpe © Gillian Thornton

Espace Vin, Quai Cyrano © Gillian Thornton

© Gillian Thornton

Cloister at Quai Cyrano, a peaceful spot for winetasting

Buy by the glass or bottle at vineyard prices

and if hunger beckons, order a platter of

charcuterie and cheese to enjoy inside, on

the first-floor riverside terrace, or in the

ancient cloister at the rear which also stages a

programme of free concerts. For a few euros

more, you can tour the interactive Cyrano

exhibition for the story of the play and the real

man who inspired it.

Cyrano gazing lovingly! © Gillian Thornton

Bergerac’s historic centre is a delight,

compact and foot-friendly with buildings of

white stone jostling for space beside brick and

timber ‘colombage’ facades. Head towards

the river and you find not one but two statues

Not surprisingly, Bergerac’s Tourist Office

and quayside both take their name from

Rostand’s play. One of the most impressive

tourist offices you will find anywhere, the

Quai Cyrano building overlooks the historic

quayside and combines a large visitor

information centre and an upstairs Espace

Vin offering free tastings of wines from

around 150 local winemakers.

Gabarre cruises leave from the quay across

the road, a gentle pootle accompanied by a

bilingual commentary that reveals not just the

development and activity of the port, but also

the flora and fauna of the river. The Dordogne

is the last river to welcome all eight European

species of migratory fish, and bird life too

is abundant. I’m thrilled to spot a kingfisher,

nesting geese, and black kites on the wing.

Situated in the south of the Dordogne

department, Bergerac is surrounded by

vineyards, so I take the opportunity to

indulge in a little vineyard tourism. En route

though, I stop first to explore Château de

Bridoire in Ribagnac, just south of Bergerac.

Known locally as the ‘Castle of Games’, this

picturesque property lay abandoned for more

than 30 years, its once-fine interiors ruined

and pillaged before it was bought in 2011 by

the parents of current owner Alice Guyot, who

lives here with her young family.

© Pays de Bergerac, Marie Cécile Grasseau

Walk through more than 15 rooms, right up

to the attic beneath massive roof timbers, to

appreciate the ongoing restoration. Along the

way, you can play a variety of indoor games

before heading outside for giant outdoor play

equipment and a summer maze, plus a wealth

of cute farm animals.

Bridoire lies in the heart of the vineyards and

if you talk to any local about wine, it won’t

be long before you hear about Les Cinq

Couleurs de Bergerac – Red, White, Rosé,

Medium Sweet (Moelleux), and Dessert wines

(Vins Liquoreux). The Vineyards of Bergerac

and neighbouring Duras together produce 17

wines awarded Appellation d’Origine Protégée

status, across seven Grands Terroirs. Think

vintages like Bergerac, Pécharmant, Rosette

and Monbazillac.


Chateau de Monbazillac © Gillian Thornton

Not far from Bridoire in the hamlet of St-

Julien-d’Eymet, at the Domaine Albert de

Conti I chat to Guillaume de Conti, a thirdgeneration

vineyard owner and prime example

of young winemakers promoting local wine

tourism. Alongside his bestselling organic

wines such as the white AOP Bergerac Sec,

Cuvée des Contés, Guillaume is also trying

new vintages such as Mondeuse. A bright

spacious building on two floors adjacent to

Guillaume’s wine-making facilities is open for

individual tastings and sales.

Next I head to Chateau Monbazillac, which

stands on a ridge overlooking the Dordogne

valley, just 10 minutes from Bergerac. The

world’s largest producer of dessert wines,

the late-16 th century castle combines two

architectural styles with a Medieval dry moat

and corner towers, but with the large windows

and interior layout of the Renaissance

period. Explore the visitor centre, castle

rooms and grounds at your own pace with a

comprehensive leaflet in English, starting with

a multi-media exhibition on the history and

characteristics of the wine.

Around 40 winegrowers run Château de

Monbazillac as a co-operative, all charged

with preserving and maintaining the domaine

and its strict methods of production. Early

morning humidity from the river followed by

afternoon sunshine encourages the growth

of a mushroom that sucks moisture from the

grapes, thus increasing the sugar content.

Grapes are harvested entirely by hand at

intervals to ensure that each one is picked in

peak condition.

© Pays de Bergerac

Visits finish with a tasting of one to three

wines – it’s a fascinating opportunity to

compare how different climatic conditions

affect the colour, taste and degree of

alcohol year on year. After something

exceptional for your next dinner party? Look

out for Monbazillac 2015 or 2025.

Dessert wines can be drunk at any time I

am reliably informed, so after a small glass

as my aperitif, I head off for lunch with a

view at the nearby Bistrot de Malfourat. My

balcony table looks out over the vineyards

to the rooftops of Bergerac and the

distant airport runway. The perfect spot to

relax before I continue my adventures in

Dordogne-Périgord.

Fly into Bergerac Airport from the UK

from a choice of 8 regional airports. For

discounted deals on UK airport parking,

hotels, lounges and transfers, visit Holiday

Extras. Tourist information: Dordogne-

Périgord Tourism

In the heart of Bergerac, Hotel de France

has 20 modern bedrooms plus courtyard

garden and outdoor pool. For leisure

facilities and regional cooking in the

nearby countryside, try Le Tropicana at

Douville. Or book a B&B or gîte vineyard

stay at wine-making Château Masburel

in the heart of the Bergerac vineyards in

Fougueyrolles, a 30 minute drive from

Bergerac town.

Refined dining at Signature in the centre

of Bergerac, and bistronomique fare at Le

Bistrot de Malfourat in Monbazillac.


Marseillan in the department of Herault, Occitanie (formerly known as Languedoc

Roussillon), is a nautical paradise where Noilly Prat is produced, and life is lived at a

gentle pace says Karen Tait.

Marvellous

MARSEILLAN

Every summer, the sleepy southern port of

Marseillan erupts into a riot of colour and

noise for the annual joutes nautiques. Water

jousting is taken very seriously in this corner

of France. Quayside restaurants fill with

enthusiastic spectators, while others perch

along the harbour edge, legs dangling over

the water, cheering loudly for their teams.

Distinctive jousting boats replace the usual

fishing vessels and pleasure cruisers, BBQs

give off smoky aromas of local grilled fish,

and music and lively commentary blare

from tannoy speakers. It’s an experience not

to be missed.

The same could be said of Marseillan

itself. Easily overlooked compared to more

famous neighbours such as Sète, Agde and

Montpellier, not to mention the Riviera’s

flashier resorts, this pretty port has a quieter

charm. Life moves at a gentler pace here –

apart from festival season, of course – with

the soft golden Mediterranean light reflecting

off the calm waters and illuminating the

pastel façades of the buildings. This is not

a destination for must-see attractions, but

somewhere to unwind slowly, enjoying morning

markets, long lunches, afternoon swims and

evening strolls along the harbour.

Early mornings are particularly atmospheric.

Fishermen unload the day’s catch while locals

sip coffee and chat as the town gradually

awakens. By evening, the harbour becomes

a lively social hub, tables spilling onto the

quayside as the scent of grilled seafood fills

the air. Reflections shimmer on the water and

there’s a relaxed buzz in the air.

Taste notes

Although Marseillan feels like a

quintessential seaside port, it actually

opens onto a vast coastal lagoon. The calm,

nutrient-rich waters of the 75km² Étang

de Thau provide ideal conditions for oyster

and mussel farming. Freshly harvested

shellfish can be enjoyed in rustic seafood

shacks along the lagoon’s edge or in harbour

restaurants, ideally paired with a chilled

glass of local Picpoul de Pinet.

© Karen Tait


© Karen Tait


The perfect digestif

after lunch or dinner

is surely Noilly Prat –

the distillery for this

oh-so-French tipple is

in the port. Founded

in the early 19th

century, the historic

producer creates its

signature vermouth

using a unique

Noily Prat © Karen Tait

process in which wine

is aged outdoors in oak barrels, exposed to

sun, sea air and coastal winds. Guided tours of

the cellars reveal some of the secrets behind

the blend of herbs and spices that give Noilly

Prat its distinctive character and have earned

it a place in classic cocktails around the world.

Naturally, the visit ends with a tasting – even if

you’re not normally a vermouth drinker, you’re

sure to be won over!

Wine production is another cornerstone

of Marseillan’s identity. The surrounding

countryside is dotted with vineyards producing

wines typical of the Languedoc region, from

crisp whites to rich reds. Long sunny days and

the Mediterranean climate lend these wines

their depth and character.

Dual Personality

© Karen Tait

Wander beyond the port and you’ll discover

the narrow streets, shaded squares and

centuries-old buildings of Marseillan Ville,

including the 17th-century Église Saint-Jean-

Baptiste. On market days, stalls overflow with

sun-ripened tomatoes, olives, local cheeses

and freshly caught shellfish, offering a glimpse

into everyday life in this coastal community.

Yet the harbour town is only half of

Marseillan’s story. A short drive away lies

the lively seaside resort of Marseillan Plage,

where wide sandy beaches, calm clear water

and a relaxed atmosphere draw summer

visitors. Families appreciate the shallow

sea, while the more active can enjoy sailing,

windsurfing, paddleboarding and kayaking

on both the lagoon and the sea. A leisurely

walk or bike ride along the water’s edge is one

of the best ways to explore the landscape.

Despite its popularity in summer, a quiet spot

can always be found, and the area retains a

laidback charm.

Marseillan offers two distinct coastal

experiences: on one side, open sea and sandy

beaches; on the other, the peaceful lagoon

lined with traditional oyster beds. This duality

is also reflected in the contrast between the

historic harbour and the more modern feel

of the seaside resort, which was developed

during the tourism boom of the 1970s.

Traditional village life exists alongside the

energy of a beach destination. One moment

you’re wandering through quiet streets lined

with old stone houses; the next, you’re among

bustling cafés, holiday parks and sun-soaked

beaches.

Despite their differences, both sides of

Marseillan share the same laidback spirit,

rooted in maritime heritage, wine culture and

a strong sense of community. Throughout the

year, festivals celebrate food, wine and local

traditions. The famous water jousting is part

of the Fête de la Saint-Louis, with traditional

games, music and processions enjoyed by

locals and visitors alike.

One of the more eccentric summer events is

the Lou Capelet, or cours de la bigue, where

Water jousting is a favourite event in Marseillan © Karen Tait

© Karen Tait

competitors

attempt to climb

a greased ship’s

mast suspended

above the water.

As if that wasn’t

challenging

enough,

participants must

also stop at every

bar in town for a

Ricard before the

games begin!

Throughout summer, concerts animate

the port, village squares and waterfront,

with dancing continuing late into the night,

while the midnight craft market features

handmade treasures sold under a summer

moon. In October and November, Vin Primeur

celebrations mark the arrival of the year’s

first wine; makers and their families and

friends gather along the quays to uncork

the first bottles together. Winter brings

gastronomic markets, live nativity scenes and

festive parades. Whether it’s a lively summer

festival or a quieter seasonal gathering, these

celebrations offer a glimpse into the spirit of

the town.

© Karen Tait

Portside Marseillan © Karen Tait


Triple Score

As if the Mediterranean and the lagoon were

not enough, Marseillan is also connected

to France’s inland waterways, including

one of the country’s greatest engineering

achievements. The 17 th -century Canal du

Midi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, links

the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and passes

close to the town.

The canal adds yet another dimension to the

area’s appeal. Walking or cycling along its

tree-lined banks, past locks, bridges and slowmoving

boats, feels like stepping into another

era. Boat trips offer a different perspective

on both the canal’s extraordinary engineering

and its rich history.

Nature lovers will also find plenty to admire.

The lagoon is home to striking pink flamingos,

while the nearby Réserve Naturelle du Bagnas

offers opportunities to spot egrets, herons,

kingfishers and sandpipers (visits with an

official guide).

Slow living

In a region filled with famous destinations,

Marseillan remains refreshingly understated.

It captures something many travellers are

searching for: authenticity, simplicity and

a sense of place. This is somewhere that

encourages you to slow down – to linger over

long lunches, take the scenic route along the

lagoon or canal, and allow the day to unfold at

its own gentle rhythm.


Spotlight on

BREST

Rudolf Abraham

Set at the mouth of the River Penfeld

and overlooking the Rade de Brest –

a vast natural bay providing enough

safe anchorage to accommodate an

entire fleet – Brest is both the capital

of Brittany’s Finistière region, and the

second largest naval base in France, after

Toulon. Rudolf Abraham explores and

discovers there’s plenty to enjoy in Brest.

Brest is not your typical Breton town, brimming

with pretty half-timbered houses (head to

nearby Quimper for a suitably splendid dose of

these). Aside from the stupendously impressive

castle, Brest is almost entirely modern – having

been more or less completely levelled by

Allied bombing in WW2. But it’s a town with

stacks of character, and plenty of culture –

think an unexpected mix of naval heritage,

urban regeneration and a sprinkling of surfy

aesthetics – and there’s more than enough in

and around Brest to fill a few days of exploring,

with plenty of delicious local seafood and other

good Breton fare, from street food to Michelinstarred

fine dining.

It might be set towards the far-flung western

tip of Brittany, but Brest is a still a doddle to

reach from the UK, just 4 hours from Paris by

train, or 12km from Brest Bretagne Airport.

More enjoyably, I took the ferry, travelling

overnight to Saint-Malo with Brittany Ferries,

and continuing by train via Rennes – arriving in

Brest just in time for lunch.

What to see and do

in Brest

The Château de Brest sprawls above the

left bank of the River Penfeld – enormously

imposing, it will probably leave you wondering

why you haven’t seen photos of it plastered

all over the place. One reason is that at the

centre of the massive castle walls, stand the

rather handsome buildings of the Maritime

Prefecture of the French Navy – so photos

pointing in that direction are prohibited. Never

mind, there are plenty of other parts of the

castle to snap at.

The Romans built a fort on the site of the

present Château – a section of Roman walls

Wooden statues at the Musée National de la Marine © Rudolf Abraham


can still be seen at the base of the medieval

walls. It passed back and forth between

France and England during the Hundred Years

War, became a key fortress of the Dukes of

Brittany from the 15th century, before Vauban

was commissioned to bolster and elaborate

its stupendous defences when Brest became

a naval port in the 17th century. The Château

also houses the excellent Musée National de

la Marine. One of the highlights of the large

collection is a group of genuinely spectacular

wooden statues which once decorated ships,

the work of local 18th century sculptor Yves

Etienne Collet.

From the ramparts you get a bird’s eye view of

the mouth of the River Penfeld and the bridge

which spans it, the Pont de Recouvrance. And

it’s the bridge, not the castle, which is actually

the most iconic sight in Brest.

The Pont de Recouvrance is a vertical-lift

bridge, its central section able to be raised by

four massive motors to allow tall ships to pass

underneath, and allowing access to the huge

naval dry docks just upstream from the bridge.

Built to replace the old 19th century bridge

which was destroyed in the Allied bombings of

1944, it was designed to make an impression,

appropriate for a town emerging from the

ashes of war. And it’s quite a sight. With its

70m-high concrete pylons, it was at the time

of its opening in 1954 the tallest vertical-lift

bridge in Europe (that title now goes to the

Pont Gustave-Flaubert in Rouen, completed

in 2008). ‘It always reminds me of a guillotine,’

a local said to me, and I have to admit the

comparison is a very appropriate one.

At the near end of the bridge, you’ll find

L’arbre Empathique, a 12m-high metallic

sculpture of a tree by Spanish architect Enric

Ruiz Geli. Or rather, it’s only a shell – look

closer and you’ll see living plants growing

Tour Tanguy © Rudolf Abraham

bank, stands Les Ateliers des Capucins – a

former Vauban-built convent site, later

a naval barracks and then ship repair

workshops, now transformed into a vibrant

cultural centre with galleries, workshops,

a cinema, bars and eateries. The terrace

along the side, where tables spill out into the

sunshine, is perhaps the al fresco drinking

spot in the city. On my first evening in Brest,

I settled myself in at Fabrik 1801, ordered

some street food, and made the most of the

extensive list of Breton craft beers (never,

ever miss an opportunity to try a glass of

Duchesse Anne Triple).

Brest is home to France’s first urban cable car © Rudolf Abraham

View from the ramparts of the Château de Brest

Fanny de Laninon and Jean Quéméneur at the Pont de Recouvrance which

‘looks like a guillotine’ © Rudolf Abraham

inside and sprouting through the lattice-like

surface. And at the far end of the bridge, you

can’t miss the rather fun sculpture of Fanny

de Laninon and Jean Quéméneur, characters

from two popular old sailor’s songs which are

here combined in a single moment, with Fanny

grabbing Jean’s shirt-front to stop him from

toppling backwards over the wall. Nearby and

dominating the right bank of the Penfeld at

this point is the Tour Tanguy, a 14th century

tower, home to the Musée du Vieux Brest.

Just upriver from the bridge on the right

Getting to the Atelier des Capucins is half

the fun. The cable car or Téléphérique de

Brest crosses the Penfeld between the

Ateliers des Capucins and the left bank,

passing high above the river – opened in

2016, it was France’s first urban cable car,

and the views are fantastic.

I mentioned that apart from the castle very

little of Brest survived the bombings of WW2.

