Holiday Villas Cottages in Grasse - Cotedazurvillarentals

Grasse is a town situated about 18 miles north of Canes in the Cote d'Azur and is to be found in slightly hillier country towards the pre Alps.  It is quite a large town which sprawls down the mountain from a lovely old cobbled centre, with a myriad of shops, restaurants, galleries and squares where you can easily while away a few hours whilst people watching over coffee and pastis or a glass of the local rose wine.

Its main claim to fame is as a production centre for perfume. Two old perfume houses still operate here and both offer tours to show and explain the production process.  Galimard and Fragonard are both well recognized names in the perfume world.  The area around Grasse supplies the flowers and most importantly the orange blossom which provides the most often used basic substance in perfume.  It is said that it takes 1ooo kilos of blossom to make 1 kilo of the oil that is used.

In the old town there is the opportunity, should you so wish to have a break from Provencal cooking, which as good as it is, to allow local ex pats in need of a curry or a taste of something more spicy occasionally. Grasse serves that need with an Indian restaurant called Le Punjab(!) and very close by is a Vietnamese restaurant, both are located on at atmospheric little cobbled street in the old town, with Le Punjab also having a very pretty enclosed terrace which is nice for lunch if you can face an Indian at lunch time!

In 2005 the old Perfume Line railway was refurbished and reopened as a passenger line.  It was closed during the Second World War and fell into disrepair, but now there are new stations along the route and it is possible to get to central Cannes in around 25 minutes, which opens up all the delights of that great town a to anyone staying in or near Grasse, without the need to drive and battle with the traffic and parking problems that can arise in high season.

Just 5 miles away is the lovely medieval village of Valbonne, with a number of cobbled streets surrounding a central square which is a glorious place to have lunch in the sunshine, even in January.  There is a lovely market that runs on a Friday morning which covers many of the pretty side streets and most of the square and is very popular with the locals and the big ex pat community that lives around Valbonne.

Golf is available just to the north at the Grasse Country Club sometimes known as Clause Amic, but the fairways are narrow, so a good golfer would probably prefer either the course at Chateau Begude aka Opio/Valbonne or the Grande Bastide at nearby Plascassier.

Walking around the hills of Grasse of to be recommended, particularly over towards Gurdon, where a great number of tough walks are signposted, and where the views are particularly stunning.  In winter the nearest skiing is a mere 35 minutes drive, so it is possible to have a little ski and then get to Cannes for a late lunch on the beach.

Getting to Grasse is fairly simple.  I have mentioned the railway, but beware the station is at the bottom of the hill and the town at the top! By car it is well-marked at Junction 42 of the A8 where there is a dual carriageway known as the Penetrante which takes you directly to the town.  Nearest airport is Nice about 30 minutes drive, with flights there going to most European cities, all 4 London airports, and even Montreal, Moscow and New York, mostly on a daily basis.

Vacation Homes Rentals in Theole Sur Mer by Cotedzaurvillarentals

Theole sur Mer is the picture perfect Riviera seaside village situated between St Tropez and Cannes, but closer to Cannes. It has wonderful sandy beaches, one of which allows nude bathing, from Pointe de l'Aiguille and Pointe St-Marc, some great beach restaurants such as the Marco Polo, huge rocky escarpments, loads of water sports and is ideal for swimming.  Fabulous views both up to the mountains behind or from the mountains over the village and the sparkling Mediterranean sea.  It is sheltered by those Esterel Mountains behind, which are fantastic in the summer as they offer some shade on the beaches in the late afternoons, but have the effect of making it a bit less sunny in the afternoons in winter, although none the less beautiful for all that in the winter months.

The small harbour is delightful, with its red rock lighthouse standing out and there are other fascinating buildings here such as the crenellated castle château des Mineurs which was originally used as a soap factory and is now accommodation.  The walks are also very beautiful, but more of a hike than a walk given the mountains (the Grosses Grues is 440 metres in altitude, that's nearly 1400 feet high) that surround this ancient village which can trace its history back to the 5th century, having always been a safe haven port.

The drive along the coast in the direction of sttropez villa rentals if one of the most beautiful in the world, with its rocky outcrops, untamed sea and the sparkling blue waters, set against the backdrop of the mountains, which are covered in bright yellow mimosa in January and February make this a truly breathtaking spectacle.  Continuing on you come to Agay, a sleepy beach village much beloved by campers and then on to the delights of St Raphael and if you feel the need St Tropez.

