Villa Riveloup, Le Bar-sur-Loup

Villa Riveloup   11/2011 & 08/2012

We had an excellent holiday and would be keen to book the same villa, Riveloup, again next year.

It was ideal for our large extended family, and safe and secure even for young children.

Thanks for your helpful advice whenever we’ve phoned. The efficient way any minor problems at the villa were dealt with was much appreciated.

Best wishes,

Keith Dodd

November 2011 & August 2012 

Stylish Luxury Holiday Villas in Lourmarine

Lourmarine is a small village deep in the Luberon about 50 km's easy of Avignon and is surrounded by olive groves, almond trees and vineyards, and epitomizes what we all love about Provence.It is officially designated one of the prettiest villages in France.A busy village in summer, it has those lovely leafy terraces and cafe's dotted around the village, some great medieval houses, a castle with some most peculiar Renaissance stairs and loads of winding streets, archways and nooks and crannies to explore.

In the summer there is a range of activities on offer for the visitor, the vineyards offer tastings, there are a number of pretty walks through the forested valley, fishing 4 km's away in the Durrance, horse riding, even mini golf.There is horse riding available and swimming plus you can even have a go at Archery but watch where you point those arrows!  For me though, it is the typical Provencal existence that attracts me, a glass of the local rose or a pasts in the late afternoon sunshine or lunch, the magical word in Provence when most things stop for 2 hours.

Lourmarine has also a famous inhabitant, sadly now deceased, Albert Camus lived and worked here and won the Nobel Prize for literature.He is buried in the Lourmarine grave yard, and tribute is paid to him all over the village.

Several other villages in the surrounding area are also worth a visit.The unfortunately named Puyvert is a small hamlet just 2 km's away and Cadenet has a really interesting classified feudal site with views over the Durrance River, the Alpilles Mountains, and the St-Victoire.There is a chateau which has been turned into a gallery and an outdoor theatre which stages shows from time to time.There are some troglodyte cave dwellings which you should go and see and there is also a basketwork museum, dedicated to a sadly dying art as the growing of willow trees has reduced a great deal since 1978.There is a Monday morning Provencal market all year around and a summer market on Saturdays. Bikes for mountain biking can be hired and there is walking, hiking and swimming available, plus a man-made lake which is only open in summer.

There is a 12th century Romanaesque church at Vaugines, plus a couple of other buildings to view, the Renaissance style Capitanerie and the 13th century Commanderie.In Cucuron there are a number of attractions;The Mark Deydiere Museum, the countryside of Saint Victoire, so loved by Cezanne, and an oilmill built into the 13th century village ramparts.The village is busy all the year around, especially in November and December when the picking and the pressing of the olives starts.

There is the odd hotel in the area, and odd is the operative word!The hotels here, if you can find one, are slightly quirky and pretty but do not always adhere to what might be expected by a discerning traveler.For the best comfort and ease of exploration, it is far better to consider renting a private villa as there are a number to choose from, often with great views, many with swimming pools and other attractions, such as their own boule courts.A number of companies are dedicated to find that perfect villa rental for you and many speak English or indeed in some cases are English and that can be important if anything goes wrong!

Getting to the area is not that difficult but you will need a car, Avignon is the biggest town and that's 50 km's away, but the drive is so pretty it will be over before you know it.The nearest airport is Marseilles but allow up to 2 hours to get there.Marseilles airport has a number of destinations on offer, London and several European destinations benefit from daily flights.

Stylish Luxury Holiday Villas Cottages in Maussane Les Alpilles

Maussane les Alpilles is a lovely Provencal village that is situated on the old Roman Aix to Arles road, but there is very little left in the village otherwise to connect it with the Roman occupation.  It is thought that the Romans began the tradition of collecting olives and this tradition has multiplied to the point where at one stage there were 12 oil mills in the village, and although there are fewer nowadays, Maussane together with its neighbor Mouries, are at the heart of the most important olive oil producing region in France.  You will not be surprised to learn about the beautiful landscape being dominated by olive trees!  These trees are particularly attractive to us Brits, as we love the gnarled features of the oldest ones and I think we love the sense of history as some olive trees can be over 1000 years old.

Maussane is the first step on "the Olive Trail" and if you want a suggestion as to how to taste the oil, you can make a "peche mignon" simply by drizzling some olive oil on some bread or even some goats  cheese and add a slice of tomato, delicious!

It has 4 historic monuments the you should check out, the 18th century chapel of St Croix, the 15th century chapel de Monblan, the 18th century chapel of St Roman and the 14th century château Querry.  There are also ancient communal washing areas, the Quatre Saisons fountain, the oratories and the Santon Museum.  Santons are rather gaudy ceramic figurines made in the area and much loved by the French.

