The Rhône and Durance rivers are like bookends creating fluid boundaries of the Bouches du Rhône (mouth of the Rhône) while providing irrigation for the department’s agricultural land. After an 800 km journey from its source, the Rhône Glacier in Valais, Switzerland, the Rhône River yawns lazily into the Mediterranean …

Seaside Villefranche-sur-Mer, with its sheltered harbour and long sweeping sandy beach, holds an enviable position on the French Riviera. Tucked between Nice to the west and Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Saint-Jean Cap Ferrat to the east, Villefranche feels like a small town. However, arriving in Villefranche by car takes a bit of …

At first blush, many visitors may not realize that the Alpes-Maritimes department expands from the beaches of the French Riviera to the ski resorts of the southern Alps to the Italian border. Surrounded by the Var and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the Alpes-Maritimes has densely populated urban areas, famous Côte d’Azur cities, …

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is nature’s patchwork quilt featuring mountains, gorges, rolling valleys, lavender fields and pockets of remote villages and busy towns. The Durance River plays an essential role in this department that features high mountain peaks of the Alps and the lower alpine foothills with remote villages. While there are other …

Known as the unofficial capital of the sparkling Cote d’Azur, the charming city of Nice is the perfect place to visit. Boasting a year-round mild Mediterranean climate with many things to do, eat and see, read on to discover our suggestions for the perfect day on the French Riviera. Start …

A walk along the promenade at Les Lecques, around the little port and out to sea along the jetty has always been a family favourite, but I’ve always struggled to find a vegetarian lunch after our walk.  It’s a typical French seaside resort with all the menu choices the locals …

If you are here because you have already read about my brief visit to Avignon, you probably recall that I spent a few days there last fall – my first trip back to France after 22 months of absence and my first visit to this wonderful city. Picking up the …

While in Mougins to give a talk on my latest book, The Birdwatcher’s Wife, I was delighted to reacquaint myself with the enchanting area. My previous visit had been three years ago when I made a presentation on my first book, Passion for Provence: 22 Keys to La Belle Vie. …

Nice is a fascinating city on the beautiful French Riviera. Annexed to France from Italy in 1860, you can feel the French and Italian cultures combined, creating a unique local lifestyle. There are many reasons we love Nice, and here are our top ten. Book a Holiday Rental Near Nice …

It had been quite a few years since we visited Aigues-Mortes, so when cousin Jean-Marc suggested we go somewhere on the sea, I suggested we go there. I still recall the first time we went to Aigues-Mortes, years before buying our house in Sablet, with Tante Edith, Jean-Marc’s mother. Aigues-Mortes …