In the other direction is Mandelieu La Napoule and the Cannes, There are a number of restaurants in Mandelieu and two very nice golf courses, the Riviera and The Mandelieu Old Course, which is particularly pretty as most of the fairways are made up of parasol pines and it is close to the sea.

Cannes itself is a fantastic vibrant festival town.  The Cannes Film Festival takes place in May each year and attracts film stars and media types from all over the world who swarms around the Palais des Festivals and fill up the Carlton, The Martinez and the Majestic hotels, plus most of the others as well.  the shopping here is delightful if you are a designer hound, Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and many others have shops here, most often on the Croisette, the road along the sea front and the beach restaurants are amongst the best in the world. The old town of Le Sucquet has any number of great restaurants as well, especially those congregated up the Rue St Antoine, the road that winds up from the port area to the old town.

 Some hotels are available in Theole Sur Mer, but by far the best way to stay and explore the area is to rent a private villa, which is surprisingly easy to do.  There are several companies offering this type of accommodation, some speak English some are English, and in Theole Sur Mer there is good chance that you will get a fantastic sea or mountain view together with the almost inevitable swimming pool.

Luxury holiday villas in the Luberon village of Goult

Deep in the Luberon is the village of Goult, right in the centre of the Parc Natural Regional de Luberon.  Located between Cavaillon and Apt, just 1km off the RN 100, it is named after the d'Goult family, whose private château is built into the rock in the village, but is not open to the public. Goult has an ancient feel, with quiet cobbled streets, old doorways and archways and is a very pretty place to walk around. Look out for the Conservatoire des Terrasses, cultivated terraces which are over 100 years old. A typical Provence landscape is on offer with olive tress and quiet atmospheric squares to get a coffee or a pastis, huge oak trees and other tall trees provide shade which is needed in the summer.

Settled by the Romans, there is a Roman church and the Roman chapel de St Veran to explore. Tennis, hiking and walking are all offered in profusion and there are annual festivals in mid June, mid July and throughout much of August, which of course are the busiest time of year down here. You can also visit the Priory ND de Les Lumières.  Perhaps not so welcome to those seeking the peace and quiet traditionally associated with a trip to Provence is the opportunity for motocross, however I am told it is well away from the village and does not impinge on the quintessentially Provencal experience otherwise offered by Goult.

Nearby are some equally quaint villages, Saint Pantaléon is said by one guide-book to be where trousers were invented, but frankly I doubt it, I think if it were the case the village might make more of it. Gordes has a little more about it, with a gallery dedicated to the contemporary Flemish artist Pol Para and is designated officially as "one of the most beautiful villages in France" a title only bestowed on the top 100 pretty villages in the country. At the top of the hill upon which this village is built is the inevitable church, with fantastic views over the Provencal landscape. In the green valley behind is the Abbey de le Senanque where Cistercian monks still produce a liquour and collect lavender and honey. The village was mentioned more than once in Peter Mailes book "A Year In Provence" which has increased its visitor flow somewhat.

Other than these villages, the attraction of the area is to sit back, relax watch the locals sip their pastis in the evening sunshine, but beware trying to keep up with them. Pastis is very strong and the locals know to mix it with lots of water, a mistake visitors sometimes make, topping up their glasses with more pastis, rather than as the locals do, topping it up with water. Don't forget also, that they have been doing it for years, even hundreds of years so their metabolisms can take it!

The local rose wines are also very good. Personally I do not believe their red wines carry the same weight in wine loving circles as they would like to believe, and the white wines are really not very good, it being too warm a climate to make good white wine, but the roses' of the Luberon are much under rated in my book.

To stay here in a hotel is almost impossible, there are very few if any hotels of note, so the easiest thing is to try to find a private villa to rent. That can be a lot easier than perhaps it sounds, as there are a number of agencies, some speaking English, some actually ex pat English themselves who can find you the perfect villa in which to unwind and relax, which, after all, is the main reason for exploring old Provence.

A car is vital and the nearest airport is over 70 km's away at Marseilles, but the drive is wonderful just don't expect to get there too fast!

Maubec: A Perfect Spot for Holiday Villas

The quaint little village of Maubec lies at the foot of the Luberon Mountains near Cavaillon, in the Parc Natural du Luberon in deepest Provence. It is beautiful countryside offering hundreds of trails for walking and hiking and the little village itself has a few delights to discover. The "Tour de l'Horloge du Beffroi" is the central attraction, a lovely old clock tower that looks down over the village. The local agriculture is based on those omnipresent Provence classics, the grape and the olive.  Grapes are used not just for wine production, the village being in the wine area AOC Luberon, but the grape pips are also used to make grape seed oil, which can be found for sale, along with a selection of the local wines, at the regular Sunday market in the village.

