Toulon is a port city on the Mediterranean coast, and capital of the Var department, southern France.

Toulon is home to the French navy, and they have a significant naval base there. There’s also a lovely old port, the perfect place for a lazy lunch, watching the boats go in and out. You can also take a boat trip around the harbour or take a day trip to the islands including lovely Porquerolles with its wild and beautiful inlets lined by rocky cliffs. Or you could take the ferry further afield to Corsica from Toulon.

Behind the Old Port is the old town of Toulon, cobbled streets and charming squares and fountains. Every morning (except Monday) the town comes alive on the Cours Lafayette, a traditional Provencal market selling everything from avocados to lavender soap.

Don’t miss a trip on the cable car to the top of Mont Faron. At just under 600 meters high, the hill dominates the town and its bay. From here the views are simply breath-taking looking over the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains of Toulon. There are hiking trails and a zoo plus restaurants. You’ll also find here the Allied Landings Memorial, a museum which presents the history of the Allied lands in August 1945, Operation Dragoon, the “second D-Day.”

With a year-round programme of the festivals, music and opera, plus great shopping and Christmas markets, and, crazy for rugby – if you’re ever there when a match is on, you’ll feel the vibe – Toulon is great for a visit any time.

A twenty-minute walk out of town or take it easy and hop on the Petit Train Tour from the Old Port, will bring you to the fabulous beaches at Mourillon, a former fishing village. These are artificial beaches that are sheltered, shallow and safe. There are several excellent restaurants and plenty of sports activities, plus a 16^th century fort.

Toulon has excellent train connections for visiting Marseille, Nice and Cannes and Saint-Tropez which doesn’t have a train station, but Toulon station has a fast train service for Paris and from here you can take the train to St Raphael and then a bus to St Tropez. You can even take the train for a day trip to Italy! The Friday market day in Ventimiglia is fun and an Italian bargain seekers paradise.

By Stephane Jackman, a frequent visitor to Toulon from the UK.

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Since Roman times the area known as the Beauce Plain, a flat, fertile, treeless expanse of open country southwest of Paris served as the granary for the burgeoning metropolis. The life and longevity of the city of lights owes everything to the wheat and cereal grains grown there. The stained glass windows of Notre Dame were paid for by donations of the baker’s guild.

Historically, bread was “invented” around 10,000 b.c. and evolved according to custom and local grain. The first breads were cooked on heated stones. In 5,000 b.c. the Egyptians created the first leavened (fermented) breads. By the first century, the use of bread as an essential part of the diet spread to Spain and was eventually adapted by the Gauls.

But, it wasn’t until the Middle Ages that bread became the staple of the French diet. The first loaves were crude and heavy. Because salt was expensive, the bread was unsalted. It was an acquired taste, but nonetheless a dietary mainstay. During the 17th century a method of removing bran from from wheat was developed, making the production of the first white breads possible.

Throughout the reign of Louis XIV, white bread baked from refined flour became a status symbol of nobility. Whole meal breads made from whole grains and cereals were relegated to the servants, the poor, and the dogs. Those who couldn’t even afford the whole meal breads, bought “biscuits” made from the previous day’s bread, re-baked to keep it dry.

However, the baking of bread largely remained a home-based function until the Industrial Revolution, though some large villages boasted artisanal bakeries or boulangeries, named after the boules (round loaves) produced. Just as the French assimilated the croissant into their own cultural lexicon of cuisine (it actually originates from Budapest with a nod to the crescent moon on the Turkish flag), they’ve done so with the baguette, which came from Vienna in the 19th century.

The first steam oven was brought to Paris by the secretary of the Austrian Embassy, August Zang.  The steam oven is a combination of a gas fired traditional oven and a brick oven. The injection of steam allowed the crust of bread to expand before setting, creating a lighter, airier loaf. Coincidentally, at the same time, a law preventing bakers from baking bread before 4 in the morning made it impossible to make boules in time for their customers’ breakfasts.

A slender loaf of bread called a “baguette” (stick) could be prepared with the aid of the newly-invented kneading machine, and baked more rapidly. Bakers capitalized on their good fortune. Because baguettes were only made with flour, yeast, salt and water and to this day remain preservative-free, they only stayed fresh a few hours, requiring customers to visit the bakery two or three times a day.

By law, every village in France, must have a bakery selling bread.  If there is no bakery in a village, a store, house or sometimes even the post office, will display a “depot de pain” sign, signifying that the bread is brought in and sold from somewhere else.

The ingredients of baguette dough are also defined by law. A standard of size and shape exist, as well. A typical baguette is 2 inches wide and 26 inches long. The best baguettes use soft wheat flour and have a crisp, golden crust with raised score marks when baked.  The interior should be a light cream color and have the delicate taste of almonds and warm milk. All of the senses are utilized when buying the perfect baguette – you can see its golden brown color, you can smell its delicate yeast scent, you can feel its texture on your tongue, you can taste its magical flavor, and you can even hear the hollow sound it makes when tapped, indicating its having been baked to perfection.

