A week in Provence

Two types head for the South of France: those who want to be seen and those who don’t. Those who do crowd together on the coast, jangling their jewels in the Negresco and Eden Roc, and enduring nose-to-tail traffic jams as they crawl along the Corniche. Those who don’t love the region as much for its broom-covered hills as for its raffish, scintillating seaside; for the dry heat, clear light and scent of pine, and for the heady fusion of art and landscape, wine and sunshine that gives Provence and the Côte d’Azur its unique, dazzling variety.

Head for the Domaine de Terre Blanche at Tourrettes and you can dip into both worlds. And if you are en famille, make a beeline. Of all the resort hotels in the region, it’s the one that caters best for parents with teenagers and young children, while cleverly managing to be equally enjoyable for couples on their own. There are endless activities on offer, from canoeing and riding to pétanque, plus an imaginative kids’ club for 2 to 12 year old, setting parents free for a spell on the golf course or in the superb spa. Service is that of any Four Seasons hotel, but staff are particularly warm and friendly here, and there’s a feeling of spaciousness, calm and well-being. Fly to Nice (Cannes-Mandelieu for private jets) hire a car and wind up through the hills to the hotel. You could easily descend to the coast during your stay, but you won’t.

Four Seasons Provence, Domaine de Terre-Blanche, Var

Tel 00 33 4 94 39 90 00; www.fourseasons.com/provence.

Rates from €445 (low season) to €925 (high season) per night for a deluxe Four Seasons suite, including breakfast. 

Parisian pleasures

Whatever your style, there’s a Paris hotel to fit the bill. They fall into four distinct categories; once you know what they are, it’s a question of choosing the type that suits you, or your mood, best. Find all our recommendations, below, on the Hotel Guru.

First, there’s the thing that Paris does better than anywhere in the world, that indeed it invented: chic. Don’t stand at the reception desk of a chic Paris hotel in a pair of trainers, with a rucksack trailing on the ground. The reception staff won’t expel you, but the merest glance, even the flicker of an eyelid, should be enough to send you straight round to Prada for emergency supplies. You won’t mind the expense: these hotels may be haughty but they are also elegant and beautiful in a way that’s authentically French, entirely natural and very seductive.

The French may have invented chic, but they do hip pretty well too, though not always with such successful results. Sometimes style beats substance by a country mile, but when it works, it works spectacularly well. Witness Costes, in rue St Honoré (tel 0033 1 42 44 50 00) a hotel so cool that it doesn’t even stoop to a website, and where, once you are inside its faux-Napoleon III cocoon, you are swept into a parallel universe of beautiful people (the staff often outdo the guests) lolling on stuffed velvet love-seats, grooving to DJ Stephan Popougniac’s disco sounds, and canoodling behind wispy curtains around the misty, subterranean pool. But if Costes is still the daddy of them all, there have been a crop of successful new openings of late, each one creating a well-deserved buzz and its own following. We bring you the best. 

And then there are hotels with traditional French character, legions of them. Crooked floors, old beams, breakfast rooms in stone-walled cellars, nostalgic decoration. Many of them have been around for decades; some are on their last legs, while others have been refreshed. A few, even, are new, or have been substantially renovated in a characterful way. The trick is to know which are well run, and which have had their day.

As for budget hotels, most in Paris tend to be of the ‘character’ variety rather than contemporary, although there are one or two exceptions. Expect tiny wrought iron lifts and the feeling that you should be writing a novel at your desk, in the style of Colette, or getting out your easel. All the hotels listed here are in locations that make the best of this incomparably beautiful city.

 CHIC HOTELS

Meurice (228 rue de Rivoli, 1st; (00 33 1 44 58 10 10; www.meuricehotel.com; doubles from £599 per night, including breakfast).

If Costes is the daddy of hip, then the Meurice is the mère of chic. Officially Paris only rises to “four star luxe” rather than five-star hotel accommodation, which is probably what makes its top hotels so sensational: they are all in traditional mode and set in historic mansions, rather than bling new builds as in so many other cities. If only for its location, entered from the arches of the rue de Rivoli and overlooking the quintessentially Parisian Jardin des Tuileries, it has the edge, for my bar of gold, on its rivals the Ritz, Plaza-Athénée, Four Seasons Georges V, Bristol and Crillon. Once inside, it only gets more and more chic, the revamped interior glittering in gold, marble and glass in a way that’s dramatic yet dainty, with rows of gilt framed glass doors leading into the shadowy majesty of the Bar Fontainbleu, and the scintillating Versailles-themed, Michelin-starred restaurant. Rooms and suites hark back to the Empire and 18^th century and many have superb views, while the terrace of the Belle Etoile Suite has an amazing 360­º panorama over Paris. Spoiling spa; appropriate service.

