Ten minutes drive from the centre of Aix and we are in the countryside.  All around this town there are little villages where daily life seems a whole lot slower and simpler than its larger neighbour.  The stunning ‘travel book’ villages are further away and if you need a slice …

When my widowed mum announced that she was moving to France we all assumed that she would settle in Brittany or Normandy – places she had visited many times with my father. Within easy reach of the UK and her beloved granddaughter the north of France seemed sensible. My strong-willed …