That ‘very little’ is Rue Saint-Malo, a narrow,

cobbled street hidden away down some

steps near the Atelier des Capucins, with

oversized potted plants, artist’s ateliers a few

contented-looking cats.

From the Château it’s also worth heading

along the tree-lined Cours d’Ajot to the

imposing WW1 Naval Monument, which

© Rudolf Abraham

overlooks the Port de Commerce – the latter

revealing another completely different face

of Brest, where you’ll find street art and

bustling cafés facing the port area across

Quai de la Douane.


The town’s lively Sunday market, the Marché

Saint-Louis, is definitely worth a morning stroll.

Stalls fill the streets around the Église Saint-

Louis (whence, obviously, the name) – indulge

in some hearty local sausages and potatoes,

or stop at Coquillages Salomé for fresh oysters

and a crisp glass of Muscadet. I recommend

you bring a bag to carry off some fresh

produce for a picnic!

Brittany Coast Path © Rudolf Abraham

Surfers at Petit Minou © Rudolf Abraham

Delicious Breton street food! © Rudolf Abraham

Finally, Brest is the gateway to an incredibly

beautiful stretch of coastline – and if you

fancy a swim, jump on the number 2 bus and

head out to the popular Plage de Sainte-Anne.

From here I followed a section of the famous

Brittany Coast Path, walking above cliffs and

past forts, to the iconic Petit Minou lighthouse,

next to a popular surfing beach where waves

curled in below rugged cliffs. Then it was back

to Plage de Sainte-Anne, where the Du Bois

made for a welcome watering hole at one end

of the beach, with a nice, sun-soaked terrace.

Brest sees far fewer visitors than better-known

cities like Saint-Malo or Rennes – but it’s a

wonderfully rewarding corner of Brittany

which is well worth exploring.

brest-metropole-tourisme.fr

Fort de Mengant on the coastal path © Rudolf Abraham



SPOTLIGHT

on Orléans in the

Loire Valley

View from the top of the Cathedral © Jeremy Flint

In the heart of France’s Centre-Val

de Loire region, Orléans is a city of

architectural wonders, and gastronomic

delights. Just an hour by train from

Paris, it’s a perfect base to discover the

Loire Valley’s chateaux and charming

villages says Jeremy Flint.

Orléans is an ideal city for weekend and short

break escapes where wandering on foot is

a real joy. My first stop is the Sainte-Croix

Cathedral (Cathedral of the Holy Cross)

whose spires dominate the skyline of the

Cathedral

Saint-Croix

© Jeremy Flint

Statue of Joan of Arc in Orléans © Jeremy Flint

town. The gothic masterpiece is one of the

largest cathedrals in France – building began

in the 13 th century, halted in the 16 th century

after being partly destroyed by protestants

and carried on for several more centuries

including in the early 1600s when King Louis

XIV insisted that the transept be built in

Gothic style. His architect installed a rose

window with the Sun King’s symbol, likeness

and motto “Nec Pluribus Impar” – no one

compares to him.

I take a guided tour which provides a unique

way to explore the cathedral from top to

bottom. Descending to the crypts unveils the

hidden history of the remarkable 11th century

Romanesque crypt of Saint Avit. Through a

hidden door at the back of the cathedral, we

ascend 236 steps and cross a narrow openair

walkway to the top. It’s the only place

you can see the city from above – and you

certainly need a head for heights! You also get

a stunning view of the cathedral’s impressive

structure – an incredible feat of engineering,

made from stone, iron, wood, slate, brick, and

glass. From mid-May to the end of August

there’s a dazzling free sound and light show on

the Cathedral’s sculpted façade.

Don’t miss the elegant renaissance buildings

including Hotel Groslot, a former royal

residence, the museums of fine art and

archaeology, and the bronze statue of Joan

of Arc on horseback in the Place du Martroi

central square. It’s one of city’s many tributes

to Joan, Patron Saint of France, AKA the

Maid of Orleans after she led the French

army to victory when the English were forced

to withdraw after laying siege to Orléans for

almost 7 months.


Foodies will enjoy the fabulous restaurants

in the town and gourmet shops such as the

Martin-Pouret boutique. The company has

been making vinegar since 1797. Renowned as

among the finest in the world (they supply the

Presidential Élysée Palace), the vinegars are

made from wines and matured for up to 20

years (you can take a tasting here).

Beyond the city, the best way to explore

the enchanting villages and historic sites is

by car. East of Orléans, on the banks of the

Loire River, Saint-Jean-de-Braye is home to

the Campanaire Bollée bell foundry museum

showcasing the legacy of the Bollée family,

master bellmakers since 1715. It was an

honour to meet retired 8 th generation master

bellmaker Dominique Bollée who explained

“we made 35,000 bells for cathedrals all over

the world, including Notre Dame de Paris

and the Ivory Coast.” He encourages visitors

to book an appointment directly or visit on

Fridays when the museum is open to the public

www.tourisme-orleansmetropole.com

Nearby Combreux, a picturesque and

wonderfully preserved old village that was a

key transit port between the Loire river and the

Orléans canal in the 19 th century, is well worth

visiting. Take a walk to discover the bargemen’s

houses, the canal controller’s house, the 1841

lock keeper’s house, and quaint little bridges

that criss-cross the canal. Take a break at the

delicious Auberge de la Marine restaurant in

an 18th century building, you’ll thank me for

this top tip!

Around Orléans, other picturesque villages and

towns worth exploring on leisurely walks or by

bike include Saint-Dyé-sur-Loire (the historic

port of Chambord), Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire with

its Romanesque abbey, the medieval town of

Beaugency, and the troglodyte village of Trôo.

You can’t go to the Loire Valley and not visit

at least a few chateaux. Close to Orléans,

the world-renowned Château de Chambord

is a must-see. A crowning achievement of

Renaissance architecture, King Francis I

transformed what was a simple hunting

lodge into an exquisite and very expensive

Campanaire Bollée bell foundry museum © Jeremy Flint

Combreux, a step back in time to a boatmen’s

village of the 19th century © Jeremy Flint

Chateau de Chambord

Other-wordly sound and light show at the Chateau de Beaugency © Jeremy Flint

masterpiece with a double-helix staircase said

to have been designed by his friend Leonardo

de Vinci.

But there are also many charming, less

well-known castles to discover such as

the Chateau de Beaugency whose origins

date to the 11th century. Once home to the

‘Bâtard d’Orléans’ and companion of Joan

of Arc (who stayed at the castle), it has been

transformed by its current owners, Anne-

Sophie Acomat and husband Jérémie Bellot,

into a modern digital arts centre featuring a

mesmerising, other-worldly light and sound

show. L’idée restaurant in the village is worth

seeking out.

Another under the radar visit is the Château

de Meung-sur-Loire, one of the oldest and

largest castles in the region. Built in the Middle

Ages, this handsome monument was the

prestigious residence of the bishops of Orléans

for centuries until the French Revolution.

It’s a great visit for the whole family with

underground passages, animated dragons,

furnished medieval and 18 th century style

rooms, and landscaped gardens.

Finally, the Château de Cheverney is one of

the most sumptuously decorated châteaux

in France with stunning paintings, tapestries

and furniture. The “King’s bedroom” is lavishly

opulent though no king ever slept there. But

building a castle required the King’s permission

– and with it came the requirement to always

The Chateau de Cheverney is one of the most sumptuously

decorated castles in France © Jeremy Flint

keep a bedroom available for his majesty at

all times – the bedroom at Cheverney is still

ready! Allow time to visit the gorgeous gardens

which are in constant bloom – the 500,000

tulips in late spring are highly recommended!

tourisme-orleansmetropole.com/en/

In Orleans: Le Brin de Zinc – Serving

classic French food with a great

atmosphere, the speciality of tender

duck cooked in a pot is delicious! Chez

Eugène serves modern French cuisine full

of flavour. Dionyses – French gastronomy

with fresh home-cooked products such as

wild boar.

The Novotel Orleans Central Gare Hotel

is the perfect base, just 4 minutes from

the train station and an easy walk to the

city centre.

Eurostar from London to Paris and train to

Orleans.


The Chateau

Diane de Poitiers

D’ANET

Gate to the Chateau d’Anet © Le Chateau d’Anet

Tucked away at the top of the department

of Eure-et-Loir, Centre-Loire Valley near the

border of Normandy and Ile de France, lies

the Chateau d’Anet. It’s not as well-known as

the castles further south such as Chambord,

Chenonceau and Amboise, but it is just as

lovely and has a fascinating history.

If you’ve ever watched the 1965 James

Bond Film Thunderball, you’ll surely recall

the memorable opening scene where Sean

Connery watches the funeral of a SPECTRE

agent, the criminal organization seeking world

domination. Bond of courses realises this is

a sham, slays his enemies and escapes with

a jetpack on his back. The stunning chapel,

sumptuous chateau rooms and scene of

escape in a tree-lined avenue with a stunning

castle gate in the background – well, that’s the

Chateau d’Anet, a remarkable Renaissance

jewel that was once home to one of the most

powerful women in France in the 16th century

– Diane de Poitiers.

The castle was built between 1548 and 1552,

commissioned by King Henri II of France

for the love of his life, his mistress Diane de

Poitiers. It was much larger then, only one

wing remains of what was a stupendous

building, the rest was destroyed by a new

owner after the French Revolution.

Chapel (that featured in Thunderball) © Le Chateau d’Anet

Diane was almost 20 years older than Henri

when they began their affair around 1534

and was said to be one of the most beautiful

women at court. He was just 15, a prince in

waiting, and had already been married for

a year to Catherine de Medici, the political

choice of his father, King Francis 1 st . Diane was

Henri’s governess, and had been married at 15

to a man 40 years older than her and a widow

(she inherited her husband’s estate of Anet) by

the time she met the prince.

For 25 years she was the King’s favourite,

considered to be the most powerful and

influential woman in France, so much so that

when foreign dignitaries visited the French

court, they not only sent gifts for Queen

Catherine, but for Diane too - the uncrowned

queen of the king’s heart. His devotion to his

lover was legendary, he showered her with

gifts, including custody of the crown jewels,

and the gorgeous Chateau of Chenonceau.

In July 1559, Henri died following a jousting

injury whilst wearing Diane’s signature black

and white colours. Having banned Diane

from seeing him during his last days as he

lay in pain, Catherine took back the King’s

gifts, including Chenonceau, and banished

her rival from court. Diane retreated to the


Exquisite ceiling of the chapel

castle of Anet and remained there until her

death in April 1566, where, following a fatal

riding accident she was interred in a funerary

chapel built to house her tomb in the grounds

of the castle. The chapel is where Diane

attended mass, and many famous people

have prayed here including Mary Queen of

Scots, Catherine de Medici who in 1581 held

Diane’s grandson at his baptism here, and the

Princess of Lamballe, a favourite of Queen

Marie Antoinette, who spent her last days here

© Le Chateau d’Anet

Le Chateau d’Anet

The elegant hall of the Chateau d’Anet © Le Chateau d’Anet

before being executed during the French

Revolution in 1791.

The Chateau d’Anet is an elegant symbol

of Henri’s love. Considered one of the

most refined artistic projects of the 16 th

century, it was designed by Philibert de

l’Orme, who also worked on the chateaux

of Chenonceau and Fontainebleau. Viewed

from the road as you arrive, it’s a dazzling

sight with a stunning stone gate and a

plethora of towers and turrets. Inside is no

less impressive – the rooms are wonderfully

preserved with wood panelling, tapestries,

paintings and furnishings.

Diane’s hand mirror, silk umbrella and

other knick-knacks are all on display.

Incredibly her bed, a historic monument

in its own right, is wonderfully preserved,

as is her jewellery box in which she kept

the jewels the King gave her, and the

King’s closet in which he kept his clothes

when he stayed here, plus a framed love

letter from Henri II to Diane, in which

he tells her when he’s awake, she’s in his

thoughts, when he sleeps, she’s in his

Intertwined D and

H in the furnishings

reflect the seriousness

of Diane and Henri’s

relationship – for the

whole world to see

dreams. A door panel, beautifully illustrated

with cherubs and birds bears the date 1552,

the year the chateau was completed. It

really gives an intimate feel to the chateau,

bringing the past alive.

There’s even a lock of her blonde hair

in a glass cabinet. In a rather macabre

Best of France

TRAVELS

event during the French Revolution, her

tomb was ransacked and her perfectly

embalmed body, dressed in her best

clothes was extracted (as well as the

bodies of her two grandchildren). The

bones were transferred to the pauper’s

galley in the town churchyard. In 2008

the remains of an elderly woman and two

children were found when the site was

excavated. Scientists confirmed the bones

as those of Diane. One of the facts of

proof was the lock of hair at the chateau,

as well as traces of gold found in the bones

(250 times the normal amount). She was

reputed to consume small amounts daily,

believing it made her complexion bright.

Her beauty regime was famous, and she

was known to bathe twice a day and, rare

for the time, didn’t have fleas!

The still lived-in, privately-owned chateau is

open to the public from February to November

(check the website for times which vary):

chateaudanet.com

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The antechamber of the Grand Couvert

at the Palace of Versailles, once the

official dining room of the Kings and

Queens of France

© Jorge Láscar via Wikimedia Commons

A Feast for a King:

Le Grand Couvert

The tradition of official royal dining during the reign of the Bourbon Kings during

the 17th and 18th centuries was a sight to behold says Alison Mitchell

It’s Sunday night, 10pm. At Versailles in the

eighteenth century, the party was only just

getting started. The King, having formally

invited his wife, the Queen, and their

children to dinner, sits down at the smartly

dressed table in his antechamber. The room

is absolutely packed with people, yet he

and his family are the only diners. Everyone

else is there to watch in silence as the royal

family feast.

During the reign of Louis XVI, this was a typical

Sunday night. By this point in history, however,

such a formal dining practice was already

an antiquated custom and one that Marie

Antoinette loathed, hardly eating and yawning

widely in order to hurry the event along.

This royal public meal was called Le Grand

Couvert and was an occasion honoured

throughout the Ancien Régime. The three royal


Louis XIV’s 23-acre vegetable garden next to the palace of Versailles, where fruit, vegetables and salads were grown for the royal table. It was feted for its innovation

and head gardener Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie was able to produce exotic fruits such as bananas, as well as out of season bounty like asparagus in December and

strawberries in March. It cost a fortune to create and maintain and it was Louis’ pride and joy.

Louis either celebrated or barely tolerated it

(Louis XV detested it and preferred intimate

dinners with his mistresses). Its biggest

proponent was Louis XIV, the Sun King, whose

gargantuan appetite preceded him and was

said, after his death, to have had a stomach

and intestines twice the size of a regular man.

I am just speculating here, but it could be

because Louis XIV dined au Grand Couvert

every single night.

The ritual demonstrated the King’s power – his

enormous capacity for food was understood

as “healthy”, representing the nation’s own

wellbeing. Before him, served on golden

platters, stretched the bounty of France. All

for just one family.

Each night, a host of servants were responsible

for the smooth operation of the occasion.

This team was known as the Bouche du Roi

(the King’s Mouth) – a department within the

Maison du Roi, the royal household of up to

2,000 servants – which itself was divided into

seven subsections including bakers and fruits

(yes, fruit had its own group!), and service was

a well-oiled machine. The meal was served

in choreographed waves in what is known

The old way of storing fruit in a cellar at the chateau of Vaux-le-Vicomte

as service a la française, a buffet-style meal

delivered at staggered intervals.

Up to eight dishes were served at once. There

were hors d’oeuvres and at least four soups,

followed by roasted meat and salads, then

desserts and pastries, and always gracing the

table were towers of hard-boiled eggs, on

which the still-peckish King would snack as he

went to bed. Each course was simply added to

the already groaning table, plates only being

cleared once the dish had been devoured. The

procession of courses had to travel a great

distance from the enormous kitchens to the

dining room, so goldsmiths were tasked with

creating innovative tableware to keep the food

warm. Unfortunately for the royal family, the

food was usually cold on arrival, but this could

have also been due to the King’s paranoia.

Louis XIV was terrified of being poisoned.

Despite the dishes having an armed guard

as they were marched through the palace,

Versailles employed food tasters. The King’s

food was sampled by at least two people

Table fit for royals at the château of Vaux-le-Vicomte

before reaching the royal mouth, and

allegedly, this is why the famous leek and

potato soup, vichyssoise, is to this day served

cold. According to legend, the fashionably

new soup (created to promote consumption

of the peculiar and foreign potato) required

such thorough tasting before it was deemed

adequate for the royal stomach that it was at

last served stone cold.


Not only that, but amongst the endless serving

dishes and fancy crockery, there was not a

single glass from which to drink. Provided on

request, a drink required an entire ceremony.

The royal Cupbearer would first shout, “A

drink for the King!” and, accompanied by

an armed guard, would busy himself at

the sideboard where the King’s glass stood

waiting – covered, naturally, should a poisoner

take a chance. Into it he would decant wine

and water, and it would be finally presented

to the King at least seven minutes later due

to the time taken for the Head of the Wine

Chamber and the Cupbearer to taste it. The

King had to quaff the wine in one before

returning the empty glass to the Cupbearer

who immediately covered it again, and the

whole ceremony was repeated every time the

royal was thirsty. Imagine having a tickle in

your throat.