Lancaster (7 rue de Berri, 8^th (00 33 1 40 76 40 76; www.hotel-lancaster.fr; doubles from £336 per night, including breakfast).

A recent stay at this aristocratic Champs-Elysées hotel proves that its new owners, the Spanish Hospes group, headed by the high society owners of Zara, have left well alone, only improving amenities such as beds and in-room entertainment. The grand ancien régime townhouse was bought in 1930 by legendary hotelier Emile Wolf, who filled it with unusual things and a starry array of guests from Coward to Dietrich. The original furniture remains intact, as does the enchanting Salon Berri and the red leather lift that takes you to your lovely bedroom. For the epitome of chic, choose the Marlene Dietrich Suite. Michel Troisgros oversees the menu in the classy restaurant.

Verneuil

8 rue de Verneuil, 7th (00 33 42 60 82 14; www.hotel-verneuil.com; doubles from £146 per night, including breakfast).

Chic usually means expensive, and it certainly doesn’t mean cheap, but this Saint-Germain address is at least affordable and provides a bolthole that feels both exclusive and welcoming, decorated in the manner of an elegant private house. Bedrooms (specify a large one) are furnished with antiques, with attractive lighting. There’s a cosy sitting room, and once you step outside, a wealth of antique and fashion shops. Owner Sylvie de Lattre, Parisian to her fingertips,  picks out her favourite local shops and cafés on the hotel’s website.

Thérèse (57 rue Thérèse, 1st; 00 33 1 42 96 10 01; www.hoteltherese.com; doubles from £154 per night, including breakfast).

A smart whitewashed building in a narrow street near the Louvre announces the Thérèse, carefully and calmly designed in classic/contemporary style, with an eye for quality. The elegant bedrooms have good quality beds and linens, while bathrooms neatly mix contemporary with traditional, such as Philippe Starck lighting and attractive old style tap fittings. Most importantly, the hotel attracts an interesting clientele, many from the world of publishing and fashion.

 HIP

 Amour

(8 rue de Navarin, 9th; 0033 1 48 78 31 80; www.hotelamour.com; doubles from £115 per night, including breakfast).

Brainchild of graffiti artist and nightclub entrepreneur André, the Amour has come storming on to the Paris hotel scene. It has the right name, is in the right place – up-and-coming SoPi (south Pigalle) – and is achingly hip. Bedrooms lead off black-painted corridors lit by naked bulbs. Some have been decorated by named artists; others display risqué photographs; all are eclectic, done out in vintage colours and with finds from the marché aux puces. The buzzing bistro downstairs, all black, white and fire-engine red, swarms at night with young bohos. In warm weather, tables and chairs spill out into the lush courtyard garden.

de Sers

(41 avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie, 8^th; 0033 1 53 23 75 75; www.hoteldesers.com; doubles from £401 per night, including breakfast).

Less than 100 metres from the iconic George V, here is a smaller mansion turned hotel with a dash of zaniness. When architect Thomas Vidalenc remodelled the 19^th-century home of the Marquis de Sers, he made a happy marriage between the traditionally elegant and cutting-edge design. Through a sliding glass door, the entrance hall sets the tone: a gallery of heavy gilt-framed portraits hangs on the panelled wall above a row of funky grey armchairs on deep purple carpet. The wood-clad, candlelit S’Bar becomes a magnet for a glamorous young crowd at the cocktail hour, and bedrooms offer deep-pile, wrap-around comfort.

Murano Urban Resort

(13 boulevard du Temple, 3^rd; 00 33 1 42 71 20 00; muranoresort.com; doubles from £290 per night, including breakfast).

If Costes is hip in an opulent way, then Murano Urban Resort, a close contender for top contemporary hotel of choice for A listers, is hip in a fun way. You may find the lift lined in faux fur on your first visit, glitter on your second; the iconic white chesterfield sofa stretches in front of an enormous working fireplace; the restaurant ceiling is a sea of stalactite lights; fingerprint scanners have replaced room keys, the corridors feel like nightclubs, two of the suites have tiny rooftop pools. Austen Powers is in there somewhere, and A Clockwork Orange, with a dash of Sci-Fi. Fun. And not nearly as intimidating as you might think.

CHARACTER

Daniel

(8 rue Fréderic Bastiat, 8^th; 00 33 1 42 56 17 00; www.hoteldanielparis.com; doubles from £350 per night, including breakfast).