The language of bread is sacrosanct to the French and has even been translated into a marvelous film by Marcel Pagnol entitled, “The Baker’s Wife,” It is the story of a baker newly-arrived in a Provençal village who weds a young wife shortly after settling down into the rhythm of local life. She becomes bored and looks for excitement, soon running away with a handsome shepherd. The baker becomes so depressed he can’t bake bread. The villagers get angry because they don’t have bread and selfishly concoct a plan to kidnap her and bring her back to the bakery. If you haven’t seen this classic film you’ve missed something very special!

Sue Aran is a writer, photographer, and tour guide living in the Gers department of southwest France. She is the owner of French Country Adventures, which provides personally-guided, small-group, slow travel tours into Gascony, the Pays Basque, Provence and beyond.

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We take a look at four of the biggest names in Champagne production – shaped by four different women who transformed the champagne industry.

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin

Barbe-Nicole Clicquot née Ponsardin, is undoubtedly the most famous widow in France, at least where champagne drinkers are concerned. After all, her marriage status is in the name of the champagne house: Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, veuve meaning widow. Born in 1777 to a wealthy industrialist family in Reims just before the French Revolution, she was married off to the neighbour’s son, Francois Clicquot in order to pool the families’ wealth and influence. But the marriage was in fact not only useful, but a success, and the couple formed a strong partnership, with Barbe-Nicole supporting her husband’s desire to expand the family’s meagre wine production and create a champagne house. The partnership was cut short a mere six years after their wedding, when Francois died suddenly.

Instead of allowing her father-in-law to dismantle the new business, the young went against his wishes, and staked her inheritance on the champagne house. It wasn’t an easy ride, Veuve Clicquot’s enterprise faced near bankruptcy at one stage, until Russian Tsar Alexander I declared that Clicquot’s vintage of 1811 champagne was the only kind he would drink.

Her champagne suddenly became the tipple of choice for the rich and famous. She ran an extremely successful empire until her death in 1866.

Louise Pommery

Louise Pommery (1819 to 1890) took on her husband’s wine business, Pommery in Reims, after she was widowed in 1860. She promptly embarked on mega building projects, ranging from having miners dig caves extending some 18 kilometres, 30 metres underground with a sole 116-step staircase as access. This made her cave system one of the largest in the region. Her Pommery Nature champagne, created in 1874, was a brut champagne that was hugely commercially successful, especially in England, a market she proactively courted.

When Louise died in March 1890, she was the first woman in France to receive a state funeral, thanks to her contributions to the champagne industry. President Emile Loubet issued a decree changing the name of Chigny, her country home near Reims, to Chigny-les-Roses, in honour of her love of roses.

Lily Bollinger

Madame Bollinger famously said about her relationship with champagne: “I drink champagne when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am.”

Another widow at the helm of a champagne business, Elisabeth Law de Lauriston-Boubers, known as Lily, was born in 1899 to Baron Olivier Law de Lauriston-Boubers and Berthe de Marsay. In 1923, aged 24 years old, she married Jacques Bollinger, general manager of Bollinger Champagne and grandson of founder Jacques Joseph Bollinger.

When her husband died in 1941, Lily became head of the Bollinger empire, and remained there for the next 30 years. It was she who created the famous first vintage of the legendary Cuvée de Prestige Bollinger RD (Récemment Dégorgé/recently disgorged), which became a Grand Cuvée, and which also made it onto the silver screen as the champagne of choice of the discerning James Bond.

 Matilde Émilie Laurent-Perrier

The original Laurent-Perrier champagne house was founded in 1812, founded by champagne negociant (wine buyer/seller) André Michel Pierlot. His son inherited the company and bequeathed it to his cellar master, Eugene Laurent. On his death in 1887, his widow, Mathilde Emilie Perrier took over the Laurent Perrier.  She ran the business successfully throughout World War I, and on her death in 1925, her daughter Eugenie Hortense Laurent took over. In 1939 the house was sold to another woman: Marie-Louise de Nonancourt, a member of the Lanson family, and no stranger to the champagne business.

By Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey

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Avignon in Provence is rightly revered for its historic cultural icons, such as the immense Palace of the Popes. But in recent years, Avignon has also become a hot spot for innovative French ‘concept art’ or simply ‘con art.’ Expressing a contempt for the usual gallery-based presentation of art, con art instead regards the degenerate physical world as its gallery (indeed, as its subject matter) while navigating the unavoidable paradox of narrow gallery rejection but expansive gallery acceptance. The resolution of this apparent paradox is central to the appreciation of con art.

Rather than imprisoning us in the bourgeois paradigm of visiting (say) the Musée d’Orsay, with its insolent insistence that ‘this and only this is the kind of place where great art happens,’ we can experience a transcendent liberation by embracing the con art perspective that the conscious act of curated perceiving can create a sense of art in and of itself. That is to say, we can be guided by conceptual artists to project our perceptions beyond physical manifestations to the essence of the concept implied by the matter, if only we can really see it for what it truly is.

