David joined Virginie and her family for a French immersion homestay in July. He wanted to incorporate some sporty challenges while learning French so Virginie suggested hiking to the summit of Mont Sainte Victoire. David wrote the following bilingual text as an exercise to test his written French. Find out …

Students who join me in Provence for a French immersion experience want to improve their French and explore the region. Our home and Mas de Trois Pins studio are in Rousset, a village near Mont Sainte Victoire. This article highlights a few of the hiking trails on this mountain. It …

We were on the French Riviera for a week, staying at a lovely apartment in Villefranche-sur-Mer, and one of the things on my to-do list was hiking the Nietzsche Trail to Eze Village. There are many great things about the French Riviera, including the access to public transit, which makes …

When most people think of the Côte d’Azur, they visualize elegant, glittering cities like Cannes, Nice, St. Tropez or Antibes. Grand hotels and opulent beaches. Extravagant villas, splendid boulevards and stylish promenades. Of course, all of this is true but what many people who never venture very far from the …

Estérel French Riviera Located in southeastern France, the Estérel coastal mountain range straddles both the Var and Alpes-Maritimes departments. Of volcanic origins, the massif is roughly 32,000 hectares of rugged terrain awaiting exploration. Mont Vinaigre is the highest peak at 618 metres. According to the Estérel Côte d’Azur tourism office, …

This last week, I have been out every day, walking with Millie. Not just a little amble along the lane or up the trails at the back of the house, but good, long walks, exploring some favourite tracks and finding some new ones too. Although the physiotherapist has said that …

Hiking and Culture Works by British sculptor Andy Goldsworthy, known for creating outdoor installations from natural materials found nearby, form part of a new 150km “art” hiking route which stretches across the north of our region. Named the Refuge d’Art, in the Unesco Geopark reserve in collaboration with the Gassendi Museum …

Exploring the Alpilles Established in 2007, the Parc Naturel Régional des Alpilles is a relatively new park. However, the mountain range itself is the result of millennia of continuous geological evolution. Artifacts from human settlements found in these hills date back to the Neolithic era. The Alpilles (small Alps) is a …

One of the things we love about Provence is its wonderful wildlife and recently we’ve been lucky enough to watch ‘Sangliers’ foraging at the side of the road…….. Please excuse my photography! And have seen Vultures flying off the Petit Luberon and near Sault, but when it was suggested that …

Summer is still here! With the hot weather, the options for outdoor activities expand as attractions and sightseeing operators open for the season. However, some of the best family-friendly activities are free and right on our doorstep! Around 40 minutes’ drive from where I live is the start of the …