Display of cakes and bonbons at the Château of Vaux-le-Vicomte

dinner served to Louis XIV, inviting forty

guests, and the event took a whole year to

plan and execute. And yet, Louis’ kitchen staff

achieved this and more every night.

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Champagne was ‘invented’ by Dom Pérignon during the reign of Louis XIV and

became a hit with the royals and aristocracy © Johann Wilhelm Preyer, Public

domain, via Wikimedia Commons

But we have merely scratched the surface of

the mountain of food Louis XIV consumed.

His dining habits were famously described

by his sister-in-law Princess Palatine: “I have

often seen the King eating four full plates of

soup, a whole pheasant, a partridge, a big

dish of salad, two slices of ham, mutton with

jus and garlic, a plate of pastries and then

fruit and hard-boiled eggs.” To cater to such

an appetite, and to feed 3,000 to 10,000

courtiers a day, the kitchen employed 500

members of staff. In 2009, Dom Pérignon

took on the challenge of hosting a typical

Of course, even Louis couldn’t eat everything.

And two generations later, Marie Antoinette

ate nothing. The leftovers were given to the

court, the first being ranking officers. Once

they’d demolished their share, the food

moved down the pecking order until the last

remaining food was sold to merchants who set

up stalls outside the castle. In their final guise,

the King’s leftovers were sold with heavily

spiced sauces, possibly masking or adding

flavour, as in this era, French cuisine was

notoriously bland.

A ceremony so distinguished by gratuitous

excess and stifling etiquette was not to

last much longer, yet Le Grand Couvert

influenced courtly dining throughout Europe,

as it was a privilege to see your royal family

chow down on twenty to thirty courses.

Monarchs’ lives, after all, were not their own

– King Louis was the symbol of France, and a

happy, well-fed King meant a happy and wellfed

nation, the epitome of blissful ignorance

in the face of reality.

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Belleville Market © Carolyn Boyd

Belleville Paris © Carolyn Boyd

Belleville, Paris

Belleville rendezvous

Authentic Paris

Gastronomic, historic, and cosmopolitan – Belleville is one of the less well-known

parts of Paris but is well worth a visit says writer Carolyn Boyd.

In Paris, the most visited city in the world, it

can be a challenge to shrug off the identity

of ‘tourist’. There is much to give you away:

your head is often buried in the Google

Maps app, servers and shop staff will switch

to English at the slightest hint of a British

or American accent, and there’s no hiding

you’re an outsider when you stop to take

photos of the sunlight drenching the elegant

Haussmann architecture. Parisians might

take such beauty for granted – they see

it every day, after all. Yet my short stay in

the Belleville neighbourhood of the 20th

arrondissement showed me there is a place

in this endlessly fascinating city where you

can feel like you belong, a place where it is

possible to feel Parisian.

Arriving late one Thursday night, the

bars around my hotel on Boulevard de

Belleville, are buzzing with people chatting

and soaking up the warmth of an autumn

evening. By the morning, the chatter has

shifted to a different tone, but it is no less

thrilling. The street is filled with market

stalls, set up under the verdant sophora

trees. For as far as my eye can see along

the long boulevard, there are displays of


Bar Aux Folies © Carolyn Boyd

© Carolyn Boyd

enticing produce: glossy tomatoes, golden

Mirabelle plums and spiky pineapples. Cheese

stalls tempt with unctuous Camemberts,

fruity Comtés and creamy Brillat-Savarins;

charcuterie and boucherie stalls offer locals

their Saturday night dinners and Sunday

lunches. The soundtrack to accompany the

abundant scene is a cacophony of stallholders

hollering, locals greeting each other and the

trundle of many a chariot de courses, the

striped shopping trolley de rigueur for any

market visit. If I had an apartment here, I’d be

filling mine too.

Just around the corner on rue de Belleville,

before the street starts its steep climb to the

top of its famous hill, I find a neighbourhood

institution: the bar Aux Folies. The night

before, its terrace had been rammed with

revellers but the clientele this morning is a

little more sedate; a few elderly gentlemen

sip espresso coffees and puff on cigarettes, a

couple of students tear apart their croissants.

I take a seat on the terrace too, enjoying

a morning café crème to fuel my onward

wander. I venture inside to pay and get a

Edith Piaf © Carolyn Boyd

built first as a bar to serve those going to the at 72 rue de Belleville on 19th December 1915,

theatre which then was where the Carrefour the legendary chanteuse was born on the

supermarket is now,” he explains. “Aux Folies

started out as a hairdressers’ salon, so they

kept all the mirrors and added more features

after World War II, in the 1950s. Since then,

it’s pretty much stayed as it was.” While the

surrounding buildings have changed, Aux

Folies has done well to survive, despite several

challenges, such as floods, deterioration and

being destabilised by underground trains. “The

vibrations from the nearby metro weakened

the foundations. We had to work with one of

the only two companies in France experienced

in stabilising foundations. They brought in

special equipment, and it worked,” he says.

steps. “Later, her voice would turn the world

upside down,” it reads. In the window in the

building next door, there’s a giant portrait,

her pained face gazes skyward. In her day,

immigration carved the character of Belleville

and that remains true today; on this same

street there are glimpses of the world beyond

France: there’s the Thai restaurant Ama Siam,

and in Epicerie La Caire I find a cornucopia

of North African and Eastern Mediterranean

spices and sauces and beans; in the Bazar

de Belleville, there are leather bags, toys and

knick-knacks.

Among the first wave of newcomers to

Further up the hill, as I cross the road, there

arrive in Paris, however, were France’s own

is a fantastic view of the Eiffel Tower in the

immigrants such as the Auvergnats. They came

chance to admire the interior. On the ceiling,

distance, framed by the street’s mishmash of

from the mountain villages of the Auvergne in

swirls of neon lights mirror the tiled swirls of

central France to sell coal to Parisians, then

old and new architecture, decorated with pops

the mosaic floor, a zinc-topped bar is stacked

little by little they began to sell wine from their

of colour from street-art and graffiti.

with saucers ready for clients’ bills and the

home region and then food, being the first to

walls, a hall of mirrors. The barman Ouali

tells me a bit more about its history which

dates from the early 20th century. “It was

Here, I find a tribute to the district’s most

famous daughter – Edith Piaf, who is said to

have sung at Aux Folies. A plaque states that

establish the city’s cafés. One of those very

places is Le Mistral, at the crossroads between

rue des Pyrenées and rue de Belleville, where



Le Mistral © Paul Fromentin, Le Mistral

the region’s signature dish saucisse-aligot -

sausage and smooth, cheesy mashed potato,

takes pride of place on the menu. It was this

dish that inspired author Chris Newens’ book

Moveable Feasts, which takes a journey around

Paris’ 20 arrondissements discovering the dish

that best represents each district.

Later, after I’ve explored the area’s beautiful

Parc des Buttes Chaumont, I meet Chris

at Le Mistral for dinner of saucisse-aligot,

and the next day he shows me around his

neighbourhood. Having lived in Paris for ten

years, he has come to know the 19th and 20th

arrondissements well. “For me, it’s a much

better city to be in when you’re not doing the

touristy things,” he says. “The tourist sites in

Paris aren’t very interactive, so when you’re

looking at the Eiffel Tower, you’re just looking

at it, same with Les Invalides and many of the

bigger sites. So, the best way to experience

the city is to sit in a café with a book, or to

wander around the outer districts.” And with

that, we wander. From the terrace of the Bar

Fleuri, on Rue du Plateau, where we lunch on

plates of its famous poulet-frites, we become

flâneurs and take the winding back streets

admiring the bright mosaic façade of a

former poissonnerie on Rue de la Mare, and

breathing in the aroma of freshly baked

croissants as we walk past the boulangerie

Aux Delices des Quatre Saisons. Down

another side street, the Rue des Cascades,

feels decidedly village-like, a small building

shows a plaque written in Latin that suggests

it was once a well. On the corner of Rue des

Envierges and Rue Piat a little hub of brightly

painted restaurants, including Mon Coeur

Belleville and the vegan restaurant Les Bols

d’Antoine, overlooks the trees in the Parc

de Belleville, while a small craft market has

set up between the pillars at the Belvedere

de Belleville. Over the fence of the park, I

spot the majestic Eiffel Tower and gasp at

the spectacular view, a little reminder that,

yes, I’m still in the City of Lights, but what

a glorious district in which to play at being

Parisian.

Carolyn Boyd stayed at the hotel

Novotel Belleville 20, on the Boulevard

de Belleville. The nearest Metro is at

Couronnes just opposite.


Except that Vienne’s Roman sites rival those

of any one of its more famous counterparts —

without the tourists.

As it’s only a 20-minute train ride from Lyon

where I live, I go regularly. Everything is much

cheaper in the suburbs, including the excellent

Saturday food market which is far larger

than anything held in Lyon. It’s got so much

character, too. In Vienne, you can sleep on

a péniche (barge) that looks straight out of a

Jules Verne story, and enjoy coffee with your

nose practically touching a Roman temple

dating from 20-10 BCE without another tourist

in sight. The latter, the Temple of Augustus

and Livia, has seen the town build up around

it. The little square is filled with bookshops,

bars and cafés, a casual, lived-in spot with a

2,000-year-old Roman temple slap bang in

the middle.

Vienne and it’s Roman theatre © Henry Landeau Vienne Condrieu Tourism

Spotlight on:

VIENNE

Often confused with the capital of

Austria or the region in western France,

this little Roman town has a big history

says Anna Richards.

Visitors arriving in Vienne around 2,000 years

ago would have discovered a town to rival its

neighbour Lyon (then Lugdunum) in splendour.

In the intervening two millennia, however, as

Lyon mushroomed into the third largest city

in France, Vienne’s importance dwindled

further and further. Orange, Arles, Nîmes and

Narbonne stayed firm features on Roman

tours, whilst Vienne increasingly slipped into

the shadows as one of Lyon’s commuter towns.

Vienne has the second biggest market in France

© Nicolas Combe Vienne Condrieu Tourism

Temple of Augustus and Livia © Henry Landeau Vienne Condrieu Tourism

All roads lead to Vienne

Many people pass Vienne on their way from

Lyon to the south, because the Autoroute du

Soleil goes straight through the town (often

with significant traffic jams). It’s not the best

first impression, but leave the motorway -

and the Romans’ mark on Vienne is still very

much present. On the right bank of the River

Rhône, where most of the town of Vienne is

located, Roman architecture fuses with the

rest of the town.

The Théâtre Antique de Vienne, a Roman

theatre spilling down the hill, has the


capacity to seat some 9,000 spectators,

something exploited to the maximum during

the town’s annual jazz festival, Jazz à Vienne.

It lasts two weeks, and is the largest of its

kind in the country, welcoming jazz legends

from around the world, including, in previous

years, Ella Fitzgerald and Norah Jones.

Events are ticketed, and the headliners sell

out fast. If visiting for the day from Lyon, it’s

worth arriving hours before the event. Free,

pop-up concerts and parties happen all over

town during the festival fortnight, generally

starting four or five hours before the concert

kicks off, and continuing well into the small

hours afterwards.

On the other side of the river, in a suburb

known as St-Romain-en-Gal, is the Musée et

sites archéologiques de Saint-Romain-en-Gal.

This immense Roman history museum alone

makes Vienne worth a visit. Built on a vast

archaeological site, the museum is celebrating

its 30th birthday this year. The mosaics,

some larger than a Parisian apartment, are

the highlight, and many were unearthed on

site. An expert team restores them in the

basement of the museum, and mosaics from

other museums around the country are often

sent here to be brushed up. Many depict

scenes such as the changing of the seasons,

agriculture and work on the vineyards, and

Roman gods. There are also models that

reconstruct Vienne as it was in its Roman

heyday, and plenty of Roman pottery. Entry is

included in the Lyon City Card, handy if your

trip combines both.

Vienne’s importance continued after the

fall of the Roman Empire, into the Middle

Ages, when several archbishops lived here in

succession, and it was only in the 17th century

that its status began to wane, as nearby

Grenoble grew.

Year-round jazz

Vienne marches to an upbeat tempo yearround,

and not just during the annual jazz

festival. Founded by the same person who

Musée et sites archéologiques de Saint-Romain-en-Gal

© P.Ageneau Vienne Condrieu Tourism

Musée et sites archéologiques de Saint-Romain-en-Gal,

© Vienne Condrieu Tourism

Trompe l’oeil in Vienne pays homage to the great jazz

musicians who have played at Vienne Jazz Festival

created Jazz à Vienne, Jean-Paul Boutellier,

Quartier Latin Jazz Club is attached to the

Musée et sites archéologiques de Saint-

Romain-en-Gal, with views right over the

River Rhône. Concerts are largely on Sunday

evenings, but sometimes happen mid-week

too. It’s an intimate setting, and prices rarely

exceed €25 for a concert ticket.

Vignobles d'Ampuis © C.Grilhe © Vienne Condrieu Tourism

Dining and dining

Fine wines are in abundance in Vienne,

which sits in the heart of the Rhône Valley.

One of the most interesting local projects is

Vitis Vienna - Les Vignerons de Seyssuel, a

collective of vineyards originally cultivated

by the Romans. 12km to the south of Vienne,

following the Rhône, is Condrieu, famous

for its full-bodied whites made from Viognier

grapes, currently a favourite in high end

French restaurants, and Côte-Rôtie, a dense,

smoky red wine made largely with Syrah

grapes and 20% viognier, is grown 11km from

here. Tastings are generally either free, or very

nominal in cost, but it’s good manners to call

the winery to alert them of your arrival.

Vienne’s most luxurious dining experience

is at La Pyramide, a restaurant with two

Michelin stars that’s been welcoming hungry

travellers for over two centuries (although it

wasn’t always so decorated!). Chef Patrick

Henriroux was also awarded five toques by

Gault & Millau. The cheapest option is to

book a table for Monday, Thursday or Friday

lunchtimes, when a three-course menu (le

menu du marché) is at €98. There’s also a 4*

Vignobles d'Ampuis © C.Grilhe © Vienne Condrieu Tourism

Relais & Châteaux hotel on-site, the highest

end accommodation in town.

For good value food and an excellent choice

of wines, both by the bottle and glass, head

to Ô’Bievva, a wine bar-cum-restaurant with

finger food, a set menu, and carefully selected

wine pairings.

On two wheels

One of France’s best-known cycle routes,

the ViaRhôna, which runs all the way from

Geneva to the Mediterranean, following the

River Rhône, passes through Vienne. The

tourist office hires both bikes and e-bikes,

with baskets and baby seats if required.

Heading south on the ViaRhôna from Vienne

is by far the most spectacular route. Much of

it hugs the river, and it’s largely flat, passing

by vineyards and crossing over the nature

reserve Île du Beurre. Stop for a moment at

one of multiple little hideyholes equipped

with binoculars, and you might spot coypu,

kingfishers and beavers. The latter is elusive,

but evidence of their industrious damming

in the river is everywhere. To and from

Condrieu makes for an easy pedal of 25km

there and back, or if you’re feeling fit, tackle

the 70km section south to Tain-l’Hermitage

(famous not just for wine, but for chocolate).

A 40-minute train journey takes you back

to Vienne, with no reservations or extra fee

required for your bike.

Find out more about Vienne and the area

around at: Vienne-Condrieu.com


Let the train take

the strain in France

As the price of fuel escalates and

rising hire car fees, more and more

visitors to France are looking for a

different way to travel and Janine

Marsh explores the options for those

who want to leave the car behind.

The state-owned rail network SNCF (Société

Nationale des Chemins de Fer makes travel

across France very easy. TGV (Train à

Grande Vitesse/High Speed) trains operate

across France and beyond, speeding you

on your way at 300km/h across much of

France. Local train services are provided

by TER (Transport Express Regional) or

Corail trains, which are slower than the

TGV. In rural areas, train services may be

sparse, and there may be little or no public

transport, so a car is needed, but with

planning, trains, buses (there are often bus

services attached to train stations), trams

and taxis/ubers will easily take you across

France without a car is easy.

Top tips for train travel

Book in advance early to avoid

disappointment (some peak travel routes are

quickly filled) and for cheaper tickets. You

can book direct through SNCF or affiliate

companies (usually for a bit extra) but be

aware that there are limitations on how far

ahead you can book – 3-5 months is normal.

SNCF operates INOUI a premium service

network to more than 200 destinations in

France, as well as to Europe, with more space,

first-class carriages, restaurant car and other

services; and OUIGO – their low-cost service,

which has only second-class seats, can be a

slower journey, and has a restricted luggage

allowance (you can pay more for extra

luggage needs), with prices from as low as €10

from Paris to Bordeaux and 50 destinations in

France as well as to Brussels (from €13).

Download the SNCF Connect APP to your

mobile phone to make life easier: you’ll get real

time updates, including confirmations, train

and platform details. Once my train was late


Leave the car behind, there’s no

sat-nav, no parking stress, you can

enjoy that second glass of wine with

lunch or dinner – Aix-en-Provence

If you start your journey from Gare de Lyon, one of a dozen or so main stations in Paris, pop to the Train Bleu station restaurant – open for breakfast, lunch, dinner,

afternoon tea – one of the poshest train buffets ever!


Nice

Nice is made for strolling—the Promenade

des Anglais, the old town (Vieux Nice) with

its famous Cours Saleya market, beaches

and museums including (Matisse, Chagall),

and that irresistible Riviera glow.