For instance, one of the seminal expressions of contemporary French concept art may be discovered in a seemingly-derelict shopfront on nondescript backstreet of Avignon’s old town – and with deliciously self-conscious irony, being situated only a few moments away from the Palace of the Popes. ‘Concept Store’ was an installation created by the Avignon Anarcho-art Collective. The very name of the work itself – the combination of ‘concept’ and ‘store’ – conjures the dialectical conflict between the ideal of the notion of ‘concept’ and the putrid capitalist reality of the word ‘store.’ The inherent contradiction that we can perceive within the title ‘Concept Store’ primes our consciousness for an existential struggle that expresses itself but never completely resolves itself in the art installation.

Looking closely, we can see that the very title ‘Concept Store’ is expressed in a random assortment of both upper-case and lower-case adhesive plastic lettering, deliberately subverting the conventional and ‘correct’ way to render meaning, while retaining its ironic perceptibility. Meanwhile, the plate glass of the store window, which capitalism typically expresses as being transparent, as if to say ‘there’s nothing between you and your material desires (except money)’ is actually revealed as being grubby, grimy and apparently impenetrable for the masses, absent direct action.

Gazing through the grime, we are confronted with the tawdry remains of dead and desiccated foliage, badly swept into a corner. But the concept and reality of the raw metaphor cannot be hidden from sight, if we choose to see. In this dirty corner are capitalism’s even dirtier secrets exposed: rapacious deforestation, global warming and tasteless flower arranging.

What is capitalism’s answer to all of this? As we can see, merely a tired roll of masking tape. But no amount of masking tape can hide capitalist evil, revive a rainforest, make a vegan sausage tasty or, indeed, mend a broken heart. Not even the Bee Gees could figure out that last one.

And what is holding all of this together from the window-tapping, anarcho-rebelling world outside? As we can see, it’s a concrete window sill: fatally cracked and crudely patched, a mere temporary forestalling of the inevitable corrosion and collapse of the base and the smashing of the glassy superstructure. Careful where you walk, now.

Well, if you believe any of that rubbish, you’re even more cracked than the sill. ‘Con art’ indeed.

Wait a minute! Does (or did) the ‘Concept Store’ actually exist? Sure… well, perhaps not exactly as an Anarcho-art Collective installation. But the abandoned store really was on a tiny Avignon side-street in the old town, opposite a fancy shirt shop and a little pizza place with red and white check tablecloths. That should narrow it down a bit.

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Discover the incredible history behind one of Bordeaux’s most storied wine estates.

Château Magnol features all the elements of the classic French Château: Winding corridors lead to elegantly appointed chambers. Museum-worthy paintings. Vases brim with fragrant blooms plucked from the garden. In the kitchen, a chef chops herbs plucked from beds just outside the window. A long dining room table set with silver and the finest china invites long, drawn-out meals and conversation. A roaring fireplace creates the perfect, cozy ambiance for dessert cordials. A vast cellar is stocked with bottles waiting anxiously to be uncorked.

Adorned with wisteria and trellised red roses and surrounded by endless vineyards, the 18th-century estate, home of Barton & Guestier, the oldest wine house still in operation in Bordeaux, exudes elegance.

The Barton & Guestier story begins over 300 years ago, in 1722, when Irishman Thomas Barton (1695–1780) left his home in Curraghmore, County Fermanagh, and settled in Bordeaux, determined to found a wine estate of his very own. By 1725, he was sending barrels and bottles of the finest Bordeaux wines via the high seas to his wine-loving customers in Northern Europe, having earned the nickname “French Tom” as the port city’s go-to merchant.

The business remained in the Barton family until French Tom’s grandson, Hugo Barton, teamed up with Frenchman Daniel Guestier in the late 1700s.

Together, Barton and Guestier sourced wines from the best vineyards in Bordeaux, aged them in their cellars, and then loaded them onto ships that sailed off along the Garonne River and across the ocean.

Thomas Jefferson loved Bordeaux wine!

Ahead of his times, ever-entrepreneurial Guestier opened a trade office in Baltimore, Maryland. And none other than U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, who once declared, “Good wine is a necessity of life for me,” was among the duo’s first clients.

Jefferson had joined John Adams and Benjamin Franklin in Paris in 1784, where he eventually succeeded Franklin as Minister to France (1785-1789) before becoming Secretary of State. Like most early Americans, before his stint in France, he indulged in sweet, heavy wines from the Iberian peninsula. His tastes changed after he toured Bordeaux and indulged in France’s finest vintages. “The taste of this country was artificially created by our long restraint under the English government to the strong wines of Portugal and Spain,” he later remarked on America’s penchant for Madeira and port.

Upon his return to Virginia in 1795, he placed an order for 250 bottles of Bordeaux, 120 bottles of Sauternes, 60 bottles of Frontignan, and 60 bottles of white Hermitage. The cellar of his Monticello home brimmed with the finest of Bordeaux wines.

During his presidency, Jefferson was a wine connoisseur par excellence, hosting three wine-fueled dinner parties in the White House each week. He was also the first president to equip the White House with an adequate wine cellar. Of his $25,000 annual salary, he spent $3,200 on wine alone during his first year in office.