Turning its back on the all-white minimalism of some of the latest hotels, newcomer The Daniel puts Chinoiserie firmly back on the style map, with Khotan carpets, hand-painted Chinese wallpaper, jewel-coloured silk sofas and porcelain lamps. The look, created by designer Tarfa Salam, is flamboyant and uplifting. From the lobby, in tones of almond green and grey, a lift resembling a Chinese box whisks guests up to the lovely bedrooms, most lined with toile de Jouy and all furnished with hand-picked oriental pieces. An Asian influence continues on to the menu of the excellent restaurant.

Caron de Beaumarchais (12 rue Vieille-du-Temple, 4^th; 00 33 1 42 72 34 12; www.carondebeaumarchais.com; doubles from €129 per night, including breakfast).

A glimpse through the glass front of this Marais hotel tells all: a recreation of 18^th century taste, complete with pianoforte, card table and first editions, and the world of Mozart’s librettist Caron de Beaumarchais, who lived in the street. It may be mannered, but it’s impossible not to be caught up in the charm and warmth of the place. Bedrooms, the best with walk-out balconies, are decorated with as much care as the public rooms. Good value for the area. 

L’Hôtel

(13 rue des Beaux-Arts, 6^th; 0033 1 44 41 99 00; www.l-hotel.com; doubles from £236 per night, including breakfast).

The ‘pavillion d’amour’ of the early 19^th century, the final home of Oscar Wilde in the early 20^th century and the louche and decadent celebrity hangout of the 60s and 70s is now, resplendent in its Jacques Garcia livery, in the caring hands of Jessica Sainsbury and husband Peter de Frankopan of Cowley Manor. Climb the fabulous circular staircase to rooms like jewel boxes and themed suites (if you can bear the tristesse you can sleep in the room in which Wilde expired beyond his means).

BUDGET

Arvor Saint-Georges

(8 rue Laferrière, 9^th; 0033 1 48 78 60 92; www.arvor-hotel-paris.com; doubles from £88 per night, including breakfast).

Around the corner from one of the city’s hidden gems, place Saint Georges, the Arvor is the new kid on the budget block. Behind a sober façade, hands-on owner Nadine Flammarion has transformed a standard three star into a hip, laid-back hotel with chic, retro-contemporary looks. The finished bedrooms – some are still being refurbished – major in white but with a single wall of vivid colour and are minimally yet carefully furnished. The open-plan ground floor incorporates a sitting area with bookshelves, a bar, reception and breakfast area decorated with the striped posters of French conceptual artist Daniel Buren. The tiny patio comes into its own in summer.

Chopin

(10 46 passage Jouffroy, 9^th; 0033 1 47 70 58 10; www.hotel-chopin.com; doubles from £76 per night, including breakfast).

Glimpsed through a glass façade at the end of one of the 19th-century arcades which thread this shopping and theatre neighbourhood, the Chopin’s entrance looks cosy and inviting. Inside, plants, a piano and, predictably, Chopin playing in the background infuse it with old-world charm. It could easily be a tourist trap. But it’s not. Staff are caring and attentive, and prices close to rock bottom. The bedrooms, off salmon pink corridors, are simple but attractive and blissfully quiet. The best, tucked under the eaves, have classic views across the Paris rooftops.

Mayet

(3 rue Mayet, 6^th; 0033 1 47 83 21 35; www.mayet.com; doubles from £90 per night, including breakfast).

Fun, relaxed, breezy and good value, the Mayet shows how colour – judiciously applied – can lift a hotel from the rut. There’s colour everywhere: graffiti-style murals; painted tables; carpets; even the mugs for your self-service breakfast (which you can take back to bed or eat at a long table d’hôte in the vaulted cellar). The more sober bedrooms in red, grey and white use stylish ‘office’ furniture to good effect, and all have excellent beds. Wondering where to dine? The friendly staff chalk up recommended restaurants on a lobby blackboard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More hot tips from Paris

New Paris Hotels

Check out the Paris lists (Chic/Hip/Character/Budget) on our Hotel Guru website (www.thehotelguru.com) to find our new discoveries. One in particular, the Académies et des Arts in Monparnasse, stands out, but there are others too: the Serrs, Daniel, Le A, Murano Urban Resort to name but four. If you want a blow out and a serious treat, look no further than the Meurice, which we prefer to all the other deluxe city hotels. And the 360º view from the roof terrace of the Belle Etoile Suite is quite simply staggering.