Maussane can also offer walking, hiking, a swimming pool, and even has its own bullfighting ring that is used for more than just bullfighting nowadays.  However, they do still stage the odd bull-fight, which many Brits feel a little strange about, the deliberate baiting of an animal for sport and spectacle is not necessarily my idea of holiday entertainment, however I guess you must respect the traditions, which are more entrenched to the south in the Camargue area than this area.  There is also fishing, the inevitable petanque also known in the rest of France as boule, arts and crafts festivals from time to time, and even a horse show.

About 6 km's away is the charming village of Le Baux De Provence.  It has the most fantastic views from the top of the village, commanding the high ground as it does, and the village is busy with craft shops, santon makers, olive oil producers and all sorts of surprises to find through exploration. It boasts of over 20 historical monuments and also claims to host over 1.5 million visitors each year, so don't expect it to be tranquil!

There are a couple of interesting hotels in Maussane, but they are interesting rather than conforming to most international standards.  Far better to seek to rent a private villa in or around the area, as there are many to be found and several agencies dedicated to finding you the right one for your needs.  Views are offered almost without exception, many have pools and the cost can be surprisingly reasonable for the features offered compared with a hotel. There is also a campsite in the village.

Getting to Maussane is a little tricky. You will need a car because the idea of public transport does not seem to have occurred to the people of deepest Provence. The nearest airport if Marseilles about 70 km's distant with a number of regular services into London, many of the bigger French towns and cities, such as Paris, and some flights to many centers in Europe.  Nimes also has an airport serviced by Ryan air but with only Liverpool, London and Brussels to choose from as a destination it is a bit limited.

Attractive Renovated Properties for Rental in St. Francois De Grasse

St Francois de Grasse is a tiny village situated a couple of miles to the east south-east of the old town of Grasse.  Grasse sits above Cannes on the Cotedazur, commanding views right across the Bay Of Cannes as far as Nice and across the Esterel mountains and is famous for the production of perfume. There are a number of perfume production facilities in the town and the area around St Francois de Grasse is one of many that produce the flowers and the orange blossom which is used in the perfume creation process. Many different flowers are used, but the most common is a kind of orange blossom which if left produces quite bitter oranges, however the blossom is very sweet-smelling nut it takes 1000 kilos of blossom to make 1 kilo of the oil that is the basis for the production of perfume.

Grasse now, since 2005 has a smart new modern railway connection to Cannes which takes around 25 minutes through the hills and across the plain to that most wonderful Festival town.  It takes the route of the old Perfume Line as it was known which was used until the second world war to transport perfume down from Grasse to Cannes and then on to the rest of the world. It fell into disrepair and was reopened 5 years ago as a passenger line, which hives the grassoise (the name given to the locals in Grasse) access to many lovely beach resorts along the coast, Nice, Monaco and even into Italy to pick up those smelly cheeses and olive oil. Grasse itself is the nearest local centre to St Francois de Grasse but the rural nature of the village means that there are many splendid walking and hiking routes in the area, almost without exception providing great views down to the Mediterranean, and on a clear day you can see Corsica in the far distance. the town of Grasse has a very nice old part, with tiny cobbled streets, leafy squares and tall ancient buildings which house many a craft shop, galleries, boutiques and cafes's to explore, there is even an Indian restaurant called Le Punjab and a Vietnamese restaurant almost next door.

Cannes itself is a must to experience.  the port area, the old town, the seaside beach restaurants, and the Croisette with all its famous name hotels and so recognizable from seeing the Film festival on TV each May makes you think you know the place.  Le Sucquet has Rue St Antoine winding up the hill to the old town with a plethora of restaurants to thrill you each side of this tiny cobbled street.

Nearby is the medieval village of Valbonne, which has a beautiful authentic Provencal square, not open to cars after midday where there are 5 or 6 cafe's at which to enjoy a glass of pastis, a chilled glass of the local rose or to eat lunch and people watch. English is heard a lot around this village as there is a big ex pat contingent living in the village

Staying in  St Francois de Grasse in anything other than a private villa is impossible. There are a few hotels in Grasse which probably don't meet internationally accepted standards, but are quirky and interesting, or you can push the boat out and book The Carlton or The Martinez in Cannes.  However, a much more cost-effective solution is to rent one of the many private villas that are available through several English speaking agencies in the area.

Getting to Grasse (going to Grasse?) is simple.  Junction 42 of the mainA8 motorway has a dual carriageway link to Grasse about 8 miles distant.  Nice airport is some 30 minutes drive away with flights emanating from many European and English destinations including all 4 London airports.  Flights also arrive daily from New York and Montreal amongst other exotic locations.