Maubec is so quiet, it does not even boast a hotel, indeed gites or a campsite seem to be the only options, except for the most obvious option, rent a private villa to relax and unwind in a way seldom possible in a hotel.  Private villas often offer an oasis of calm often with views, very often with swimming pools, which are most welcome after a long day our hiking or sight-seeing.

 Nearby villages also offer a nice distraction, once you have had your fill of relaxing, eating and drinking their rose.  Oppède Le Vieux is a fantastic old un spoilt hill-top village, reached by a pretty little path from the parking area, no cars are allowed in the village which when you see it you will realise is a good regulation.  It has a ruined Chateau, boutiques, arts and craft shops, a collegiate church, which is the dominant feature, and the village clings to the hillside in the way only Provencal villages can.  The surrounding forests offer a striking backdrop and the area much-loved by film stars and others in the public eye, some of whom have bought properties in the area.

Ménerbes, just 4 km's away is another hillside village, considered by many to one of the most beautiful in the Luberon region.  In the 16th century Ménerbes was the centre of the Protestant movement, but its historical roots go back to pre historic times, and was also inhabited and cultivated by the Romans. It is beloved by artists and writers, indeed Nicolas de Staël and the artist Picasso both owned houses in the village. Don't miss the corkscrew museum, with over 1000 examples of this very handy implement, which you will not be surprised was invented by a Frenchman  (Monsieur Le screw?) in the 12th century.

The village of Robion has a nice Roman Church. It has a music festivals during July and August, whilst Taillades which was once a quarrying centre, is also worth a visit, and it also has a musical connection, some of the quarries make perfect amphitheatres where concerts and other musical events are staged in summer. It also boasts a water-mill, the Saint-Pierre, which although not working anymore (it stopped production in the 19th century) used to take its flow from the Carpentas River which runs languidly past the village.

Overall then, Maubec stands at the centre of a network of pretty Provencal villages, there are no towns nearby so a car is a necessity as public transport hardly exists but that does not stop you enjoying the relaxing lifestyle mixed with a little light exploration, and perhaps an early morning walk before it gets too hot in order to work up an appetite for lunch, the word memorably use by Peter Maile, author of A Year In Provence to describe the area in one word.

 Nearest airport is Marseilles, about 70 km's distant, which has a good array of flights to and from most European cities including London, Brussels, Paris and several french towns as well. Allow up to two hours to drive across as there are no real motorways and anyway the back routes are much more picturesque and allow you to take in the local environment more fully.

Luxury vacation rentals in Mouries - Cote D'Azur Villas

Mouries is a beautiful Provencal village, nestling at the foot of the Alpilles Mountains in the centre of the Valley de la Baux. The village is renowned as being at the heart of French olive oil production and is said to have over 80,000 olive tress producing olives for the production process. What I did not know until recently, but olive oil aficionados probably did is the olive oil comes from Mouries in 4 different varieties,  Aglandau, Grossane, Salonenque, and Verdale des Baux and has its own AOC  (Appelation Originale Controle) label, assuring the purchaser that it was produced in this area and giving a guarantee of minimum quality.  Traditional cold water methods of production are employed here when the harvest takes place, usually in November and December each year, presumably after the first frosts when the olives begin to drop.  You will see vast nets set out beneath the olive tress at this time of year to help gather the harvest.

At one stage, early last century there were 11 working mills in and around this atmospheric village and 3 remain today, one being an ultra modern mill and one, the being an organic oil mill, the Vaudoret.  The villagers of  Mouries seem to love a festival, there are events all the year around, many take place in the towns bullring, which can hold up to 3000 people.  Of course, with a bullring, one must expect that there are the occasional bull fights, and although many of the English in particular have never understood the apparently barbaric baiting of bulls as a spectacle to be enjoyed, one has to respect the local traditions of this "sport" which still occurs quite regularly in the Carmargue to the south, and in isolated inland villages such as this. Personally I would much rather attend the Formidable Aïoli Populaire festival which, if your French is not up to it, means basically a huge aioli (garlic) meal which usually is based on cod or other white fish and involves lashings of aioli, a French garlic mayonnaise.