Though he was well into his retirement in 1818, Jefferson was alarmed and took immediate action when some members of the federal government suggested a higher tariff on wine imports, noting in a letter to Treasury Secretary William H. Crawford, “I think it a great error to consider a heavy tax on wines as a tax on luxury. On the contrary, it is a tax on the health of our citizens. It is a legislative direction that none but the richest of them shall be permitted to drink wine….”

Built at the beginning of the 1700’s, the château Magnol in Blanquefort, just a few kilometers from the heart of Bordeaux city, was inspired by an ancient Gallo-Roman villa. Situated in the Haut-Médoc appellation, it’s surrounded by 30 hectares of Haute Valeur Environnementale vineyards. (HVE is a French agricultural certification that recognizes a commitment to protecting and enriching the environment through responsible, conservation-minded practices). Its magnificent underground cellar houses an extraordinary collection of almost 20,000 bottles.

The underground cellar, however, conceals a dark history.

During the Second World War, when German troops reached Bordeaux on June 28, 1940, they took over the Château and made it the headquarters of their naval operations (an occupation that would last until August 1944). The wine cellar served as their bunker.

In 1942, Winston Churchill launched Operation Frankton, described by British Admiral Louis Mountbatten as a “brilliant little operation carried through with great determinism and courage…”. On December 7, 13 Royal Marines planned to paddle nearly 70 miles up the Gironde Estuary in 6 collapsible canvas kayaks to the port of Bordeaux. Just two kayaks made it all the way, where they attached mines to Japan-bound German ships loaded with arms.

Only two of the soldiers survived. One brave Royal Marine was executed at the Château. A small memorial adjacent to the bunker stands in his honor, and an annual ceremony celebrates his valiant efforts. The tale of Operation Frankton featured in the 1955 film The Cockleshell Heroes.

Today, sommeliers from around the world visit Château Magnol’s B&G Food & Wine Academy to learn about the French AOC system and wine tasting techniques under the supervision of Master Sommelier Omar Barbosa.

Amy Bizzarri is a Chicago-based freelance writer focused on food and travel. She’s the author of four Chicago history-focused books, and Iconic Hollywood Dishes, Desserts and Drinks (American Palate) a dive into Hollywood food history. Plus she’s a WSET-trained sommelier.

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When your The Good Life France Magazine arrives, what is the first thing you look at? If you’re anything like us, you flip through the pages from front to back, captivated by the photos! This is the essence of travel photography: to capture the character and allure of a place, and to convey your unique experience in a way that words simply cannot. Your photography should evoke the spirit of wanderlust, inviting others to share in the extraordinary moments of your travels.

But how do you achieve this in your photos? How do you move beyond merely documenting your travels and start capturing moments that make others yearn to be there with you?

Let’s explore the three Ts of travel photography: Time, Thirds, and Take a Step.

Time

Of the three, time is the most impactful factor for improving your travel photography. Photos taken in the middle of the day often appear harsh, uninviting, and lacking warmth. Many of you have heard of the “Golden Hours” of photography – the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. These times are called “golden” because they result in beautiful, warm, and evocative photos. You can usually get great lighting up to 2 or 3 hours after sunrise and before sunset, but the hours around noon are reliably the worst time for lighting in your photos.

Consider the two photos (above and below), taken from the same perspective at different times of day. The view is stunning in both, but which one more effectively ignites your wanderlust to visit Eze?

We’re not saying that stunning photos can’t be taken between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., but if you want to improve your travel photos, try getting up early and taking a nap in the middle of the day, then staying out late! Getting up early also offers the advantage of smaller crowds and deserted streets. Eze, for example, is generally empty of crowds before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m., both are fantastic times for photography.

You may find an exception to these lighting guidelines on a completely overcast day.  The cloud cover will generally provide soft, even lighting perfect for photos of people, flowers, and details.  Panoramic scenes will seem rather dull with the flat gray sky and you lose the cozy warmth painted on by the sun during the golden hours.

Thirds

After time, the next biggest improvement to your travel photography comes from better composition using the rule of thirds. Every photo needs a subject or focal point, and where you place this focal point within the frame can significantly enhance the attractiveness of your photograph and draw the viewer’s gaze. Try to avoid placing your subject in the center of the frame – that’s often too static and boring.

Here’s an illustration of the rule of thirds in a photo (taken in Annecy). Imagine dividing your frame into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines. Placing your focal point at one of the intersections of these lines creates a more dynamic and pleasing composition. Also, remember that subjects in odd numbers, such as groups of three, are more visually appealing than even numbers.

You can also use the rule of thirds to decide where to place your horizon line. If the sky is more interesting, let it take up the top two-thirds of the frame. If the interest lies below the horizon or the sky is dull, make the sky only one-third of the photo. Always ensure your horizon line is level!

Hint: Most cameras have a feature to display the “Thirds” grid on your viewfinder or screen.  This is a great tool for helping you to be conscious of your composition, horizon placement and level. For example, on the iPhone simply Open Settings, Select Camera, and Under Composition, turn on the Grid toggle.

Take a Step

Finally, our third T of travel photography: using your feet and taking a step (or three). Just take a few steps, turn around and look at the view behind you!