Great Paris Restaurants

The theme of the single chef cooking with the help of just one waitress in tiny restaurants no larger than a postage stamp could take you on a gourmet trail across Paris. Apart from Le Timbre and La Cerisaie, described in my article on 24 hours in Paris, there are others, notably the amazing Spring, whose chef/patron is a young American, Daniel Rose. You must go there, and unless it’s lunchtime (Thursdays and Fridays) you must book (dinner is served on Mondays though Fridays). Daniel has no menu, he just cooks what he feels like and according to what he finds in the market on the day, and his choices are inspired. On a Friday lunch we ate snails in a wonderful broth of coriander and lemongrass, followed by a melting lamb salad and a to-die-for chocolate mousse. We chatted to Daniel for a long time afterwards and he was pretty interesting, not just about the culinary scene in Paris (very poor) but also about Paris itself. Oh dear. To quote Daniel “Paris is dead. No it’s worse than dead – at least death is interesting. It’s fossilized”. Wealth tax, the thirty hour week and the bypassing of Paris as a financial hub has meant that educated young Parisians are largely working abroad (they all seem to be living in South Kensington, don’t they?) and the city has lost much of its sense of importance. “It’s just another European backwater of a city” another cultured but disgruntled Parisian told me.

 

But I digress.

Here is a list of small chef/patron eateries in Paris, as recommended by a couple of charming gents we got chatting to in La Cerisaie. You can find their details by entering their names and then ‘Paris restaurant’ in Google.

 

Spring xxxx

Le Timbre (see my post ’24 hours in Paris’)

La Cerisaie (see ’24 hours in Paris’)

Fulvio, in the Marais (Italian)

Le Goupil, Place Jules Reynard, Porte Maillot

Atelier Berger, Rue Berger, Les Halles (Norwegian chef)

L’Epi Dupin, in Saint Germain

Pasco

Le Temps au Temps

L’Enredgeu

Le Chai, in the suburb of Boulogne. Ony lunchtimes. Highly recommended by our informant

Ribouldingue

Le Comptoir du Relais, at l’Odeon in the 6^th arr. Well known chef.

 

A Perfect 24 Hours in Paris

Here’s Fiona and Leo’s recipe for a perfect 24 hours in Paris, now that it takes no time at all to nip across from St Pancras.

We came on Eurostar, now making Paris only just over two hours away from London. Now that the city of light is so close, consider nipping over for just one night: here’s my recipe for a perfect 24 hours in Paris. To complement your trip, buy Paris Walks by Fiona Duncan and Leonie Glass, published by Duncan Petersen Publishing Ltd at £8.99. It’s a little out of date (the odd shop has closed or changed) but the walks still take you to some fascinating out of the way places. Paris is a great city for walking in…. we loved writing that book three or four years ago. I did all my walks in a brace because I’d done my back in!

Since you are going to be there for such a short time, you can devote yourself to fun. Paris may have lost its edge as a city of global significance, but it’s still all about l’art de vivre, astonishing views, great shopping and classic food and wine.

Forget the set piece sights like the Louvre.  Instead, concentrate on getting to know one area of the city well. In 24 hours you’ve got time for no more than two meals, an afternoon at leisure and a night’s sleep but for such a short trip to be memorable, all those elements need to be even more carefully chosen than for a longer one. You may have a favourite quartier where you would prefer to base yourself; if not, here’s my recipe for a stay on the Rive Gauche.

The Hotel

A perfect reason for basing yourself in Montparnasse and exploring the Left Bank is the new Hôtel des Arts et Academies (15 rue de la Grande Chaumiere; 0033 1 43 26 66 44; www.hoteldesacademies.com; doubles from £165 to £214 per night, including breakfast). The best hotel, in my opinion, to have opened in the city for some time, it’s happy proof that the small charming Parisian bolthole is alive and kicking. Husband and wife Laurent and Charlotte Inschauspé have created a spotless, highly individual haven, cosy yet contemporary and full of artistic flair, right opposite the art school where Gaugin and Modigliani took courses and a few steps from the famous artists’ cafés of Montparnasse.

Two artists have deftly created the hotel’s unique look: Jerôme Mesnager, whose joyous white silhouettes are painted directly on to bedroom walls and all the way up the lift shaft  (making this the most intriguing glass lift ride in town) and sculptor – and mother of Charlotte – Sophie Watrigant, whose equally endearing figures climb a dainty steel ladder from the bottom to the top of the five-storey stair well.

As for the 20 bedrooms, they are compact but have the classy feel of a top hotel and come in four distinct designs, all cleverly lit with stone-lined bathrooms, sculptured taps and exceptional beds. Room service is provided by the well-regarded restaurant, Wadja, opposite.