There are several interesting trails that have been laid out. Inevitably there is the olive trail, which seeks to educate you in the whole olive oil production process, which is quite fascinating. I have always wondered how they discovered the process of filtering and the like that has to go on for weeks before the olive is soft enough to move to the next production phase.  Whose idea was it to take a tiny fruit and spend weeks trying to make a very bitter original taste palatable?


 There is a wine trail, which examines the other agricultural triumph of Provence, the production of predominantly rose wines, which are very good, much better than the reds and whites they also produce, albeit in smaller quantities. Another trail is called the Route des maisons nobles de la vallée des Baux which takes you to see a number of 16th, 17th and 17th century houses in the area.


The village itself is a Provencal delight.  Tall plane tress allow a little sunshine through but not too much and the cafe's offer not just a cold glass of rose, or pastis or coffee along with the inevitable olive, plus fantastic tapenades a kind of olive dip and fougasse which is olive bread.


Staying here is possible in one of the few quite rudimentary hotels, but a better idea is to find a private villa to rent.  There are several companies in Provence which specialise in private villa Rentals,often with swimming pools, usually with great views and usually tranquil.


Marseilles airport is some 70 km's away, and has a number of flights each day to various destinations in the UK, France and Europe, but a car is a necessity as public transport here is not well developed, in fact it hardly exists! You should allow some 2 hours to drive from the airport, as the roads tend to be designed for country driving rather than fast access, but the sights on the way are worth it.

Cereste: A Perfect Villa for Holidays

Cereste is a pretty Provencal village nestling beneath the Luberon mountains. Mostly 15th to 18th century, it is a  delight to walk around to explore all the art galleries, shops selling local produce and crafts, or stop at one of the many cafe's for a glass of rose, a pastis or a coffee.  Walking is a theme of the village as there is an ancient walking route which is also now a cycle path that links Cereste with Forcalquier region to the Rhone Valley.

The village itself has an interesting selection of gargoyles to admire, although I find them all rather unattractive, their historical antecedents are interesting. These are in the Place Verdun, which has many fine houses, one of which has been turned into a hotel and several others into art galleries. Going east out of the village is the Nid d'Amour, a walk taking in the old pigeon coups, pigeons were once big business in this village, and although you can find it in some restaurants locally, it is a very gamey almost an acquired taste. The path then leads on through some lovely fountains and leads to the Roman church built in the 13th century and the Priory Carluc.  


Cereste has an unusual microclimate that they claim makes it cooler in the evenings in summer than anywhere else in the area, which may not be what you want to hear if you are reading this in England in winter, but trust me, the evenings in Provence in summer can be very warm.


Other attractions include the 18th century St Michael Church, a ruined abbey, a Roman bridge and swimming, mountain bike hire, hiking are all available, plus there is an interesting market every Thursday morning.


Once you have seen all there is to see in  Cereste , and if you are more ively than I tend to be when going for a relaxing break in deepest Provence, then the nearby village of Viens is worth visiting.  It is a 13th century perched village which at 630 metres above sea level, nearly 2000 feet, provides fantastic views across the Provencal countryside, and over the border into the Alpes Maritimes where it is possible to see in the distance fields of lavender at the right time of year, which I guess means the summer!  Enter the village by way of the Saracen Gate and have look at the clock tower, which inevitable dominates the village skyline. The village has history going back over a thousand years, and there are still several 13th century houses to see, plus it has a restored 14th century Renaissance Chateau.  It is at the end of the so called "route d'ochre" which leads to the famous Provencal "Colorado Cliffs"


Another village which is just as pretty and offer the same wonderful outdoor summer experience of flowers, forests, woodlands, walking and mountain biking is St Martin de Castillion about 8 km's away.
Staying in the area in a hotel can be tricky, there is one hotel In Cereste, and as far as I can ascertain, no others in the area.  There are of course a few gites, but to be comfortable for a week or a fortnight, a better bet is to look to hire a private villa, as there are a number to choose from.  There are several agencies offering this kind of Rentals , some speak English and some are in fact English.


Getting to this part of Provence is pretty difficult unless you have access to a car, which to my mind is imperative, especially if you want to take in the whole area, as public transport hardly exists and taxis are scarce.  Nearest airport is Marseilles, which has flights going to many destinations in Europe and the UK plus you can get too and from several provincial French cities plus Paris quite readily. The airport is some 75 km's distant but allow up to 2 hours as the back routes are not conducive to fast driving, and in any event the route is pretty and worth taking in.