Public transport is excellent with train

connections to Monaco (25 minutes),

Antibes (16 minutes), Cannes (27 minutes)

and over the border to Ventimiglia in Italy in

less than an hour. You can pick up a Sud Azur

Explore Pass which gives you unlimited travel

for 3, 7 or 14 days on transport networks in

the Alpes-Maritimes and Monaco, at a truly

great price.

Paris – from 5h 42m

The monumental Palace of the Popes in Avignon

Montpellier

for a connection and the APP automatically

booked me on the next train avoiding the need

to queue to update my ticket. You can also

download your ticket onto your phone and use

it to access the platform via the automatic

barriers. If you have an SNCF-issued paper

ticket, remember to ‘compost’ it before you

board via the stamping machines to validate it

(usually at the front of the platform.)

Be aware that there are generally less trains

(and public transport) on Sundays and national

holidays, especially in smaller towns – so

check timetables in advance.

Discounted travel – check out the Carte

Avantages that are available not just to

residents of France but to visitors. Generous

discounts and perks are available. I have a

card which costs €49 which gives me 30%

off train travel and I’ve racked up thousands

of kilometres a year visiting almost every

department of France.

Now you’ve left the car behind, there’s no

sat-nav, no parking stress, you can enjoy that

second glass of wine with lunch or dinner, and

the scenery is part of the journey – so, where

to go?

Now you’ve left the car behind, there’s no

sat-nav, no parking stress, you can enjoy that

second glass of wine with lunch or dinner, the

scenery is part of the journey – where to go?

8

great car-free Cities

in France

Avignon

Avignon’s TGV station is 10 minutes’ drive

out of town but there is a train connection to

the local TER station in the centre and from

there you’re just minutes on foot from the

monumental Palais des Papes and the famous

Pont d’Avignon. The city is compact, walkable,

and full of Provençal charm.

From here, regional trains make day trips

effortless: It’s just 25 minutes to L’Isle-sur-la-

Sorgue, a dreamy town of canals and antique

markets; Orange, home to a remarkably wellpreserved

Roman theatre is just 13 minutes by

train; and Arles with its Roman remains and

fabulous city Is just 16 minutes away.


Montpellier is a joy without a car. Wander the

cobbled streets of the old town, sip an aperitif

in Place de la Comédie, explore the historic

Écusson district with its colourful cobbled

streets or hop on the sleek tram system which

whisks you everywhere including the nearby

beaches – purchase the Hérault special

transport beach shuttle ticket for a few euros

and the tram/shuttle to Grand Travers Plage.

Local trains will take you to Sète, famous for

its canals and oysters, and just 14 minutes by

local train, and Beziers is just 37 minutes away

– you can even take a Spanish detour with

Barcelona a mere 2h 55m – 8 trains a day.


Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence TGV station is about a

20-minute drive out of town and taxis are

expensive. But you can take a bus from

right outside the station for just a couple of

euros (you can pay onboard the bus). Aix

is all golden stone, bubbling fountains, the

legacy of Cezanne, bustling markets, and

shady boulevards.

Stroll the 7km long Promenade des Anglais in Nice

Montpellier – picture postcard pretty old town


book market, open air chess games and

tango dancing in the summer), it’s easy to

visit the centre on foot or by metro, tram

and bus.

From here, Roubaix with its world class La

Piscine museum in an Art Deco swimming

pool, is just 9 minutes by train – a tad longer

by tram or metro. You can be in London via

Eurostar in around an hour and 20 minutes

and cross the nearby border to visit Bruges

(1h 40m) and Brussels in just 30 minutes.

Aix-en-Provence, a fabulous city for wandering


There are multiple connections from the TGV

station including Nice, Cassis and Marseille

(about 15 minutes, but that doesn’t include

time to get to the station), and it’s much

cheaper and quicker to reach Marseille by bus

(30 minutes) from the city centre.


Toulouse – where you might bump into a Minotaur!

Reims

Kings were crowned in Reims, and

champagne flows beneath your feet in

ancient chalk cellars. Discover Notre-Dame

de Reims Cathedral, Champagne houses

and museums. It’s easy to visit on foot.

Toulouse

With its terracotta glow and relaxed southern

spirit Toulouse is easy to discover on foot,

metro, and tram. Highlights include multiple

museums, a superb gastronomic scene and

the extraordinary Halle de Machines where a

giant Minotaur lives with more extraordinary

‘creatures.’

From here, Albi with its stunning cathedral and

Toulouse-Lautrec museum is about an hour by

train, and fairy-tale pretty Carcassonne is just

42 minutes away.

Lille


Lille is perfect for culture vultures and foodies.

With stunning Flemish façades, buzzing

markets (Wazemmes on Sunday is fantastic),

museums and art venues galore, plus the

Grand Place and historic Vieille Bourse (an

ornate building which was the former stock

exchange which now hosts a second-hand

Lille’s old town is full of charm, foodie delights and Flemish facades

Hop on a train to Epernay (30 minutes),

home of Moët et Chandon and the Avenue

de Champagne. Historic Laon is around 45

minutes away by local train.

Paris – from 41m

Strasbourg

Strasbourg with its timber-framed houses,

Petite France district, canals, Gothic

cathedral, and unique French-German

culture is very easy to visit on foot.

From here it’s just 30 minutes to historic

Colmar by train, and just two hours to Dijon

in Burgundy – another fabulous city to visit

without a car. It’s just a few stops by tram

from the city centre just over the border to

Kehl in Germany, and you can travel further

into Germany by train.


Taking the train is part of

the journey, and a great way

to travel in France.

Status of Joan of Arc before Reims Cathedral

Strasbourg


Le Crotoy, where the fish is sold straight from the sea

Le Crotoy

SEASIDE SPECIALS

you can easily reach

from Paris!

During the summer months, sand, palm trees

and umbrellas appear along the banks of the

Seine. Known as Paris Plages, this series of

“beaches” in Paris has been a summer feature

of the capital since 2002. And if you fancy

a dip in the Seine, well you can! In summer

2025, swimming spots opened, (roped off -

it’s a busy river) running alongside the Paris

Plages – and they’re due to return in 2026.

But if you fancy a dip in the sea – here are five

seaside specials you can easily reach from

Paris by train for a weekend of bracing sea air,

swimming and the freshest of seafood.

Le Crotoy, Picardy

Le Crotoy, on the edge of the Somme Bay,

one of the most beautiful bays in the world,

is very charming with a lively atmosphere.

There’s a pretty harbour that’s lined with

restaurants serving fresh local fish and the

ubiquitous dish of the north, moules and frites.

The pebble and sandy beaches stretch for

about 6km and are subject to fast, strong

tides, so it’s not the best for swimming, but

the town and the fresh air are fabulous, and a

steam train ride around the bay is a must.

1h 45m from Paris to Noyelles-sur-Mer,

then hop abord a bus or steam train on

the scenic Chemin de Fer de la Baie de

Somme which takes you across meadows

and salt marshes.

Le Touquet-Paris-Plage,

Pas-de-Calais

Le Touquet is a small seaside that’s hugely

popular with Parisians – hence the name

Paris-Plage, the Paris beach. The town was


Glorious sandy beach in Le Touquet

Fresh seafood in Le Touquet

developed by an Englishman to have appeal

for wealthy Brits at the beginning of the 20th

century. It was a huge success, everyone

from Cole Porter to Sean Connery, Winston

Churchill to the late Queen Elizabeth II

holidayed here. You’ll spot Cotswold style

cottages, thatched roofs, Tudor style manor

houses and coiffed English style gardens – not

quite what you’d expect to see in a northern

French seaside resort. But somehow, this

Anglo/French mix of architecture, café

lifestyle, restaurants galore, wonderful Art

Deco market, fabulous shops and long sandy

beaches where you can enjoy horse riding or

sunbathing – really works.

2h from Paris, with free shuttle buses to

the beach.

Deauville, Normandy

Deauville, AKA Paris-on-Sea!

Nicknamed the “21st arrondissement of

Paris”, Deauville is famous for its racecourse,

casino, golf course and long sandy beach

lined with beach huts named after American

movie stars (in honour of the annual

American Film Festival held in Deauville),

called the Promenade des Planches.

Here you’ll find the rich and beautiful

Iconic colourful umbrellas on Deauville beach


promenading; wealthy, tanned old ladies

lying under the colourful beach parasols and

smartly dressed visitors enjoying the unique

ambience of elegant Deauville.

Deauville, with Honfleur and Trouville on the

doorstep, is a perfect weekend destination,

and a top choice for Parisians who want to

escape the city for a breath of fresh sea air at

one of their closest beach resorts.

2h from Paris

Saint Malo, Brittany

Fort National, Saint Malo © Gillian Thornton

Sillon beach there are great views of the Fort

National, an iconic 17th century monument.

2h 35m from Paris

La Rochelle, Charente-

Maritime

La Rochelle is a historic port town in the

west of France, off the Atlantic coast in the

department of Charente-Maritime and just

under 3 hours from Paris by train. It’s the

perfect little city for a weekend break and a

great base from which to explore the area. Rich

in culture, architecture and gastronomy, there’s

loads to see and do here – museums, visit the

Ile de Ré by boat or across a toll bridge…

Spread your towel on the sands at Plage de la

Concurrence, a short walk from the Vieux Port

or hop on a Yelo boat (buy tickets on board!)

which will drop you off at Minimes beach, a

vast stretch of sand between the port and the

Pointe des Minimes.

2h 52m from Paris

And if you’re up for a longer train journey – you

can reach the beaches in Nice, Cannes and

Antibes in less than 6 hours from Paris.

Sunset over Sillon beach, Saint Malo © Gillian Thornton

Port town Saint-Malo is in the department of

Ille-et-Vilaine in northern Brittany. Sitting on

the Emerald Coast it has an ancient citadel,

medieval city and cobbled streets lined with

bars, bistros and boutiques plus marinas and

museums and a chance to enjoy fabulous

regional cuisine. This is a town with serious

oodles of charm.

Grab your bucket and spade and head to

the beach (20-minute walk from the station).

Éventail beach at the bottom of the ramparts

has silky white sand, and from 3km-long

La Rochelle

Ile de Ré, off the coast of La Rochelle


How the French

fell in love

with potatoes!

The French love their spuds, but it wasn’t love at first sight. In fact, it took a

bit of reverse psychology by one of the country’s greatest benefactors and

humanitarians to get pommes de terres on the menu says Dana Facaros.

Potatoes originated in Peru and were

introduced to Spain by the conquistadors

in the late 1500s. At first it was a mere

botanical curiosity that resembled the deadly

nightshade. Although the Spanish and Irish

discovered they were also good to eat, other

Europeans weren’t convinced. But farmers

were impressed with how easy they were to

grow, and planted them…to fatten hogs.

The French couldn’t even decide what to

call them. For some they were ‘earth apples’,

pommes de terre, although others called them

truffes because they grew underground (which

is why the famous gooey Auvergnat cheese

and potato dish is called truffade). In 1743

they were banned for human consumption in

France because someone had written that

potatoes spread leprosy (fake news is nothing

new!). The French actually preferred another

New World tuber, Jerusalem artichoke, the

topinambour. Which was also another name

for the potato early on…

A Man with a Mission

Then along came Antoine Parmentier, born

in 1737 to a modest bourgeoise family in

Montdidier in the Somme. Taught Latin

by the local priest, at age 13, Antoine was

apprenticed to the village apothecary. He

learned quickly, but lacking the means to

open his own shop, he enlisted in the army’s

medical service in 1757, and showed such

courage and intellect that he quickly rose

through the ranks.

During the Seven Years’ War, he was captured

five times by the Prussians, before being

returned as a prize in prisoner exchanges

(pharmacists were in very short supply). At

one point he was wounded and imprisoned

for three weeks and fed nothing but boiled

potatoes. But rather than waste away, he

emerged, much to his surprise, feeling fine and

very impressed by the nutritional value of the

‘hog feed.’

At the end of the war in 1763, he returned to

France with a mission: to promote potatoes

Antoine Auguste Parmentier By François Dumont,

Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

to end the famines that had periodically

ravaged the country (the decade-long ‘Great

Famine’ had only ended in 1760). He was hired

at the Hôtel Royal des Invalides in Paris as

a pharmacist, where he became one of the

first to study the chemistry of nutrition. He

entered a competition held by the Académie

de Besançon on the question: what vegetable

can supplement people’s diet during a famine,

and won the prize in 1772 for his treatise

demonstrating potatoes were the answer.

In response, the Faculty of Medicine in Paris

dropped the ban on human consumption. But

not everyone got the memo – when Parmentier

tried to plant potatoes in the Invalides garden,

it caused such upset with the nuns who owned

the property that he resigned.

Louis XVI intervened, granting him an

apartment free of charge at Les Invalides

so he could devote himself entirely to his

research. His widowed sister Marie-Suzanne

(1736-1809) moved in, ‘on the condition

that she keep the house, provide secretarial

services, and participate in the research.’ The

siblings became an inseparable team.


Getting celebrities

onboard

potato-eating army

will never defeat a

wheat-eating army.’

In 1778, Parmentier hosted held a widely

publicized potato dinner party at the

Invalides, inviting 18th-century influencers

such as Benjamin Franklin and renowned

chemist Antoine Lavoisier. None were bowled

over by the potato’s gourmet qualities, but

it didn’t stop the Journal de Paris from

reporting the event as ‘the most important

discovery of the century!’

Back in those pre-frites times, Parmentier

knew the French were most likely to try

potatoes if they could eat them in the

familiar form of bread, so he founded

the Free Bakery School in Paris in 1780

to encourage the use of more affordable

potato flour. Because unlike wheat, he

claimed, potatoes will grow anywhere.

Parmentier died in

1813, having published

(one imagines, along

with Marie-Suzanne)

189 treatises, all

devoted to improving

human health and

wellbeing. He was

buried in Père Lachaise

cemetery in a tomb

decorated with a

basket of potatoes.

And whenever his

name is attached to a

recipe, you can guess

what’s in it!

In 1786, Louis XVI granted him a tract of

gravelly wasteland called Les Sablons in

Neuilly, to prove it. As the plants matured,

Parmentier hired armed guards to protect the

plot to trick Parisians into thinking there must

be something very valuable growing there!

He also told the guards to let people steal the

potatoes once they were ripe; nothing tastes

better than forbidden fruit.

That year, journalists in tow, Parmentier

visited Versailles and presented the king with

a bouquet of potato flowers; the king put

one in his boutonnière and stuck another in

Marie Antoinette’s hair and declared ‘France

will thank you one day for having discovered

bread for the poor!’

Even the French Revolution didn’t slow

Parmentier down. His manual on potato

cultivation (1789) became a must-have

for every French farmer. He worked with

the government on public health and

helped compose the new names for the

Revolutionary calendar, though it didn’t

prevent him from falling under suspicion

during the Terror. He managed to escape

the guillotine by being away in Provence,

gathering medicinal plants.

The month of Vendemiare in the French Republican calendar from 22

September – 21 October including 2 October renamed day of the Pomme de

Terre! By Tresca, Salvatore (Graveur) – Lafitte, Louis (Dessinateur du modèle),

Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Spuds were only the

start…

Parmentier’s biographer wrote ‘He never

remained a stranger to any problem directly

affecting human life.’ Always concerned about

the diet of the poor, he studied the nutritional

values of cornmeal, chestnuts, sweet potatoes

and Jerusalem artichokes. He experimented

on techniques to improve bread, cheese

and wine making, and on the conservation

of wheat and meat. He was a pioneer in

extracting sugar from sugar beets.

Napoleon awarded him the Legion d’Honneur

and made him chief pharmacist and

Inspector-General of the Health Service. In

1805 Parmentier was the first to make the

smallpox vaccine mandatory in France. But

he was disappointed when Napoleon, never

a fan of his beloved vegetable, declared ‘A

L’hôtel des Invalides, Paris, where

Parmentier grew potatoes

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Secret

Provence

Gorgeous

GOULT

Provence is a sun-kissed paradise:

think vineyards, glamorous towns, and

postcard-perfect villages – combined

with a rich variety of local cuisine, art,

and culture. Of course all this loveliness

draws visitors like moths to a candle,

yet there are some places that are still

rather secret, like the little town of

Goult, a tranquil village once famous

for its roses and scented flowers says

Janine Marsh.

When you arrive in Goult, in the Parc Natural

Régional du Luberon, there’s no grand

entrance. One minute you’re meandering

through vineyards and olive orchards, the

next you’re in the town with its winding streets

and honey-coloured stone houses. “C’est un

village discret,” said a local as I sat in one of

the village bars watching people shop at the

bustling market (held on Thursdays from April

to September). “It’s a discreet village.” And

that really is a big part of its allure.

Goult’s history stretches back to Roman

times, when this fertile corner of the Luberon

was prized for agriculture. By the Middle

Ages, the village had fortified itself, crowned

by a château whose remnants still watch over

the valley.

In the 12th century, Goult became entangled

in the religious conflicts that swept Provence,

and like many Luberon villages, it carries quiet

echoes of these turbulent times, though today,

its narrow lanes are sleepy and peaceful.