The above photo was taken in probably the most iconic scene in Colmar. The other beautiful capture (below) was taken in exactly the same location after simply turning around and looking at what was behind us.

One of the easiest ways to improve your photography is to un-anchor yourself from the spot where you first saw the stunning scene that prompted you to lift your camera. Sure, snap that initial shot, but then explore. See if there might be a better spot, one more interesting than the standard postcard view. You naturally took that first photo at eye level – what if you went lower or higher with your camera? Could the shot be framed by an overhanging tree or archway? Could taking a few steps capture additional elements that enhance the ambiance of the scene?

Don’t get so engrossed in the scene right in front of you. As part of taking a few steps, make sure you completely survey your surroundings. You may be pleasantly surprised by what you find.

When you next travel, try out the 3 T’s and enjoy the rave reviews of your travel photography.

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I imagine, when you hear the words French Riviera, you conjure images of warm sandy beaches and sunworshippers, evening walks through warm surf, beautiful blue skies and glorious sunsets, wine and succulent seafood. Maybe Marseille comes to mind, the largest port in France and a bustling fishing and seafood center. Or Saint-Tropez with hot days under intense blue skies where celebrities, fashionistas and luxury yacht abound. Perhaps Cannes, with its wide pristine beaches, famous promenade la Croisette, exclusive shops and private clubs facing the bay, le Souquet high above the city offering an unobstructed view of paradise, and the Lerin Islands only 18 minutes offshore. Or Nice, with its daily markets which include food, flowers and antiques, and restaurants specialising in Provençal food.

But there are and towns along the French Riviera that offer a slower pace of life, and perhaps less conspicuous consumption, such as Mandelieu-la-Napoule, situated west of Cannes, a relatively unknown coastal treasure.

My friend Frank and I had completed afternoon classes in a French language college in Cannes and decided that we needed a break. We were in our third week, part of a month-long-study of French. Since Frank had studied in the college over several past summers in Cannes, he was familiar with some of the lesser-known Riviera towns. “This is where,” he said, “we can relax, unwind and enjoy less-crowded beaches and late dinners with some rosé or pastis and bouillabaisse!” I readily agreed.

The name Mandelieu means a place of command, referring to the seat of power of the rulers in the Middle Ages. The Château de la Napoule, a fortified castle built in the 14th century was constructed over an ancient Roman foundation, and became the medieval fortress of the Counts of Villeneuve. The château was destroyed during the French Revolution, only a Roman Tower from the 14th century and an 11th century Saracen Tower remain of the structure.

In the 1920s, Henry Clews Jr (son of wealthy New York banker, Henry Clews) and his wife Marie, designed and entirely renovated the château and turned it into their home. Today, the château boasts a cloister, Gothic style dining room, fashionable bedrooms, an elegant terrace facing the Mediterranean Sea with a private tearoom, and Henry Clews Jr.’s studio. A moderately successful painter, sculptor and architect, his art is displayed throughout the rooms. His remains – and those of Marie – are interred in separate tombs which Henry designed and sculpted, presumably with Marie’s approval! She designed the beautiful gardens outside the chateau which include a topiary of sculpted trees and plants and several small ponds. The chateau is now a museum and a nonprofit arts foundation administered by Henry and Marie’s descendants.

Mandelieu-la-Napoule is the mimosa capital of the world, supplying most of the parfumeries of nearby Grasse and every winter, from January to March, bright, blooming mimosa trees cover the hills of Mandelieu. Initially brought to the area from Australia in the 19th century, Mandelieu-la-Napoule now has the largest number of mimosa trees in Europe. Because of its importance to the local culture and economy, the mimosa flower has its own festival, inaugurated in 1931. La Fête du Mimosa (the Mimosa Festival) is a ten-day celebration held each February, with weekend parades, marching bands and floats adorned with or made from mimosa flowers.

San Peyre

Feel like walking? San Peyre park, 131 meters (430 feet) above sea level, overlooks three areas: Argentière, the plains of Siagne and la Napoule. Its unobstructed views offer spectacular sights of the Estérel massif, Iles de Lérin known as Ste. Marguerite and St. Honorat, and the Baie of Cannes. A gently sloping path leads you through pine and mimosa trees, and at the summit, the ruins of the old fortress await.

Get in a round of golf

Opened in 1891, Mandelieu’s golf course is one of the oldest and busiest in Europe, and the premier course in France. There are actually three courses to challenge different ability levels, covering 74 hectares, each with over 4,000 umbrella pines. During your round of golf, you will cross the Siagne Riviere on a ferry boat…an unusual feature! If you play during the winter season – as many do – you will be enveloped by the scents of pine trees and mimosa flowers.

Diving Sites

Underwater diving (Sous-marine) is a wonderful way to discover and enjoy the exotic richness of Mandelieu’s marine life. Diving clubs offer safe training and excursions year-round.

The Massif de l’Esterel

The Mediterranean coastal mountain range is a rich red color due mainly due to the presence of rhyolite in the volcanic rocks. Deep ravines and oak forests cover the rugged massif. Beware: The highest point of the massif is Mont Vinaigre 618 metres (over 2,000 feet), a challenge to many visitors.