The Rose Wine of Provence - Cote D'Azur Villas

The rose wine of Provence has a growing and justified reputation, and is still much underrated and undiscovered outside of Provence. There are hundreds of vineyards throughout the wine growing area of Provence, with several AOC's located in the area, which stretches from St Tropez in the south-west up Fayence in the north-east.


The best known name for Provence rose is probably Bandol, a wine that is exported all over the world, but although one of the better wines it is certainly not the best, although it is very good. Domaine Ot would probably claim to be the most exclusive, but for me it is a little overpriced, and although very good there are a number of much cheaper wines that are available, although mainly it has to be said direct from the vineyard, many of the producers making insufficient quantities to interest anything other than the local supermarkets. Indeed some of the smaller producers sell only to passing customers, offering tastings and these can be very busy places during the summer season.


The better known names include Cote de Provence, Cotes de Luberon, Buche De La Rhone, St Tropez peninsular, Varois, St Victoire, Gigondas and Bellet.  There is also a wine called Whispering Angel which is really good but a little expensive given the great range of choice available. For every one of these better known names, I could offer an alternative, not so well known and almost certainly cheaper.  Chateau Mauame for instance, Chateau St Julien, and any number of producers around the StTropez area.


There are two types of rose, the traditional rose coloured variety and the greyer, or more orange gris type.  The gris is a particular favorite of mine, being smoother in most cases than the more red coloured alternative, indeed in the local supermarket you can pick up a very decent gris for under three and a half Euros, and if you spend 6 Euros a bottle you are into something very decent indeed.


Rose though, is mostly seen as a summer drink, sales drop off dramatically during the winter months, as it is often iced and that does not seem right once the weather turns colder.  Many Brits were turned off rose at an early age because the only variety readily available in the UK during my youth was Mateus Rose which is frankly not often very good.  It is only by trying the Provencal versions that their reputation has spread.


The vines are omnipresent in Provence during the summer and offer a wonderful sight in early September laden down with fruit.  Picking takes place during September and the first part of October and the wine is ready for sale by March the following year.  Roses tend not to last very long, unlike the reds, which can be found in Provence but only a few are of real quality and as yet I have not found a white which passes muster in our household.  Better by far to stick to sampling the roses.


Ideally to explore all the pretty villages and vineyards, you would want to be based in the area.  There are hotels but they do not offer the same space, views and ambience as renting a private villa.  This can be done very easily as there is a growing industry in the area with a number of companies offering  rentals of these sorts of properties. The lure of a private swimming pool after a long day sampling wines, can be very welcome, as are the views which one would normally expect to get in the area.  The space element is also very importance, particularly if you have a big family, hotels can become ruinously expensive and there is something nice about slipping out to buy some local produce and then sitting around by the pool or on the terrace whiling away an evening and drinking some of the local brews!


Provence is well served by Nice airport which is within easy reach of most of Provence and has flights going to and from much of Europe and beyond mine, being smoother in most cases than the more red coloured alternative, indeed in the local supermarket you can pick up a very decent gris for under three and a half Euros, and if you spend 6 Euros a bottle you are into something very decent indeed.


Rose though, is mostly seen as a summer drink, sales drop off dramatically during the winter months, as it is often iced and that does not seem right once the weather turns colder.  Many Brits were turned off rose at an early age because the only variety readily available in the UK during my youth was Mateus Rose which is frankly not often very good.  It is only by trying the Provencal versions that their reputation has spread.


The vines are omnipresent in Provence during the summer and offer a wonderful sight in early September laden down with fruit.  Picking takes place during September and the first part of October and the wine is ready for sale by March the following year.  Roses tend not to last very long, unlike the reds, which can be found in Provence but only a few are of real quality and as yet I have not found a white which passes muster in our household.  Better by far to stick to sampling the roses.


Ideally to explore all the pretty villages and vineyards, you would want to be based in the area.  There are hotels but they do not offer the same space, views and ambience as renting a private villa.  This can be done very easily as there is a growing industry in the area with a number of companies offering rentals of these sorts of properties. The lure of a private swimming pool after a long day sampling wines, can be very welcome, as are the views which one would normally expect to get in the area.  The space element is also very importance, particularly if you have a big family, hotels can become ruinously expensive and there is something nice about Cote D'Azur Villa Rentals: Book your luxury villa in advance during the Roses of Provence and have an unforgettable holiday in France.