The village’s windmill, Moulin de Jérusalem,

dates from 1750, and stands as a proud

symbol of Goult’s agricultural past. It’s named

for crusaders who settled in the area after

returning from the Holy Lands after the

Crusades. Once essential for grinding grain,

it now serves as a poetic reminder of slower,

wind-driven days. The windmill was restored

by local volunteers, a true labour of love, and

is especially magical at sunset, when the stone

glows amber and the cicadas all around sing

their song accompanied by wild birds.

Wandering the Village

Goult is rarely, if ever crowded, and makes for

an ideal little village for a stroll along cobbled

streets that twist between shuttered houses,

their façades softened by climbing roses and

sun-faded paint. There are remains of the

ancient ramparts and of a castle which is now

privately owned and not open to the public,

a Romanesque church, vaulted passageways,

arcades, shaded squares and ancient doors

with carved lintels, and faded signs – they give

this village personality and charm.

Pause in the main square, Place de la



A Taste of Provence. © Exquisite, all-inclusive, small group tours

to Provence and beyond

In the town small bistros serve seasonal

Provençal dishes—think ratatouille, lamb with

herbs, and delicate apricot tarts paired with local

wines. If you visit in the summer, book restaurants

in advance, they’re small and fill quickly.

This village doesn’t razzle dazzle like nearby

Gordes with its stunning white stone buildings,

or Roussillon with its ochre cliffs and vibrant

buildings. It’s a gentle, unspoiled, authentic

Provencal village that’s ideal for a quiet day of

exploration and simply being in the moment.

Leave your car at the edge of the village –

exploring on foot is essential.

“If you have ever

considered culinary

tourism, Goût et Voyage

will be the trip of your

dreams. Excellence

at every turn!”

DS, NY

www.goutetvoyage.com

The castle of Goult

Libération, where a fountain murmurs and

locals gather beneath plane trees. On market

day, the air fills with the scent of ripe tomatoes

and olives, goat’s cheese and warm bread.

Climb a gentle hill and you’ll reach the Mill

of Jerusalem and enjoy viewpoints that

open across the Luberon valley—patchwork

fields, vineyards, and the distant silhouette

of Mont Ventoux.

The light here is extraordinary—soft in the

morning, golden by evening.


Cycling in the

footsteps of Henry V

Todd Mauer takes to two wheels to find

traces of a legendary King of England in

France.

‘Once more unto the breach, dear friends!’

In Shakespeare’s Henry V, the English king

proclaims this stirring line as incitement to

his soldiers to throw themselves into battle.

The breach in question, in the ramparts of

the port town of Harfleur in Normandy, was

formed by cannon at the beginning of Henry’s

remarkable sweep through northern France

in 1415. The site is today a busy modern

roundabout known locally as ‘La Brèque’. As

I nervously navigate it on my bicycle, I reflect

that it’s just as well Shakespeare isn’t alive to

learn that one of his immortal lines should now

rightly be ‘Once more unto the roundabout,

dear friends!’

I was in France on a medieval quest to

cycle in Henry’s footsteps. My tour began in

Normandy, where Henry’s fleet of at least

750 boats arrived in August 1415 on the

beach of Saint-Adresse near the modern-day

port of Le Havre. For a Middle-Ages themed

cycling holiday, a more disparate beginning

to a medieval quest would be hard to find.

Le Havre, largely destroyed during WWII,

was re-imagined by architect Auguste Perret

in the late 1940s and 1950s as a concrete

modernist mecca. The industrial city may

retain little of its medieval origins, but it’s

a surprisingly pleasant and interesting city

to visit, recognised by UNESCO as a World

Heritage Site for its post-war architecture.

Perret’s emblematic St. Joseph’s Church is a

wonder to behold, with its pure, non-figurative

stained-glass windows and dizzying lantern

tower like an interior set from Star Wars. One

can imagine that a medieval knight would be

lost in St. Joseph’s, but a Jedi knight would feel

right at home.

Henry and his army of around 12,000 men

arrived unhindered by the French army which

had miscalculated where they would land.

Henry’s first objective was to capture Harfleur

which would allow him to control the Seine

and choke off river-traffic to Rouen and Paris.

What he hadn’t counted on was the stiff

resistance from the garrison and residents of

Harfleur, who held out for five weeks. As the

still-assembling French army was not able

to provide assistance, once a large enough

breach had been created, the town had no

choice but to surrender.

Abbey of Graville © Todd Mauer

Abbey of Graville © Todd Mauer

Henry spent his first night at the Abbey

Graville, before hunkering down on the hills

facing the Port of Harfleur, on the ridge of

Mont Lecomte. It’s one of the few places we

can definitively say “Henry was here”. Another

such place is the Church of St Martin. After

capturing the town, Henry reached the gates,

dismounted, removed his shoes and walked

barefoot in a show of Christian humility, to

the Church of St Martin where he prayed and

gave thanks to God.


Harfleur church of St. Martin © Todd Mauer


Castle of Arques-la-Bataille © Todd Mauer

As Shakespeare wasn’t a travel writer and

Henry wasn’t a tourist, the play Henry V

essentially jumps from the siege of Harfleur to

the battlefield of Agincourt in Pas-de-Calais

with no description of the towns or the ‘vasty

fields of France’ between. Following the path

of Henry and his army, I tried to put myself

in their soggy shoes. Having arrived in dry

August, the unexpectedly prolonged siege of

Harfleur, and an army now down to 8,500

men due to dysentery and battle, meant that

Henry had to abandon his original plans to

besiege Rouen. But his transport boats had

already returned to England, so there was

no going back the way he’d come. He had to

cross northern France as quickly as possible

in rainy October in the hope of reaching the

safe English enclave of Calais. It was far from

a sure thing, and historians think that Henry

was eager to avoid a full-scale battle with his

weakened army.

But I had my own battles to worry about -

namely, the many valleys of Normandy. Each

river valley with gurgling rivers and sparkling

Somme Canal tow path,

Amiens Cathedral in

the distance

© Todd Mauer

streams hemmed in by verdant, wooded hills

on either side, meant an exhilarating descent

and dazzling views, but every descent came at

a price: a steep climb out of the valley on the

other side. After the third valley, I found myself

saying ‘Oh no…not another beautiful valley

and lovely river!’ Henry’s men, laden with their

victuals and weapons, managed the same

ascents by foot on roads churned up by the

army into avenues of mud, and marched an

average 24 kilometers a day through enemy

territory under persistent rain and a constant

threat of deadly attack.

Henry’s route took me through potatofarming

countryside to the pretty town of

Arques-la-Bataille, where he accepted bread

for his army in exchange for not destroying

the town. The town’s castle, first built by

William the Conqueror and later hosting Joan

of Arc as she was transferred to Rouen for

judgment after falling into English hands, is

a colossus of a military fortification. Henry’s

men must have heaved a sigh of relief when

he decided not to attack. Given the choice

between near certain death assaulting an

impregnable castle or stuffing their faces with

delicious French bread, they must have been

thrilled with his decision.

One of the major logistical challenges Henry

faced was getting his army across the Somme

River. The still-gathering French army was now

a considerable force, shadowing and harrying

Henry’s army as they tried to cross the river.

Henry was forced south to find a safe crossing,

skirting Amiens. For my part, the cycling along

the Somme was a pleasure, as much of it is

now an official cycling itinerary, mercifully

flat, and following a shaded towpath along the

tranquil Somme Canal.

Of course, the word ‘Somme’ conjures

up harrowing images of another military

campaign, and in the Péronne sector north of

Amiens, I increasingly passed sobering WWI

battle sites and cemeteries.

After eight days of cycling, I finally arrived at

the village of Agincourt, or rather, Azincourt.

Apparently, an English knight mispronounced

it, and the name has stuck ever since for Brits.

Manor house in Maisoncelle where Henry V is thought to have stayed

© Todd Mauer

On the eve of the battle, the French were

billeted in Azincourt, while the English

were mainly in the neighbouring village of

Maisoncelle. Henry’s army was tired after a

wet march of more than 420 kilometers, and

their path to safety in Calais was now blocked


by 14,000-15,000 French. In Shakespeare’s

play, Henry spends the eve of the battle

contemplating the impending clash that he’d

hoped to avoid, and fraternising incognito

with his soldiers. In reality, historians think he

lodged in a fortified manor in Maisoncelle. The

following morning, Shakespeare’s Henry gave

his rousing St. Crispin’s Day speech in which

he utters the famous line ‘We few, we happy

few, we band of brothers…’ The historical

Henry was probably too busy finalising his

battle tactics to give fine speeches. But

he’d chosen his position well, on elevated

and relatively dry ground, with his army,

predominantly composed of archers, shielded

behind a palisade of wooden spikes to blunt

the force of the French cavalry charge that

Henry knew was coming.

After two weeks of steady rain, the

overconfident French cavalry charged into a

trap laid by Henry and Mother Nature. The

battle began with a mudbath and ended in a

bloodbath for the French. The French horses

and heavily-armoured knights sank up to their

knees into the morass, making them easy

targets for Henry’s archers. When the battle

was over, there were around 6000 French

dead, with many nobles killed and captured. In

the fascinating local ‘Azincourt 1415’ museum,

a commemorative wall lists the names of

some of the French nobles killed at the battle.

Agincourt was an unmitigated disaster for the

French, and an astonishing victory for Henry

and his band of brothers. In addition to the

museum, you can visit a monument to those

Monument to the fallen at Azincourt © Todd Mauer

Azincourt Centre memorial wall of French nobility © Todd Mauer

who fell at Agincourt and a watchtower which

overlooks the actual battlefield and explains

the deployments of the various forces.

Henry’s decisive victory cleared the path

for his army’s safe return to Calais and then

England, where they were greeted as heroes

and Henry’s tenuous grip on power back home

was solidified. As for me, my bike ride in his

royal footsteps was over. My main enemy

during the ride had been the river valleys

of Normandy, and although they’d nearly

vanquished me, I couldn’t imagine a more

beautiful adversary in what Shakespeare

described as ‘this best garden of the world,

Our fertile France’.


Panoramic view of Saint-Paul de Vence © Elisabeth Rossolin, Saint-Paul de Vence Tourist Information Office

Spotlight on

Saint-Paul-de-Vence

The pint-sized perched town

of Saint-Paul-de-Vence has

spectacular views from its ancient

ramparts, cobbled streets lined

with picturesque buildings, arty

vibes and a famous pètanque pitch,

says Janine Marsh as she falls head

over heels for its charms.

On a sunny early summer’s day, 8am Sunday

morning, I headed to hilltop Saint-Paulde-Vence,

driving the escalating winding

roads, past silvery olive groves and ripening

vineyards. There were few signs of life in

the village, a few pigeons and some locals

heading to the boulangerie. The soft morning

light revealed pretty streets of biscuit coloured

buildings, so typically Provençal. Going early

ensured I had the place to myself for a short

while, it’s enormously popular here!

Saint-Paul-de-

Vence is one

of the oldest

medieval villages

on the French

Riviera. It’s long

been coveted.

King Francis I

Cannon in the wall at Saint-Paul-de-Vence

fortified it in the

16th century to defend against invasion from

Italy. And if you look carefully as you enter the

pedestrianised village via the ancient gateway,

you’ll spot a 16th century cannon in the wall

which has a secret, strange history.

Legend has it that the people of neighbouring

Vence, long-time rivals of the people of

Saint-Paul-de-Vence, plotted to steal the

cannon. However, their plan was leaked, and

in Saint-Paul – unable to get their hands on

98 | The Good Life France Early morning in Saint-Paul-de-Vence


any cannon balls, the barrel was loaded with

cherries and gun powder, and when fired upon

the would-be invaders, the red stain from the

improvised ammunition caused panic - and

they fled!

The thick ramparts of Saint-Paul (as the

locals call it) remain almost perfectly intact,

wrapping the village in a protective embrace,

a design copied from Italian-style bastion

fortifications. Be warned, you need a head for

heights for rampart walks, but the views over

the undulating land, a mosaic of every shade

of green, are stupendous.

Saint Paul is a place to wander slowly and just

soak it all in. The sun-kissed cobbled streets

lead you past boutiques, art galleries and

souvenir stores. Sunlit courtyards draw you

in, tinkling fountains make you sigh, pretty

little cafés tempt you to linger for hours and

watch the bustling street life. For a small

village, Saint-Paul-de-Vence takes its food

seriously and if money is no object for you, La

Colombe d’Or is the crown jewel, where dining

rooms double as galleries filled with genuine

masterpieces, exchanged by artists in place

of bills for meals and stays - from Matisse to

Picasso, Chagall and Kandinsky. Loved by the

rich and famous for its discretion and oldworld

charm, paparazzi and curious visitors

wanting to ogle are not encouraged!

View from the ramparts

But it’s not just soldiers and kings who

shaped the story of this village. From the

early 20th century, artists and writers

arrived, seduced by the extraordinary light

and the authentic tranquillity of village life.

The sleepy hilltop village was transformed

into a magnet for creativity, and that spirit

still thrives in its narrow streets today.

One of the most famous inhabitants, Marc

Chagall, who lived here for almost 20

years, is buried in the village cemetery,

the peaceful atmosphere in the shade of

centuries old cypress trees is a befitting last

resting place for the artist. Artists including

Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso loved it

here. And then came the jet set and film

stars – Sophia Loren, Catherine Deneuve,

Brad Pitt, Quentin Tarantino.

Pètanque pitch in front of the Café de la Place

My guide Ben (you can book a guided

visit at the tourist office) told me that his

grandfather, a former pétanque champion in

the village often played against movie stars

under the shade of the plane trees on the

Place Charles de Gaulle. Saint Paul’s boules

pitch is probably the most famous in France

thanks to its ‘Fanny’ designed by French

sculptor César especially for the Café de la

Place’ (the Césars film awards, the equivalent

of the Oscars, are named after him – and

he designed the trophy). The origin of this

pétanque tradition is unclear, but according

to legend, Fanny was a waitress who worked

at a café near a pétanque court in the town

of Marseille. The story goes that she was a

kind-hearted and generous woman who would

console losing players by letting them kiss

her on the cheek. The ‘Fanny’ in Saint-Paul

represents two juicy buttocks that players

must kiss when they lose without scoring any

points! You can see it if you dine at the café

de la Place by the pétanque pitch. And if you

fancy a game – you can book a lesson at the

tourist office.

The street plan of St Paul may be medieval

but some of the cobbled paving is quite

new! A local told me that “a few years back,

the mayor at the time wanted the roads

repaired and needed stones. So, he and his

staff went to Antibes and filled a truck with

stones from the beach. But they got caught

and were arrested. The Mayor of Antibes

told them, stop stealing and just ask, so they

did, he said yes, and the beautiful mosaic

paths are their legacy.”

Don’t miss the 16th century former White

Penitents Chapel where you can see the

work of Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon.



Jean-Michel Folon’s “humanity in the hand of God”

As soft music plays, a giant hand represents

humanity in the hand of God and the artist’s

symbolic, mysterious artwork perfectly

complements the ancient chapel.

© Fondation Maeght

Just outside the village (a few minutes by

car, 30 minutes on foot), sits the Fondation

Maeght, a modern art haven nestled among

pine trees, where the extraordinary collection

of 20 th and 21 st century art - including Miró,

Giacometti and Chagall, is one of the most

important in Europe. You can easily spend a

couple of hours here – longer if you enjoy a

meal at the restaurant. After a ‘memorable’

inauguration of the foundation in July 1946,

the owners decided they needed a bar

for visitors and certain ‘thirsty artists’. The

founders, Marguerite et Aimé Maeght, asked

sculptor Diego Giacometti, younger brother

of Alberto, to design the restaurant layout. He

also designed the lamps, tables and chairs -

known for their rather stiff backs. On a sunny

day, lunch on the terrace as the sunlight filters

through the trees, the gentle sound of the

water ‘canons’ - a modern Japanese bamboo

water feature - is pretty unbeatable.

As evening falls, the atmosphere in Saint-Paul

softens and quietens. The day-trippers drift

away, golden light from the dipping sun pools

along the ancient stones. You can’t help but

feel this isn’t just a place you visit, it’s a place

you feel, and where time, just for a little while,

slows down.

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saint-pauldevence.com/en

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The Prieuré D’orsan

Maisonnais, Cher

A garden tour of France by Stéphane

Marie (Flammarion, 2026) takes you on

a stroll through 27 remarkable French

gardens all open to the public. The vast

diversity is inspiring - from Normandy to

Brittany, the Loire Valley and the French

Riviera. There are grand formal French

parterres with meticulously sculpted

topiaries, poetic bohemian country

estates, idyllic and peaceful water gardens

and even an exotic tropical oasis on the

glittering Mediterranean coast. There’s

also the Priory of Orsan – a stunning

medieval garden in the Loire Valley.

In the late twentieth century, when

reinventing the medieval garden was in

vogue, the Orsan priory was undeniably one

of the most spectacular examples of these

recreations. Today it showcases techniques

like pleaching and raised wattle beds, some

of which had been forgotten to history.

Above all, it is a masterly example of the

architectural use of plants in a way that is as

contemporary as it is medieval.

In the medieval world, the aesthetics of a

garden were designed to be appreciated from

above, as this human creation was intended

for the eyes of the Almighty. Beauty inclined

humans toward temptation and pleasure, after

all, and from there to sin was but a short step.