The massif covers an area of 320 km² (123.5 square miles) of which 130 km² (50 square miles) are protected by the Forêt domaniale de l’Esterel (National Forest). Hiking and mountain biking trails are plentiful. If you prefer a beach-level road, take the Corniche d’Or which connects the coast and Île d’Or, Saint-Raphaël and Cannes.

Local Beaches

In Mandelieu-la-Napoule, you will find nine public beaches, which are small and rarely crowded. Rague and Raguette spread before a rocky spur and require following a twisted path through rock. The Plage de Robinson is the largest, spreading beside the mouth of the Siagne Riviere. This beach, with pristine sand, is protected by breakwaters that block offshore currents. There are also three private beaches where you can rent you loungers and parasols, and each beach is close to a restaurant.

Pointe de l’Aiguille

At the headland just past Théoule-sur-Mer, the red Estrerel slopes plunge into the sea. This section of the coastline is preserved as a park. No boats are allowed, making the coves excellent for snorkelling. A natural rock arch stands on the west side, created though millennia by the pounding of the sea.

Grasse

The perfume capital of France, Grasse is where most of the mimosa flowers from Mandelieu-la-Napoule are distilled and turned into highly desirable perfumes by expert ‘noses’. Exclusive perfumeries like Fragonard, Molinard and Galimard share some of their magical secrets and entice you into creating your own personal scent…yours forever, for a price! The town is also worth a wander.

John Pekich is an author, educator, actor and longtime francofile with a special affinity for the South of France. He may be reached at cal20j01@aol.com.

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“He is one of the choice ones of the Earth” – Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams

Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, was the author of the Declaration of Independence which severed the thirteen American colonies from British rule. He was also one of the most vocal and influential supporters of the French Revolution of 1789. And, as president, he solidified a lasting relationship between the fledging United States and France.

All that that and more began in 1784 when Jefferson was appointed by the Congress of the Confederation to join the political mission in Paris of two celebrated Americans, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams (later the second president of the United States) in Paris. Jefferson carried the rather grandiose tittle of Minister Plenipotentiary for Negotiating Treaties of Amity and Commerce with Great Britain and other European nations. Within a year, Jefferson he was appointed Minster to France, when Benjamin Franklin returned to America. Over the next five years, Jefferson helped shape the foreign policies of the United States, especially in strengthening its relationship with France.

Jefferson’s trade and diplomatic successes were few. In 1786, on a failed mission, Jefferson and John Adams, the U.S. Ambassador to Britain, were ridiculed by George III King of England when they proposed various trade treaties. Jefferson labeled the king’s reception as “ungracious.” Adams’ grandson later reported that George III turned his back on Jefferson as a public insult. Later, Jefferson negotiated treaties with Prussia in 1785 and Morocco in 1786, and a serious consular agreement with France in 1789.

Jefferson also had an impact on the French Revolution of 1789, becoming a friend and companion to the Marquis de Lafayette, a hero of the American colonies’ earlier revolution. Jefferson was in Paris during the storming of the Bastille and provided guidance to Lafayette when the Marquis created the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

While he could not join the crucial 1787 Constitution Convention because he was serving in Paris, Jefferson strongly argued for the proposed Bill of Rights. Two years later, he returned to America. He publicly opposed the violence that accompanied the Revolution and other excesses, while still supporting France.  He was elected the third president of the United States (1801-1809) and became one of the most respected presidents of the young nation.

While in Paris, Jefferson immersed himself in French arts and culture which had a big influence on his own personal tastes. The neoclassical architecture he saw in Paris and other European cities influenced the designs of Monticello, his Virginia home, as well the Virginia State Capitol and the University of Virginia, State Capitol, the United States Capitol and the White House (the official residence of the president).

With the American artist John Trumbull as his guide, Jefferson visited many of the art academies and art salons of Paris, which helped nurture the idea that American artists might challenge those of Europe. His attitude toward the arts was clearly revealed in a letter to James Madison, in which he stated: “You see I am an enthusiast on the subject of the arts. But it is an enthusiasm of which I am not ashamed, as its object is to improve the taste of my countrymen, to increase their reputation, to reconcile to them the respect of the world & procure them it’s praise.”

Jefferson commissioned the renowned sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon to create works on behalf of the United States, for Virginia, and for busts of himself, George Washington, and the Marquis de Lafayette. He soon acquired an extensive art collection which he later exhibited in his home of Monticello.

He was fascinated by the elegant and playful gardens he encountered. His friend and often traveling companion, André Thouin, the noted French botanist and Director of the Jardin du Roi/Jardin des Plantes in Paris, would annually send Jefferson boxes of seeds from around the world. Beyond the decorative uses of botany, Jefferson also studied the crops and farming techniques of Western Europe, planning to apply them in America. After a tour of the English countryside with John Adams in 1786, Jefferson loved the concept of “pleasure gardening,” which he applied to the grounds of Monticello.

