There’s something about the air, the sand, the attitude of the people around you at the beach that’s fun and carefree. I’ve felt that way since I was a teenager spending days on the Grand Strand in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Now, instead of baking in the sun, …Continue reading …

Sarah Pernet spends her days guiding visitors around Provence. Her company Discover Provence founded only four years ago, has already achieved Trip Advisor certificates of excellence and Rick Steves’ stamp of approval. You can read the full story here. We asked Sarah to share her Perfectly Provence picks with readers: …

Millions of years of seismic activity, tectonic plate movement and freeze-thaw cycles created the diverse geology of present-day Provence. The region is also known as the Bouches de Rhône where the Mediterranean shoreline runs the gambit of beaches, brackish wetlands and vertigo-inducing cliffs. Other natural phenomena in the area include …

Contributor blog post by Phoebe Thomas: In a complete contrast to last week’s beach which was wild, fairly empty and reasonably isolated today I’m taking you to a city beach, la Réserve – it’s actually in the port area of Nice – which is always crowded and absolutely tiny!  The …

“Someday you’ll be glad you’ve seen this,” was the theme of a recent tour of Nimes and Pont du Gard with my 10-year-old visitor, McKenna. As spectacular and amazing as seeing an ancient Roman aqueduct or coliseum might seem, most children would rather …Continue reading here

You can almost hear the clip-clop of the horses’ hooves maneuvering their master’s carriages on the cobblestones. Glance through the majestic iron gates into the cour d’honneur at l’Hôtel de Caumont and let the elegant limestone façade transport you to another era. The grand entrance was unique even in the …

Before we moved to France I had read Peter Mayle’s account of his idyllic year in the Luberon region of Provence, and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, when planning our great escape from the grey-skied rat-race that is the City of London we never contemplated moving to the Luberon. Somehow it …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: Say what you will about the French Riviera in the summer. Sure, there are traffic jams, crowded public transport, longer queues at attractions, sweatier tourists, and pricier airfares, but there’s also ice-cream on the seafront, dining al fresco in village squares, open-air concerts and …

By Krista Bender Well I should be passed out or hallucinating after having been awake AND in planes and airports for the last 25 hours…. But I am not :) I am so in awe of the beauty surrounding me I have to document this. I arrived in Provence today …

Cotignac’s permanent population hovers around 2,300 people. The official count swells on a sunny Tuesday when throngs of visitors appraise market stalls on the main street — Cours Gambetta. A column of plane trees provide welcome shade to vendors watching their stands that are heaving with tempting melons from Cavaillon, …