So it was deemed wiser to avert one’s gaze,

or rather not to compromise it, and to leave

© Janine Marsh

judgement to the divine presence. In the

Renaissance period, pleasure became less

straitlaced, fortunately, and people were able

to give freer rein to their creativity, sometimes

at the expense of symbolism.

The Orsan priory bridges the centuries in a

unique way, having more or less survived all

of the trials and tribulations that have been

thrown at it during its long and checkered

history. While many of its occupants

and visitors down the centuries brought

destruction with them, others have made

magnificent efforts to restore, reinvent, and

maintain the location.

In the twelfth century, Robert d’Arbrissel,

founder of the royal abbey of Fontevraud,

created a new Fontevrist foundation, the

Priory of Notre-Dame d’Orsan, encompassing

a chapel, mill, cloister, and numerous convent

buildings. At the end of his life, wanting to

satisfy the rival demands of the lords of the

two sites, d’Arbrissel divided up his mortal

remains: his body would go to Fontevraud,

while his heart would stay at Orsan. To

house the relic, the priory erected a marble

mausoleum, which, over the years, became a

place of pilgrimage. According to the growing

number of pilgrims who flocked there, the relic

performed miracles, and Robert d’Arbrissel

gained his reputation for saintliness.

Generously endowed by grateful souls

and administered with devoted fervor by

successive generations of nuns, the priory

prospered for centuries. Then came wars

and revolution. Having survived the Hundred

Years’ War, Orsan succumbed to the Wars

of Religion. During the French Revolution,

the four buildings that were all that remained

of the former priory were sold off, and the

paneling in the parlor vanished amid the

stench of manure and the profiteering of

local farmers.

In 1926, the imposing main buildings were,

nonetheless, listed as historic monuments.

Seventy years later, when chicken coops

and dilapidated farm machinery were the

sole occupants of the abandoned courtyard


© Hervé Lenain, Flora Press, Biosphoto, from A Garden Tour of France by Stéphane Marie, (Flammarion, 2026)


1000`s of properties

For Sale all across France

© Hervé Lenain, Flora Press, Biosphoto, from A Garden Tour of France by Stéphane Marie, (Flammarion, 2026)

overlooked by deserted buildings, architects

Patrice Taravella and Sonia Lesot bought

the priory and nearly a hundred acres (forty

hectares) of surrounding woodland and

meadows. They renovated the buildings and

conceived a priory constructed from plants,

skillfully combining the old with the new, the

symbolic with the aesthetic.

Nowadays, whether viewed from above or at

ground level, beauty is everywhere to be seen

in this space designed for the mind and body—

an elegant tribute to the original priory. It was

classed as a “Jardin Remarquable” in 2004.

With the help of the scholarly gardener Gilles

Guillot, the two architects drew inspiration

from medieval illuminations to create twelve

enclosed gardens, capturing the essence of

the religious order’s gardens, at once symbolic

and practical.

The visit begins with the cloister, which is

devoted to prayer and meditation, as well

as being the very first garden, the Garden

of Eden. Its grassy paths are flanked by

perfectly clipped hornbeam hedges, while

drifts of purple alliums and hostas blend

softly beside them. And in the middle of it

all flows a river—or rather a fountain, with

jets symbolizing the four rivers that watered

Paradise. Squares of vines surround the

spring, symbolizing the wine that quenched the

thirst of the nuns and the local people, while

also symbolizing the Eucharist.

After this the parterres follow quite naturally:

the first is planted with spelt, the second with

fava beans, with an olive grove nearby. The

trio of biblical plants that were used to make

bread, wine, and oil thus ensure the health

of our bodies and the elevation of our souls.

Overlooking the squares is a mesh made up

of plants, with windows that to the medieval

imagination might have conjured up niches for

the twelve apostles.

The maze tempts visitors to linger among the

daffodils and crocuses, in search of paradise

once again. At the center, an apple tree,

clipped to make a flat canopy supported by

stakes, provides shade and salvation.

The garden’s charm also lies in its unique

decorative features: elaborate structures built

in situ from chestnut wood, serving as supports

for the plants while also embellishing the space

with their unexpected airy architecture. Pergolas

and edgings in wood, stone, and metal recall

medieval techniques, while the hedges are

pierced with oval and oeil-de-boeuf windows that

offer fresh vistas at every turn. The visit continues

with the Jardins de Marie (Mary’s Gardens),

planted with roses, violets, and lilies—three

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3

ravishing

Château gardens

of the Loire Valley

flowers that are emblematic of the Virgin Mary.

In the large kitchen garden, artichokes,

Russian cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins

flourish in woven wattle raised beds. The

vegetables are mingled with flowers such

as red flax, which attracts pollinating

insects. The gardener, Thierry Joubert, is

a sworn enemy of pesticides and instead

favors manual techniques and clever plant

combinations. Yet another highlight is the

herb garden, dedicated to medicinal plants.

Finally, we come to the orchards of pears,

apples, and small fruits, all subject to a

single rule at Orsan: one fruit is for the birds,

the second for visitors, and the third for the

owners to make jam.

On the façade of the main building, a

large floral heart prompts thoughts of

the relic of Robert d’Arbrissel. And so, we

come full circle.

Since 2017, English fashion designers

Gareth Casey and Cyril Pearon have

been the fortunate new owners of Orsan,

breathing new life into the gardens.

Inspired by the old spaces, they have

created new ones with a focus on respect

for nature and plants, always with the aim

of making the garden yet more beautiful. A

tearoom offers gourmet lunches and teas,

and a shop sells a wide range of gardening

tools, nesting boxes, fresh fruit juices, and

homemade jams.

Extracted from

A Garden Tour

of France by

Stéphane Marie

(Flammarion,

2026).


© Chateau de Rivau The Good Life France | 109

With over 300 chateaux with gorgeous gardens in the Loire Valley, Janine Marsh

highlights just three of the most stunning.

Leonardo da Vinci’s design for a tank

© Chateau de Rivau

Château de Rivau

At the 15th century Château de Rivau, once

home to King Charles VII and famous for

its horse breeding (Joan of Arc came here

for warhorses), there are 6 hectares and

15 enchanting fairy-tale themed gardens

including Tom Thumb, Rapunzel and the Love

Potion gardens created by owner Patricia

Laigneau. A wide range of seasonal flowers,

vegetables, a romantic rose chapel and

peacocks roaming freely, make this a magical

year-round garden.

In summer there are professional jousting

tournaments with riders in full armour! In

autumn the Gargantua Kitchen Garden

(named for Rabelais’ mythical giant) comes

alive as 43 varieties of pumpkins ripen. The

pretty little Melonnette de Vendée are a

firm favourite and served at the castle’s

restaurants, with blue Hungarian pumpkins,

red Étampes, Pink Jumbo Banana pumpkins,

bright yellow Gros de Paris and curious

Turbans Aladdins plus Bottle pumpkins that

are dried to resemble flasks and decoratively

hung in this fascinating castle that blends

medieval and modern.

Château de Chenonceau

The 16th Century Château de Chenonceau,

gifted to Diane de Poitiers by her lover,

King Henri II, was taken back by his wife,

Catherine de Medici upon his death (see

more about Diane on page 52). Both ladies

were famed for their lavish parties in the

castle’s beautiful grounds which gave it the

nickname ‘Chateau des Dames’ or ‘The

Ladies’ Castle’. And both loved to have

flamboyant flower displays in the Château

- records from the day reveal that some of

bouquets were “monumental - taller than a

man… colourful and showy.”

Diane’s Garden, on the right of the castle,

has large lawns decorated with santolina

swirls and topiary. Catherine’s Garden, on

the left, is elegant with harmonious flower

beds and the best views of the west façade

of the castle. Wildflower meadows and

formal parterre gardens frame the castle’s

river views and over 2,000 yew trees form

a labyrinth commissioned by Catherine

along with the Green Garden and its historic

orangery. The castle remains the epicentre

of French floral art, unique in Europe for

its full-time professional team who, using

blooms harvested from its own gardens,

produce fresh arrangements weekly to fill the

château’s rooms.

Château de Clos Lucé

It’s astonishing to learn that the great

Leonardo da Vinci once strolled the gardens

of the bijou 15th century castle of Clos

Lucé, a stone’s throw from the Château of

Amboise where his patron, King Francis 1

lived. The 15-acre park is magnificent for the

uniquely interactive experience of Leonardo’s

creations. Dozens of his famous designs have

been brought to life - you can sit in a wooden

tank made to scale, climb aboard a paddle

boat, handle a multi-barrelled gun, turn a

giant corkscrew and more.

Leonardo completed his Mona Lisa painting

here, and during May and June the gardens

are filled with colour when the bright pink

Mona Lisa Roses bloom. The trees are hung

with translucent canvas representations of his

paintings and his sayings such as “it is all here”

in nature. Here, the ducks roam freely, and you

can visit the dovecote that originally sheltered

1,000 birds that gave Leonardo inspiration to

study aerodynamics and hydraulics.

Mona Lisa Rose



Spotlight on

ÉTRETAT

Porte d’Aval, author Guy Maupassant said it resembled an elephant its trunk dipping into the water

The magnificent limestone cliffs and

arches of Étretat in Normandy deserve

their iconic status says Sandra Davis as

she explores these natural wonders.

Along the Alabaster Coast in upper

Normandy, where nature has carved 140km

of towering stark and vivid white cliffs, lies the

pebble beach of Étretat. The former fishing

village draws visitors like moths to the light

just as it has since the 1800s when it became

the go-to destination for the cultural, royal

and celebrity elite of Europe. Alphonse Karr,

the French writer, could be credited with

putting the resort on the map in his popular

1836 novel “Histoire de Romaine (Romance)

d’Étretat,” but Jacques Offenbach, composer

of Orpheus in the Underworld and the Cancan

would help boost it into its Golden Era.

Offenbach built Villa Orphée in 1858 and,

endorsed by the deposed Queen of Spain

Isabella II, created an eclectic social scene

holding legendary costumed parties, soirées

and even had visitors board “the little train of

pleasures” from Gare Saint-Lazare in Paris,

where you still depart for Bréauté-Beuzeville

to connect with the bus (504) for Étretat (the

whole journey takes around 3 hours). There is

an annual festival every summer with street

operetta performances in Offenbach’s honour,

he was much loved and often organised local

events for the poor.

Étretat has a pretty old part of town, though much of it is more modern after

many of the old buildings were destroyed in World War II.

Arch of La Manneportetrunk dipping into the water

Meanwhile Amédée Boyer (creator of the

famous Eau de Melisse tonic) commissioned

the very luxurious Château des Aygues to be

built, where he entertained Spanish royals. The

castle is private, but opens in summer with

the owners themselves conducting tours of

the amazing landscaped park and the art and

Chinese porcelain collections.

Victor Hugo was also a great fan of Étretat,

having walked the entire coastline, and was

fiercely vocal about the “raw, savage beauty”

of this area.

Many artists would flock to the ethereal light,

the sea spray haze framing the horizons.

Matisse, Degas and Monet, the most prolific

with dozens of paintings of these shimmering

cliffs of glinting flint, soft chalk and limestone,

originating over millennia from the sediment

of skeletal marine life. His series focused on

the cliffs, and the arch called Porte d’Aval,

L’Aiguille (The Needle) a hollow 70m high

spire, and the arch of La Manneporte. The

Chemin des Douaniers (GR21 cliff top Trail)

was heavily used by Monet, and on the South



Jardins d’Etretat, view of the Auiguille © Clara Ferrand, Normandy Tourism

Path it’s easy to imagine him trudging along

with his easel and paints, awed by the view.

The North path takes you past the Chapel

of Notre Dame de la Garde (not open to the

public) and on to the avant-garde Jardins

d’Étretat. Either way, be prepared for strong

weather conditions, natural erosion (so stay

behind the barriers) and lofty heights!

Les Jardins d’Étretat are not to be missed and

deserve their Green Guide Michelin stars! A

surreal, mystical, woodland world with neo

futuristic, experimental art in topiary and large

elastomer faces by Spanish sculptor Samuel

Salcedo nestling like oysters in the boxwood.

There is an Alice in Wonderland inspired

whimsical maze and fabulous panoramic views

from the gardens.

Maurice Leblanc’s famous novels about

gentleman thief Arsène Lupin, AKA the French

Sherlock Holmes, have made Étretat even

more popular – over a million visitors come here

annually, yet it retains its authenticity. Leblanc’s

beautiful house, Le Clos Lupin, is now a

museum offering immersive audio tours. And

close by in the old part of town, the timberframed

market at Place Maréchal Foch, hosts

artisan and souvenir shops and boutiques, and

The wooden covered market

in front of it each Thursday morning there is a

street market – perfect for cider and cheese

though there are plenty of gourmet food shops

in the town.

Finally, a love story... When author Guy de

Maupassant sought solace and seclusion in

Étretat after his mentor Gustave Flaubert

died, instead he found he was at his most

prolific here, often interacting with, and

writing about locals. He died in an asylum in

Paris, and it is recorded that in his last months

he would simply whisper repeatedly “Étretat

… Étretat.” It is the sort of place that touches

your soul with its raw natural beauty.

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France Calendar

SUMMER

JUNE

A view of France each month to illustrate the stunning seasons.

Summer – lavender fields, blue skies, chilled rosé, the turquoise

Mediterranean, and golden sunflowers galore, this is a season

of colour in France, of sunshine and fetes.

JULY

Lavender love

There is a legend that a blueeyed

fairy called Lavandula

flew over Provence

which was then a land of

uncultivated fields, upset

at the sight, she cried and

where her purple-coloured

tears fell, lavender grew!

Photo: Plateau of Valensole,

Vaucluse © Jeremy Flint

Join us on Facebook,

Instagram and X and

share your photos with us

(#thegoodlifefrance) – it’s

a great way for everyone

to “see” real France

and be inspired by real

travellers snapping pics as

they go.

AUGUST

Paris when it sizzles

Summer officially starts on

21 June 2026, and in Paris

the café lifestyle brings art

de vivre to the day – sitting

watching the world go by and

just being in the moment…

Feeling hot, hot, hot!

Plane trees provide shade

when the sun beams down.

It’s said that Napoleon

Bonaparte had a passion

for these tall, leafy trees

and had them planted

along roadsides to keep his

marching army cool.

Photo: 170-year-old plane

tree in Saint-Guilhem-le-

Desert, Herault, Occitanie


What’s

NEW

Summer 2026

What’s on

21 June - La Fête de la Musique

This is a music lover’s dream come true,

where every street corner, park, and bar

turns into a live concert venue. It’s been

rockin’ since 1982. Villages, towns and cities

across France come alive with the sound of

music throughout the day and into the night.

2-21 July 2026 - Festival d’Aix-en-

Provence Festival

The Aix-en-Provence Festival, one of the

most famous classical music and opera

festivals in France, takes place each year in

July, attracting major European orchestras

and top conductors. festival-aix.com

July 2026 - The Tour de France

The 2026 Tour begins in Spain on 4 July in

Barcelona before heading to France on day

3 to take in 7 regions and 29 departments

– all south of Paris. 184 riders representing

23 teams will cover some 3,300 km taking

in mountains and time trials, and long, flat

runs, before ending on the Champs-Elysées,

on July 26.

Festival d'Art Pyrotechnique Cannes/CANNES ART PYROTECHNIQUE © ERIC DERVAUX

Welcome to Summer in France – it’s time

for fêtes, flea markets and festivals

galore across the whole country! Here’s

our pick of the major events…

Summer officially begins in France on June 21

and ends 23 September, 2026.

National Holidays

July 14 is France’s Fête Nationale, AKA le

Quatorze Juillet, a public holiday. It marks

the storming of the Bastille prison on 14

July 1789, and the beginning of the French

Revolution. Officially it’s been celebrated

since 1880. A huge military parade takes

place in Paris on the Champs-Elysées and

towns mark the occasion with concerts,

parties and spectacular firework displays.

The night before is celebrated with Bals

des Pompiers (Firemen’s Balls) when fire

stations fling open their doors to the public

for partying! English speakers call the Fête

Nationale “Bastille Day” which never ceases

to perplex the French! (Discover the history

of Bastille day in our podcast)

August 15 – L’Assomption – Assumption

of Virgin Mary: A public holiday and a day

of religious and cultural celebration that

started with King Louis XIII in 1638 to honour

the catholic belief that the Virgin Mary was

taken up to heaven. It is celebrated with local

festivities and regional traditions.

4 July – August 24 - Festival d’Art Pyro

Technique, Cannes

Several world-renowned pyrotechnic

companies compete to offer spectacular

shows combining fireworks and music in July

and August, lighting up the Bay of Cannes

in this prestigious international competition.

festival-pyrotechnique-cannes.com/en

Tour de France

Forecourt of the Basilica of Saint Michael the Archangel, Menton

7 August - Menton Music Festival

Menton’s annual festival combines music in

stunning locations including the forecourt of

the Basilica of Saint Michael the Archangel

overlooking the Mediterranean port (some

concerts are free). festival-musique-menton.fr

23-26 July - Nice Jazz Fest

There’s plenty for jazz fans to enjoy in the

sunny city with open air concerts featuring

international artists. nicejazzfest.fr/en

Place Massena, Nice where many of the jazz concerts take place


Braderie de Lille

7-9 August - Nuit des Etoiles

La Nuit des Etoiles is organised by the French

Astronomy Association with events across

the country such as observing the stars from

the terrace in the Tour Montparnasse in Paris

or a visit at the Cité de l’Espace in Toulouse

afastronomie.fr/les-nuits-des-etoiles

5-6 September - Braderie de Lille

Europe’s biggest flea market takes place

through the day and night (bring a torch). Up

to 10,000 sellers, 200km stalls, and 33 hours

of non-stop flea market action. The Braderie

de Lille starts at 14h on Saturday 5 September

and ends 23h Sunday 6 September.