Jefferson was also interested in science and technology. His friend, the Marquis de Condorcet, Permanent Secretary of the French Academy of Sciences, introduced him to leading scientists in France and other countries. In a debate with the French naturalist, Comte de Buffon, Jefferson disproved the man’s theory that the North American climate caused the degeneration of humans and wildlife.

During his five years in Paris, Jefferson expanded both his culinary and wine knowledge, and came to appreciate French table customs. Thinking ahead, as he traveled throughout the vineyards of Western Europe, Jefferson took detailed notes imagining how America might compete with Europe in producing fine wines. He also used the “pell mell” seating arrangements found in many French salons, rather than the formal “order of precedence” seating arrangement of the British.

On February 28, 1787, the forty-four-year-old Jefferson left Paris for a three-month, twelve-hundred-mile journey to southern France and northern Italy. He wrote about his plan:” I am now about setting out on a journey to the South of France, one object of which is to try the mineral waters there for the restoration of my hand (recently injured), but another is to visit all the seaports where we have trade, and to hunt up all the inconveniences under which it labours, to get them rectified. I shall visit and carefully examine too the Canal of Languedoc.”

He paid his own way. None of his Paris servants went with him. In Dijon, though, he hired Petit Jean, who accompanied him through the next several months. Along the route, Jefferson was educated in the fine art of wine production. He learned about the unique qualities of the reds and the whites from their cultivation to how they were preserved in transport from wineries to markets, sold, and distributed.

He made efforts to engage the local people he encountered on his travels, writing in a journal which he labeled: “Notes of a Tour into the Southern Parts of France, &c.,” and personal letters. He wrote: “You must ferret the people out of their hovels as I have done, look into their kettles, eat their bread, loll on their beds under pretense of resting yourself, but in fact to find if they are soft. You will feel a sublime pleasure in the course of this investigation.”

He visited Nimes and the Maison Carrée, the Roman temple after which he modeled the Virginia state capitol. He paused to admire the spectacular Pont du Gard, part of an aqueduct constructed in 19 B.C. He enthused about the sunshine in Aix-en-Provence writing: “I am now in the land of corn, wine, oil, and sunshine. What more can man ask of heaven? If I should happen to die at Paris, I will beg of you to send me here, and have me exposed to the sun. I am sure it will bring me to life again.”

He was fascinated by the engineering of the Canal of Languedoc (now, the Canal du Midi), which dates to the seventeenth century and connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. He wrote: “I have passed through the Canal from its entrance into the Mediterranean at Cette to this place, and shall be immediately at Toulouse, in the whole 200 American miles, by water; having employed in examining all its details nine days…to see the manner in which water has been collected to supply the canal.  I dismounted my carriage from its wheels, placed it on the deck of a light bark, and was thus towed on the canal instead of the post road… Of all the methods of travelling I have ever tried this is the pleasantest…When fatigued I take seat in my carriage where, as much at ease as if in my study, I read, write, or observe.”

Jefferson reached Bordeaux late in May then continued on to La Rochelle, Nantes, and the north shore of the Loire. On June 10, after traveling through several small villages and enduring carriage breakdowns, he arrived in Paris, three months after his remarkable and secret journey.

Jefferson’s life in Paris and his travels in France heavily influenced his attitudes toward the arts, science, technology, social customs, dining, wine and so much more. The reported 86 crates of fine art, housewares, cooking and dining supplies, clocks, literature, and scientific objects were delivered to his home in Monticello, which Jefferson remodeled in the neo-classic style of France.

John Pekich is an author, educator, actor and longtime Francophile with a special affinity for the South of France. He may be reached at cal20j01@aol.com.

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Being born into the French aristocracy in 1864, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec could have luxuriated in a life of country comforts at the family chateau in Albi, in the idyllic south-west. Instead, he immersed himself in the seedy demi-monde of gritty Montmartre, producing artworks of astonishing originality, perception and intensity that reflected the lives of the outcasts and bohemians he chose to live among.

In his teenage years, Toulouse-Lautrec was marked as being physically different in a highly visible way. He emerged from an upper class that was notoriously inbred – his parents were first cousins from a long line of close-relative inter-marriage. When Toulouse-Lautrec broke his right leg as a 13-year-old and then his left leg as a 14-year-old, a congenital health condition caused his legs to be permanently stunted. Yet his upper body developed normally, which led Toulouse-Lautrec to look extremely ill-proportioned, as he grew to barely 150 cm or 4’ 11’’ as an adult.

Along with the medieval Marais area, Montmartre was a rare pocket of Paris that had escaped the frenzied, wholesale destruction and reconstruction of the city by Baron Haussmann in the period 1853-1870. Both areas were regarded by bourgeois Parisians as being highly disreputable remnants of ancient slums and modern depravity. With its stain of immorality and cheap rents, Montmartre attracted prurient crowds (including gentlemen from the ‘respectable’ classes) to a salacious nightlife of bawdy cabarets and brothels. Cheap rents also attracted a cohort of unconventional artists – including the 19-year-old Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. The uninhibited debauchery of Montmartre and its easy acceptance of difference (and deviance) made it an embracing home for the distinctly odd Toulouse-Lautrec.