5 September - 40th Marathon du Médoc,

Bordeaux

The Medoc Marathon is a festive and eyepopping

annual event. The run which has

been called the “world’s booziest and longest

marathon,” takes place through the vineyards

of Bordeaux’s Médoc area and features wine

and fine food stops – think oysters and steak!!

If you don’t get on the running list for this

year – add it to your must-do for next year

(we’ll have a roundup of fabulous marathons

in France coming up in the autumn issue of

the magazine) - or cheer on (and raise a toast)

from the vineyards! marathondumedoc.com

4-13 September - American Film Festival

The American Film Festival celebrates its 52 nd

edition this year, highlighting the diversity

of American cinema, from major Hollywood

productions to independent films. It is the

only European festival of this scale to open its

doors to the public, presenting over 100 films

annually and attended by major American

actors and stars. festival-deauville.com

26-27 September - Fait du Lait,

Le Quesnoy, Nord

The pint-sized village of Le Quesnoy in the

Nord department, holds an annual milk festival

attracting farmers from across the region. You

can marvel at 100 different specimens of cow

and sample some of the area’s finest dairy

products. And there is a unique beauty queen

competition, where young women from local

villages compete to be crowned Miss Protein.

English Speaking

Real Estate Agents in France

www.metropolitanpropertiesparis.com +1 (970) 708-7773


TOP TIPS for

learning French

in French. Watching TV and films with the

audio set to French – with English subtitles

really helps, or use a programme like Lingopie

which has interactive subtitles and a grammar

coach, quizzes, games, music and more.

Lessons

Along with free lessons on YouTube, I have

one to one lessons with my teacher Leo (at

SL Immersion). We meet weekly online and

it has helped far more than my solo efforts,

as we go through the difficult things for me,

grammar rules and tenses! There’s nowhere

to hide with focused lessons like this and

progress is rapid.

Immersion

Without a doubt, immersion is the fastest way

to learn and retain French. I’ve did a one-day

immersion with Experience France which

was very much focused on speaking French,

getting comfortable with the words, and a

Learning about culture and language in Aix-en-Provence

relaxed and fun way to learn with cultural visits

in Saint-Germaine-en-Laye, near Paris.

And I’ve done two immersion experiences

which were intensive and very effective

(with SLImmersion). One was at the home

of a teacher in Vannes, out of my comfort

zone if I’m honest, but very successful. And

one was a small group immersion in Aix-en-

Provence, which featured lessons and fabulous

excursions, and lots of practice talking in

French, which I found particularly motivating.

Janine Marsh has been learning French

for several years and shares her top tips

for success.

When you make up your mind to learn

French, you’re filled with enthusiasm and your

notebook is poised! Perhaps you live in France

and need to improve. Maybe you dream of

visiting France - buying a buttery pastry in

a village bakery, chatting with locals at the

market, or ordering hot chocolate in a café.

It’s all so much more interesting and fun, not

to mention accurate, when you’re able to

speak the French language.

But then comes the tricky part: where do you

begin?

French is a beautiful language, rich with

nuance and melody. Yet for beginners,

the path can be frustrating and confusing.

Grammar rules pile up, vocabulary lists

grow long, and enthusiasm can falter before

progress truly begins. In reality, most people

don’t fail at learning French because they

lack ability – but because they lost patience

and give up. Keeping up the momentum is

hard when it’s not fun to learn, where it’s not

easy to progress - most of us are guaranteed

to lose motivation.

Everyone learns differently but there are a few

key things that really help. Set goals, whether

that’s setting aside 15 minutes a day to listen

to practice or reading a book in French, and

find what motivates you most.

Listen to, and read French

So many people learn from an app, and they

can be great for getting to grips with the

vocabulary, but speaking it is a whole different

thing. And unless you hear it spoken as it is in

daily life, you’re likely to struggle with talking


“My house is

200 years old,

with views to

the Canyon du

Verdon. I can

swim in Lake

Sainte-Croix,

ride my horses

or potter around

the cobbled

streets of my

local village

buying fresh

produce, but

I am only one

Jill Wilson © Cyril Moingeon, Leggett Immobilier

hour from Aixen-Provence,

with two international airports, Marseille and

Nice within easy distance, and good transport

links by train (TGV) and road.”

The community here is so welcoming. I

thoroughly recommend getting involved with

local life, people, clubs and activities. There

is always plenty to do, whether you’re retired,

holidaying or moving here with your family.”

Verdon © Cyril Moingeon, Leggett Immobilier

Cotignac © Cyril Moingeon, Leggett Immobilier

SPOTLIGHT on

the VAR region

in Provence

Jill Wilson, an Independent Sales Agent for Leggett Immobilier explains why

the north of the Var department is one the best places to live.

It’s easy to fall in love with Provence. Its

medieval villages seem suspended above

aromatic fields of lavender, and bustling

markets are heaving with plump olives,

local honey and fresh herbs. Listening to the

cicadas sing, and watching the sun set over

the water against the soft blue outline of the

mountains is seductive

“Provence fills all your senses. It’s an

unforgettable experience,” explains Jill Wilson,

who has lived in the region for 12 years and is

an Independent Sales Agent for multi awardwinning

Leggett estate agents.

If you’re looking for an unspoilt part of

Provence to call home, then look no further

than the north of the Var, an area known for

its forests, bustling towns and sleepy villages.

“This part of the Var department really is

authentic Provence, and it was love at first

sight for me. The great thing is that you’re not

far from the sparkling Mediterranean coast

and cities like Saint Tropez, or from the slopes


of the Alps. What’s more, this region has all

the sensuality and colour of Provence, but

is quieter, slightly off the tourist trail, with

dramatic gorges like the Gorges du Verdon,

limestone plateaus and canyons and the

stunning turquoise waters of Lake Sainte-

Croix. The towns and villages are unbelievably

pretty and unspoilt.”

The Var is one of the most affordable parts

of Provence, and it’s possible to buy for as

little as £350,000. Of course, if you want to

spend more, there are some really sensational

properties but for much less than you would

pay elsewhere in the south of France.”

Cotignac

Spectacular Cotignac clings to a rocky

outcrop. With a soft limestone pastel palette,

this “Plus Beaux Village de France" has

troglodyte caves and two Saracen towers.

The wide Cours Gambetta (a central avenue)

is shaded by plane trees and lined with cafés

and restaurants. If you’re seeking a town with

a rich cultural heritage, a lively arts scene, a

creative community and lots going on, then

put down roots here.

Fox-Amphoux

Properties in

the north Var

range from stone

farmhouses, to

villas and elegant

townhouses

If you want to escape city living, the idyllic

and sleepy hilltop village of Fox-Amphoux sits

at the junction of two ancient Roman roads.

Marking the gateway to the Verdon area with

its magnificent gorges, it offers gentle views of

the surrounding hamlets and mountains and

comes with its own ruined castle and ramparts.

Quintessentially Provençal, life here is about al

fresco dining, nature, hiking and cycling. With a

few artisan shops, you’re also only a short drive

from larger villages and towns (like Cotignac)

providing all the necessities.

Cotignac clings to a rock outcrop © Cyril Moingeon, Leggett Immobilier

“Properties in the north Var are genuinely

idyllic and range from a stone farmhouse with

iconic sky-blue shutters just a short walk from

the bakers to elegant townhouses. Lots of the

properties have swimming pools, and they are

nearly all centred around outdoor dining and

living” says Jill.

“Life in the Var is about al fresco dining, nature, hiking and cycling” © Cyril

Moingeon, Leggett Immobilier

Aups

At the foot of the Espiguières mountain, Aups

is perhaps best known in the region for its

black truffle market, which takes place every

Thursday during the winter. This picturesque

medieval village has the ruins of a fortified


castle, a Gothic collegiate church, and a

medieval clock tower and ramparts.

Unspoilt, but with plenty of shops, cafés

and restaurants, flea markets, concerts and

festivals, life here is that perfect combination

of a traditional village but with a vibrant

social scene.

Tourtour © Susan Iwase Hanson

Our latest properties for sale in the Var and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Life in the Var

Sitting P r e tt y

Provençal Perfection

Wow Factor!

Cotignac €1,260,000

Ref: A39845 - Stunning 4-bedroom property

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Pignans €901,000

Ref: 5-bedroom property with beautiful views,

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Energy class: N/R

North Var is an unspoiled part of Provence © Cyril Moingeon, Leggett Immobilier

Moissac-Bellevue

Live off the beaten track in Moissac-

Bellevue, built on the side of a hill in the

Verdon Regional Nature Park and not far

from Sainte-Croix Lake. With narrow lanes

and cobbled stairways, a 17th century

château (now a private house) and a 12thcentury

chapel, this is peaceful Provence

at its best. With impressive views across the

plains to the mountains, the village has a

population of only 300 people, so you’ll soon

integrate into the local community.

Tourtour

You might recognise Tourtour from a coffee

commercial starring Brad Pitt (filmed 2023).

It is listed as a “Plus Beaux Village de France"

and is dotted with olive trees, cafés and

shaded squares with narrow streets of pretty

houses and the village has two impressive

towers: the 11th century Grimaud Tower and

the 17th century Clock Tower. With fantastic

panoramic views, this charming, secluded

village, remains authentically Provençal.

The Var isn’t just for summer living – even in winter the landscape is stunning ©

Cyril Moingeon, Leggett Immobilier

This part of Provence offers a slower-paced life.

There’s a warm and welcoming international

community, but it’s less touristy than other

areas, and life revolves around nature, outdoor

living and local markets. The warm, dry and

sunny climate creates a great quality of life and

sense of wellbeing. It’s also more affordable

than other parts of Provence.

And if you’re thinking of retirement or buying a

second home here, you have all the attractions

of stunning lavender fields, dramatic lakes and

great history, but not the crowds of further south.

“This area has enormous appeal, some of the

well-known homeowners include Brad Pitt,

George Clooney and George Lucas – and

there’s a reason they love it here, it’s beautiful,

authentic, has a laid-back vibe and it’s a secret!”

For more information and to see a selection

properties in North Var Region and Alpes de

Haute Provence, visit: frenchestateagents.

com/french-property-for-sale/agent/jillwilson/13292

Natural Charm

Cabasse €847,000

Ref: A36591 - Authentic 4-bedroom Provençal

villa with pool and breathtaking views.


Energy class: D Climate class: B

EXCLUSIVE

Priced to Sell

Bras-d’Asse €240,000

Ref: A44363 - Cosy 2-bedroom home with

pool, garden and garage, in a lovely village.


Energy class: F Climate class: C

Beautiful Views

Cotignac €730,000

Ref: A33514 - 5-bedroom property with pool,

6270m² grounds and lovely views.



Gardeners World

Simiane-la-Rotonde €579,500

Ref: A21217 - Tastefully renovated 3-bedroom

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Energy class: F Climate class: F

Dream Home


Ref: A34494 - 5-bedroom property with pool,

5050m² grounds and beautiful views.


Energy class: B Climate class: A

Picturesque Property

Saint-Julien-d’Asse €525,000

Ref: A40499 - Unique 4-bedroom property

with stables, land and amazing views!


Energy class: E Climate class: E

www.leggettfrance.com info@leggett.fr +33 (0)5 53 60 84 88

Join our

team!

EXCLUSIVE

We are recruiting

independent

sales agents

across France

+33 (0)5 53 60 82 77

recruitment@leggett.fr

Information on the risks to which these properties are exposed is available on the Geohazards website: www.georisques.gouv.fr


Moving to France (from a non-EU country)

will involve applying for a long stay visa.

Amongst one of the things required to support

your application – the right type of medical

insurance is a must, and it’s something that

can catch people out.

The French Government website states

that when applying for a long-term visa

“You must have an insurance certificate

covering all medical and hospital expenses

for which you may be liable for the duration

of your stay in France, as well as medical

repatriation costs and expenses in the event

of death.” This isn’t the same as holiday

insurance or normal insurance, it’s a specific

health insurance policy, and without it, your

application will be rejected.

We asked Fabien Pelissier, founder of FAB

French Insurance who have a specialist

division that provides insurance services to

English speaking clientele, to explain more

about medical insurance.

“The first thing to know is that approximately

30% of applications are rejected - and

80% of those rejected are due to the wrong

type of medical insurance. It can be really

confusing to know what documents you

need because most people will never have

come across the requirement for such a

specific type of insurance before, and it’s

not always obvious when you’re filling in the

Planning

to move to

France?

Get the right medical insurance for

your Visa application

forms. Most of us are used to travel insurance

which covers health – but for the visa to be

successful, that’s not enough, it’s mandatory

to have private health insurance.

“One of the questions we’re asked most

is ‘How fast can I get the certificate of

insurance?’ And it really depends on the plan

you choose, but our best-selling plan comes

without a medical questionnaire and can be

paid with a card online – so it can all happen

pretty fast. We will send the certificate of

insurance once the policy is signed off and

the upfront payment secured, so on average

it takes just 1 to 2 working days from start to

finish. All of our staff speak fluent English –

many are in fact British or American – and will

be able to help you with all of your questions.

“The other question we get is about cost. It’s a

fact that medical insurance is more expensive

than the normal travel insurance that covers

your health – it’s a specific type of insurance

that’s required for the visa and proves that you

have sufficient cover for any medical costs you

may incur in France. The good thing is that

once you move from visa to carte de sejour

status – the residency card – you can apply

for state healthcare and drop the medical

insurance (though you may need, or want, to

have an extra level of insurance to top up the

state healthcare coverage, and we can help

with that too). As everywhere, insurance gets

more expensive as you get older, but we work

with more than 30 insurers in France to get

the best, and most affordable offer possible.

We’re also very experienced in sorting out

insurance to suit pretty much every situation

regardless of age and medical conditions.

Over the years, we’ve helped thousands of

people from all over the world with their

medical insurance for their visa applications.

And we love it when a visa application come

through and we know that we’ve played a

small part in our client’s journey to a new life

in France.”

Find out more about medical insurance at

fabfrenchinsurance.com/medical

Thinking about relocating to France but

uncertain about what you need to know?

Our free live webinars provide direct access to our

team of experts who can address all your questions about the

visa application process, French residency requirements, navigating

French bureaucracy, and more aspects of moving to France.

Sign up for our upcoming sessions.

www.fabfrenchinsurance.com


EXPERT ADVICE:

Swimming pools

in France

In contrast to the ten-year lifespan of other

materials, fibreglass pools do not need to be

replaced or resurfaced. The manufacturer

uses a superior quality resin that is extremely

strong and durable, resistant to UV rays,

heat, water, and chemicals. The pools are

designed to have a slight flex, so that they

can withstand intense temperatures and earth

movements without cracking. All of this means

that you can expect your fibreglass swimming

pool to last more than 40 years. That’s a lot of

laps and refreshing dips!

Matthew’s top tips:

In most cases, you need planning permission

for a pool in France and this must always be

sorted out before you buy. At Pools Direct we

give you guidance on the planning process

– or we’ll do it all for you – from paperwork

through to completion.

As standard, all of our pools come with a

filtration system and all components required

to have your pool up and running. Additionally,

we offer solutions such as electric covers,

swim-flow systems, multicoloured underwater

LED’s and more.

Fibreglass pools can be converted to a salt

pool – an increasingly popular option. Simply

by adding a chlorinator to the filtration set up.

Keep run costs to a minimum – a 1kw pump

is the only essential energy needed. You can

additionally opt for a heat pump. Solar panels

can be used for this.

Find out more and see the range of 40 pool

models available at poolsdirect.online

Love the idea of a swimming pool, but

not the hassle? There’s not much that

beats a dip in the pool on a sunny day, or

a few laps in warm water when it’s cold

out. Watching the kids splash about,

doing a bit of aqua jogging, lazing on

a floating lounger or chilling out with

friends and family…

A pool is a real focal point of your home. And,

though a swimming pool can increase the value

of your property, especially in the south of France,

it’s the pleasure it gives that’s really important.

We speak to the experts at Pools Direct, a

British family-run firm in France backed by a

large French manufacturing company to get

the lowdown on getting a swimming pool.

“So many people love the idea of having

their own swimming pool, but there’s a

misconception that it’s beyond their budget, so

they don’t even look into it,” explains Matthew

Ferguson at Pools Direct. “Our niche is offering

fibreglass swimming pools that are affordable

and hassle-free, which are delivered and placed

straight in situ. They’re easy to install and

require minimal maintenance. You get all the

benefits of a fibreglass pool - at a much lower

cost than other pool types, it just makes sense.”

While concrete pools take months of labour

and construction to complete, you can install

a fibreglass version immediately and be

swimming within days of your pool delivery.