In the Montmartre of the 1880s, to be described by others or to describe yourself as being a chanteuse or a danseuse was to acknowledge your social position in the lower depths. Quite often, these descriptions were simply euphemisms for being a (perhaps part-time) prostitute. Living in such a milieu, moral judgments were largely suspended among the exploited women, who reserved their (often disguised) disdain for the gentlemen who callously abused them. In this sense, Toulouse-Lautrec was not an exploiter. Over the next 15 years, he would create over 6,000 paintings, posters, prints and drawings. The women of the Montmartre demi-monde were very often the subject of his prolific art: they were never painted with disdain (nor with sentimentality) and always painted with empathy, raw truth and a profound sense of their resilience.

By 1892, Toulouse-Lautrec was in bad shape physically. He was in the grip of an alcoholism so relentless that his walking cane was hollowed out to contain a fearsome brew based on breathtaking absinthe. He was also suffering from the degenerative effects of syphilis. Nevertheless, his artistic talents were in full flight. He painted not with photo-realist precision, but with a desire to express the inner and outer nature of his subjects with deep emotional impact. This approach found expression in a lesser-known painting from this period, Femme au boa noir (or Woman in the black boa).

The femme of this portrait looks utterly formidable and is certainly not a woman to be trifled with. Her hard, white face directs a stern and steely stare directly into the eyes of the viewer. There is nowhere to hide: you are fixed in her self-assured glare. As a woman living in a repressive environment, she may well lack structural power, but on a personal level, her ferocious strength is palpable. Her barely-repressed wildness is also expressed through the loose and seemingly spontaneous brushwork. The black boa creates a feeling of mass and substance: there’s no ‘typical’ slender swan-like female neck here. And adding to the rawness, what appears to be a brown stippled background is simply the unpainted, cheap cardboard upon which the portrait is painted. The few grey-white vertical strokes apparently ‘behind’ the woman’s head are calculated to push the white face assertively towards the viewer. This subtle touch effectively adds a third dimension of depth to the painting, relieving the risk of two-dimensional flatness in a painting that has no recognisable background – a highly unusual technique at the time.

Toulouse-Lautrec barely left his beloved Montmartre for two decades. In his final physical decline, he was moved by his enduringly-supportive mother to Chateau Malromé near Bordeaux, where he died at the age of just 36.

Toulouse-Lautrec’s Femme au boa noir is in the collection of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.

By Brad Allan, writer and wine tasting host in Melbourne, Australia and frequent visitor to France…

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Panisse, cade, and socca are found from Marseille to the Italian border, and they share a common ancestor: Italy’s farinata. Centuries ago, Italian workers from Liguria brought this poor man’s dish with them as they labored in France. Some say that they first came to Toulouse at Napoleon’s request, to repair French navel vessels, but that is probably just a legend.

The key ingredient is chickpea flour, which is common in the area because it thrives in dry climates and poor soil. Popular among the poor because it was cheap, today chickpea flour has gained new popularity because it is not only delicious and nutritious, but also gluten-free.

Let’s look at the three French descendants of farinata.

Panisse

Panisse makes its home in Marseille, where it is practically an institution. The dish is so popular there that author Marcel Pagnol gave the name Panisse to one of the main characters in his famous Marseille trilogy.

Panisse, like the other dishes, is made with just three ingredients: chickpea flour, olive oil, and water. Some people add salt at this point, others add it later.

The ingredients are mixed and then cooked at a low heat to until they have the consistency of polenta. This is formed into shapes, usually into squares about 1.5cm thick, and cooled. Once these have solidified, they are cut into strips, like long square fingers, then cooked in oil and sprinkled with salt. Panisse can be eaten as a snack or as a side dish, and there is no better accompaniment than a glass of chilled rosé wine.

Cade

Moving eastward to Toulon, we find cade, which uses the same ingredients as panisse but with less water. This creates a batter that is poured into big round dishes, like pizza pans, until it is about 1.5cm thick. Some people like to add herbs like rosemary to the mix, or add thin slices of onion on top.

The pan is put into a very hot pizza oven until the top becomes golden brown and crispy, while the bottom remains soft. This is then sprinkled with salt and pepper and cut into squares. You’ll often find vendors selling cade in the region’s open air markets, and see people munching away as they do their shopping.

Socca

Now we come to Nice, socca’s champion. Socca is similar to cade but is made with more water. This makes for a thinner batter, which is poured into big round pans to a depth of only 2mm. Once in the hot oven, it cooks quickly and comes out nice and crispy. Sliced into pieces, it is best eaten right away. Socca is very popular in Nice, and you’ll often find lines outside local specialists like Chez Térésa.

From Poor to Chic

While panisse, cade, and socca all began as food for the poor, today they have become rather chic, and everyone seems to enjoy them. You’ll see people sitting in beachfront cafés, munching on panisse or cade, sipping wine and watching the sun go down. It’s quite a change from their humble beginnings!

Keith Van Sickle splits his time between Provence and California.  He is the author of An Insider’s Guide to Provence, One Sip at a Time, and Are We French Yet?  Read more at Life in Provence

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