“We focus on fibreglass pools because they

really do offer the best solution for our clients,”

explains Matthew. “Installation is simple – once

you excavate, you don’t even need to worry

about a concrete base, the pool shell sits on

a bed of loose, levelled gravel. There’s no risk

of ripping or wear and tear to a liner, and it’s

very easy to keep clean as they have a supersmooth

gel-coat finish.”

QUALITY FRENCH

MANUFACTURED

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S I R E T : 9 0 4 9 5 3 9 5 7 0 0 0 1 9


Amboise, two castles, a sprawling town and a laidback way of life

Chedigny, village of roses

Life in the Loire

Castles and world-class vineyards, historic cities, picturesque villages, and

outdoor activities galore – with properties to suit all budgets, the Loire could

be where you find your perfect home.

Centre Val-de-Loire isn’t the centre of France

as the name might imply, but more the centre

of northern France stretching from below

Paris as far as Auvergne, and is bordered by

Burgundy, Champagne, Pays de la Loire,

Normandy, and Nouvelle Aquitaine. There are

six departments, Loiret, Loire-et-Cher, Indreet-Loire

(AKA Touraine), Eure-et-Loir, Cher

and Indre. The magnificent Loire River lends

its name to several departments and towns.

It’s France’s last wild, and longest, river which

runs for some 630 miles from the Ardèche

region in the southeast to the Atlantic near

the port of Saint Nazaire on the west coast.

It flows through the Loire Valley watering the

vineyards which produce renowned wines, and


turning the land lush and fertile – giving the

area the nickname ‘the Garden of France.’

Much of the Loire Valley is listed as a

UNESCO World Heritage site for its ‘living

cultural landscapes,’ and spans some 280km

across the Centre-Val de Loire and the Pays

de la Loire region. The largest city in the

Loire Valley is Tours, famous for its historic

architecture and for Place Plumereau, voted

by the French as their favourite square in

France to enjoy an aperitif. Orléans is the

official ‘capital’ of the Loire and was acting

capital of France in the early Middle Ages,

famous for its Joan of Arc history and the

siege of Orléans.

Transport links for the region are excellent,

Paris to Tours by train takes a little under and

hour, and Bordeaux can be reached in two

hours (from Saint Pierre-des-Corps which

is on the TGV (fast trains) line, 4km from

Tours), and the local rail network connects

all the towns. There are excellent motorways

connecting the area to major cities including

Paris, Bordeaux and Toulouse. And airports in

Tours and Bourges (flights to Europe/UK), plus

close by in Paris, Limoges and Nantes. Plus,

it’s just three hours from the ferry port at Caen

in Normandy.

This is a great area for just about anyone –

families, young people, retirees and second

home buyers. Overall, the area has more

The region is full of pretty villages and tiny hamlets

Grand houses in Loches

sunshine than Paris with around 1750 hours of

sun per year. The area has a robust economy

with tourism being a major employer, as well

as automotive, engineering, pharmaceutical

and cosmetics, plus the agricultural, wine

and food production industries. It’s certainly

not an overpopulated area with around 66

inhabitants per square kilometre – almost half

the national average in France.

Outdoor lovers will find plenty to do. The flat

banks of the river Loire are ideal for cyclists

and the area has more than 1000km of

bike paths. There are numerous hiking trails

including the GR3, the oldest long-distance

walking path in France, 1300 km from Mont

Gerbier-de-Jonc all the way to the Atlantic

Ocean; and at the château of Chambord,

there are 20km of paths and tracks to enjoy

in the largest enclosed forest park in Europe.

Water babies will love the range of sports

on offer from canoeing to swimming. It’s an

area that’s rich in culture with more than 100

libraries, music schools, shows, festivals, and

many year-round events.

There is a huge choice of towns and villages in

the Loire, from big and bustling, to small and

tranquil, and property is available to suit all

budgets, though property prices are increasing

in some cities like Bourges (up 7.8% in 2025

according to the Notaires de France website).

French planning

& architectural services

Fully qualified English speaking architects and planning consultants offering full design

and planning services for any size of project, anywhere in France.

New Build . Extensions Renovations . Swimming Pools

Retrospective Permits . Barn Conversions . Châteaux

siret : 881 631 642 00025

email: enquiries@frenchplans.com

www.frenchplans.com

established in 2002


Market day in Chinon

Glorious countryside peppered with vineyards

Property styles vary from country cottages

to longères, long stone farmhouses, grand

houses with the signature slate roofs of the

area, town houses, apartments in cities and of

course, castles. Prices vary considerably with

properties available from less than €100,00

to several million euros if you’re looking

for a home fit for royalty in a chateau with

woodland, cellars and a pool.

If you want to live close to the most famous of

the fabulous castles, head east of Tours where

you’ll find Chenonceau, Chambord, Cheverny,

Amboise, Blois and Chaumont with its annual

international garden festival. There are many

small villages all around, like Saint-Augnan,

which is close to the famous Beauval Zoo, and

medieval Montrichard with its cobbled streets

and half-timbered houses, around the bigger

castle towns.

West of Tours lies stunning countryside and

fabulous vineyards as well as iconic towns and

châteaux. Brits Jacqui and Graham Read,

who run Loire Valley Chateau Tours bought an

18th-century wine-makers house in a tranquil

village about 25 minutes’ drive from the 17th

century walled town of Richelieu, created as

a “cité idéale” (a model town) on the orders of

the infamous Cardinal from whom the town

takes its name. “We love it here” says Jacqui,

“we have a huge passion for the heritage of

the Loire Valley and love to share it with our

guests. There’s so much wonderful nature, the

wine is so good, the food is superb, there are

wonderful markets like in Chinon a short drive

from where we live. This area has just about

everything you need to enjoy the French way

of life at its best.”

For those seeking riverside properties, there’s

plenty of choice with towns and villages strung

along the Loire: Saumur for example, the

equestrian capital of France and Candes-

Saint-Martin, a Plus Beaux Village (officially

one of the prettiest villages of France), at the

confluence of the Loire and the Vienne and

which hosts one the best local antiques fairs.

And for wine lovers, where to start?! Vouvray

for instance, home of white sparkling wines,

or maybe Sancerre with 2800 hectares of

wine-producing grapes in stunning countryside

and voted favourite village of the French in

2021. Chinon with its crisp Touraine whites.

Paired with weekly markets are stocked full of

delicious seasonal local produce like white and

green asparagus, black truffles, goats’ cheese

and other local delicacies like the rillettes de

Tours and the delicious tarte vigneronne, a

speciality from Chinon, made with red wine

jam – this is a delicious part of France!

The European Concierge

Expert support for ALL Visas,

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Licence Exchange / Vehicle

imports / ANTS registration,

CNF (French Citizenship)

We manage your visa application

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Cherry

Clafoutis

Tart

Clafoutis aux

Cerises

Equipment

9-in. (23-cm) round tart ring or pan

INGREDIENTS

9 oz. (250 g) sweet short pastry or leftover

puff pastry

Clafoutis filling

1

⁄3 cup (2.75 oz./75 g) lightly beaten egg

(about 1 ½ eggs)

1 tbsp (0.75 oz./20 g) egg yolk (about 1 yolk)

Scant 1 ⁄3 cup (2 oz./60 g) sugar

1 heaping tbsp (0.35 oz./10 g) flour

½ cup (125 ml) milk

½ cup (125 ml) cream

10.5 oz. (300 g) cherries,

pitted

Confectioners’ sugar

for dusting

Extracted from

French Pâtisserie:

Master Recipes and Techniques from

the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts by

Ferrandi (Published by Flammarion, £45).

Photography © Rina Nurra 2017.

METHOD

Line the ring with the pastry, trimming so it

stands ½ in. (1 cm) above the ring. Chill for 1

hour.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C/Gas mark

3) and blind bake the pastry crust for 15–20

minutes.

Increase the oven temperature to 350°F

(180°C/Gas mark 4). Whisk together the eggs,

egg yolk, and sugar. Add the flour, then the milk,

and finally the cream, whisking until combined.

Arrange the cherries over the base of the

prebaked crust.

Pour the batter over the cherries and bake for

40 minutes. Carefully remove the ring and serve

warm or cold, dusted with confectioners’ sugar.

CHEFS’ NOTES

Serves 6

Active time: 30 minutes

Chilling time: 1 hour

Cooking time: 1 hour

Storage: Up to 3 days in

the refrigerator

When blind baking, line the pastry crust with

parchment paper, or heatproof plastic wrap

designed for oven use, and fill with rice or dried

beans so the crust keeps its shape during baking.


Strawberry Tart

Tarte aux Fraises

Nothing says summer like a fresh strawberry tart!

Equipment

Stand mixer

9-in. (23-cm) tart ring or pan with a

removable base

2 pastry bags fitted with plain ½-in.

(15-mm) tips

Electric hand beater

Instant-read thermometer

Serves 6

Active time: 1 hour

Chilling time: 30 minutes

Freezing time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Storage: Up to 24 hours in

the refrigerator

INGREDIENTS

Sweet Short Pastry

¾ cup plus 2 tbsp (3.5 oz./100 g) flour

2 ½ tbsp (0.5 oz./15 g) almond flour

1

⁄3 cup (1.5 oz./40 g) confectioners’ sugar

Scant 1⁄8 tsp (1 g) salt

4 tbsp (2 oz./60 g) butter, diced

½ tsp (3 g) vanilla extract

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp (0.75 oz./20 g) lightly beaten

egg (about ½ egg)

Almond-Pistachio Cream

4 tbsp (2 oz./60 g) butter, diced, at room

temperature

Scant 1 ⁄3 cup (2 oz./60 g) sugar

Scant 2 ⁄3 cup (2 oz./60 g) almond flour

1 oz. (25 g) pistachio paste

3 ½ tbsp (1.75 oz./50 g) lightly beaten egg

(about 1 egg)

Pastry Cream

½ cup (125 ml) milk

2 tbsp (0.9 oz./25 g) sugar

1 ½ tbsp (1 oz./25 g) egg yolk (about 1 ½ yolks)

1 tbsp plus scant 1 tsp (0.5 oz./12 g) cornstarch

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp (0.75 oz./20 g) butter

Strawberry Jelly

2 sheets (0.15 oz./4 g) gelatin

2 oz. (60 g) strawberry purée

2 tbsp (30 ml) water

2 tbsp (30 ml) strawberry syrup

3 ½ tbsp (1 oz./30 g) glucose syrup

Decoration

1 lb. 2 oz. (500 g) strawberries

0.75 oz. (20 g) unsalted, skinned pistachios,

roughly chopped

METHOD

Making the Sweet Short Pastry

Fit the stand mixer with a paddle beater and

combine the flour, almond flour, confectioners’

sugar, and salt in the bowl. Add the butter and

beat until the mixture has a crumbly texture,

like coarse bread crumbs. Beat in the vanilla

and egg until just combined. Shape the dough

into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and chill

for 30 minutes. Line the tart ring with the

pastry and freeze for 10 minutes.

Making the Almond-Pistachio Cream

Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C/Gas mark

3). Beat the butter with a spatula until creamy.

Add the sugar, almond flour, pistachio paste,

and egg and beat until very smooth. Spoon

the mixture into a pastry bag and pipe it over

the base of the tart. Bake for 30–35 minutes

and allow to cool.

Making the Pastry Cream

Combine the milk and half of the sugar in a

saucepan. Scrape in the seeds of the vanilla

bean and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg with the remaining

sugar in a mixing bowl until blended and

slightly thickened. Sift the cornstarch and

flour into the egg mixture and whisk until

combined. As soon as the milk comes to a

boil, slowly pour it onto the egg and starch

mixture, whisking constantly. This will loosen

the mixture and heat it a little. Return to the

saucepan and bring to a boil over medium

heat, whisking vigorously. Continue to boil, still

whisking, for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the

heat and stir in the diced butter until smooth.

To cool the pastry cream quickly, line a baking

sheet with plastic wrap and spread the cream

over it. Press another piece of plastic wrap

over the surface of the cream.

Making the Strawberry Jelly

Soak the gelatin in a bowl of cold water until

softened. Heat the purée, water, strawberry

syrup, and glucose in a saucepan to 122°F

(50°C). Squeeze the excess water from the

gelatin sheets and stir into the hot strawberry

mixture until completely dissolved. Remove

from the heat.

Assembling the Tart

Spoon the pastry cream into a pastry bag and

pipe it into the tart crust so the baked almondpistachio

cream is completely covered. Slice

the strawberries in half and arrange them

in circles on top of the tart, with a whole

strawberry in the center. Brush the warm

strawberry jelly carefully over the strawberries

and scatter with the chopped pistachios.

Extracted from French Pâtisserie: Master Recipes and

Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts

by Ferrandi (Published by Flammarion, £45).

Photography © Rina Nurra 2017.


METHOD

Assembling and baking the pissaladière

Serves 4

Active time 30 minutes

Rising time 1 hour

© Rina Nurra

Preparing the dough

Sift the flour into a large bowl, then whisk

in the salt. Dissolve the yeast in 3½ tbsp

(50 ml) of the water. Make a well in the

flour and pour in the yeast mixture, the

remaining water, and the olive oil. Stir until

the mixture comes together into a smooth

dough. Shape the dough into a ball, place

it in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with

a dish towel. Let rise for 1 hour at room

temperature.

Preparing the onion compote

Peel and thinly slice the onions. Peel and

chop the garlic. Chop the anchovies and

thyme. Singe the rosemary using the kitchen

torch (or a gas burner), then chop the leaves.

Warm the olive oil in a skillet over low heat,

then add the onions, garlic, anchovies,

rosemary, and thyme. Cook until the onions

are fall-apart tender and lightly golden.

Adjust the seasonings if necessary.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/Gas Mark

6). Cut the anchovies at an angle into 1¼-in.

(3-cm) pieces. Drain the olives and chop them

if necessary. Roll the dough into a 12-in. (30-

cm) disk, ¼ in. (5 mm) thick, and place it on

a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Spread the onion compote across the dough,

leaving an approximate ¾-in. (1.5-cm) border

all the way around. Bake the pissaladière

for 15 minutes, then remove it from the oven

and arrange the anchovies,

olives, and rosemary leaves

on top in staggered rows.

Return to the oven and

bake for an additional

5 minutes.

Extracted from Fish

and Shellfish: Recipes

and Techniques from the Ferrandi

School of Culinary Arts by FERRANDI

Paris (Flammarion, 2026).

PISSALADIÈRE

Cooking time 1 hour

Storage days

The French ancestor to pizza, pissaladière is one of the oldest culinary specialities

of southern France and especially Nice – and utterly scrumptious.

Equipment

Kitchen torch (or gas burner)

INGREDIENTS

Dough

2½ cups (10½ oz./300 g) all-purpose flour

Generous ½ tsp (3 g) salt

2⁄3 oz. (20 g) fresh yeast

Generous ¾ cup (200 ml) water, divided

4 tsp (20 ml) olive oil

Onion compote

1 lb. 2 oz. (500 g) onions

1 clove garlic

10 salt-packed anchovies

Leaves of ¼ bunch thyme

¼ bunch rosemary

Scant ½ cup (100 ml) olive oil

To assemble

12 anchovies

12 Taggiasca olives

12 rosemary leave


Last

Word

This year I’m celebrating 22 years since I bought my old farmhouse in a village

in the middle of nowhere in northern France. Admittedly, it was on a whim (I was

on a day trip with my husband and dad to buy wine in the port town of Calais,

just 35 minutes by train from the UK and an hour’s drive from my village) and it

was so cheap (because it was practically a hovel) that I paid for it by giving up

holidays, restaurants and my gym membership. My dream was for a holiday bolt

hole, easy to reach from London where I lived and worked. But over the years,

we renovated, gardened and turned the hovel into a home. Leaving it behind to

return to the UK got harder. And harder. I fell head over heels with the French

way of life, villagers became good friends, I learned to cook, started a blog that

turned into this magazine, and travelled all over France exploring the culture,

history, heritage and diverse departments.

And rather than diminish – my love for France has grown even more over time

(apart from the administration that is!). There is so much to treasure. A two-hour

lunch break still being largely normal (so civilised!). Shops not opening 24/7.

Being able to speak to a real person in a bank. More than 1000 different types

of cheese – and affineurs, experts who train to mature the cheese to perfection.

Artisan bakers making baguettes with just 4 traditional ingredients. A worldclass

healthcare system (my doctor apologises if I have to wait until the next

day for an appointment!). Cakes that are edible works of art. Street markets

being a way of life. Art de vivre – the art of living well and finding happiness in

small moments in daily life. Sitting on the terrace of a café watching the world

go by. Dinners that last hours. Book shops in the high street. Windows that

open inwards so that you can clean them easily. Festivals – the French need no

excuse for a good old knees up from world famous carnivals to village parties.

Brocantes, vide greniers, marchés aux puces: flea markets are a national

obsession, a place for neighbours and friends to get together, and a cultural

connection for visitors. And the language. How can you not love the French

saying: Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup – eat well, laugh often,

love abundantly. A great philosophy for life.

Janine

Janine Marsh is the author of My Good Life in France; My Four Seasons

in France; Toujours La France, and How to be French: Eat, dress, travel

and love la vie Française – available on Amazon, all online bookshops and

in bookstores in high streets everywhere.



SUMMER 2026

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