In the morning take breakfast (all fresh) in the tiny ‘petit bistrot’ or at a velvet sofa beside shelves stocked with art books. Or take a seat facing the wall screen and watch an art video as you eat, perhaps of Mesnager at work painting his white figures on to the hotel’s walls. Service is from smiling, smartly uniformed waiters, while receptionists are relaxed and warm. A perfect fusion of quality and character. There’s even a little Moroccan style spa downstairs, where treatments can be arranged at short notice.

Alternatives

Two other alluring hotels in the same area are the intimate Ste Beuve (9 rue Ste Beuve; 0033 1 45 48 20 07; www.hotelsaintebeuveparis.com) with double rooms from £132 to £282 per night, including breakfast, and the romantic Duc de St Simon, set around a pretty, secluded courtyard (14 rue de St-Simon; 0044 1 44 39 20 20; www.hotelducdesaintsimon.com) with doubles from £188 to £305 per night).

Lunch and Dinner

Leave London at breakfast, and you will arrive in Paris with plenty of time to check into your hotel and relax there before setting out for that all-important first French meal of the trip. It had better be good. Simple, but good. Which means knowing where to go in advance and not just plunging into the nearest restaurant you see.

You have to look much more carefully these days. Brasseries, in particular, are no longer to be relied on, however inviting they may look. Most are now run by chains and their food is at best predictable, at worst, dire. Instead, look for well established, privately owned bistros that still have integrity, and for the crop of tiny restaurants run almost single-handed by young, committed chefs.

Two such places can be found in Montparnasse. Le Timbre (3 rue Ste Beuve; 0033 1 45 49 10 40) is just that, a postage stamp of a restaurant, its kitchen open to view at one end. Here a modest self-taught Mancunian, Chris Wright, cooks for up to 24 people entirely without help, in domestic French manner, with admirable results. Choose from his weekly changing menu of three to four starters, main courses and puddings; nothing will disappoint but you shouldn’t miss the lambs’ kidneys if they are on, or the millefeuille de la maison.

 We met the owners of La Cerisaie (70 boulevard Edgar Quinet; 0033 1 43 20 98 98 and their baby, at Le Timbre. “Cyril cooks like a dream”, Chris told us. “You must go there”. This is another one-chef/one-waitress operation, with Cyril Lalanne producing delicious regional dishes (including cochon de Bigorre – pork like you’ve never tasted before) from his native southwest France out of a kitchen no bigger than a large cupboard. His wife Maryse is front of house, and everyone chats.

If you lunch simply at either Le Timbre or La Cerisaie, it would be fun to dine in style, maybe in the new clothes you’ve bought that afternoon. Of the famous grands cafés of Montparnasse, La Closerie de Lilas (171 boulevard de Montparnasse; 0033 1 40 51 34 50) is the one that feels most like a special occasion. Choose from the brasserie or the more formal restaurant, and be sure to have a drink in the piano bar before you eat. Alternatively La Coupole (102 boulevard de Montparnasse; 0033 1 43 20 14 20) still packs them, especially for birthdays, while Le Dôme (108 boulevard du Montparnasse; 0033 1 43 35 25 81) is the place to go for those fruits de mer platters one dreams of back home.

The Afternoon

Paris is made for walking, with a constant stream of diversions as you stroll. Close at hand is Jardin de Luxembourg, a sheer delight, as appealing to lovers as to mothers with children to entertain (model boats, Shetland pony rides, playgrounds and puppet shows). It makes the perfect start to a stroll along elegant rue Servandoni to St-Sulpice and on into the fashionable St-Germain district, perfect for shopping.

In rue de Grenelle you could pop into the refreshingly cool and tranquil Musée Maillol, and afterwards the diminutive cheese shop Barthélémy, where white-coated ladies dispense perfect cheeses which M. Barthélémy has personally criss-crossed France to find. Odour-proof bags are provided for the trip home on Eurostar.

If you want culture, the Musée d’Orsay and Rodin Museum are both nearby. Little known curiosities in the neighbourhood, off the tourist track but well worth seeking out, include the silent, richly ornamented Chapel of St Vincent de Paul and his eerie shrine in Rue de Sèvres, the bucolic Jardin Catherine Labouré, entered via Rue de Babylone, and Notre-Dame de la Médaille-Miraculeuse round the corner in rue du Bac, which reveals Catherine Labouré’s story.

 

 

Great Little Paris Restaurants

The theme of the single chef cooking with the help of just one waitress in tiny restaurants no larger than a postage stamp could take you on a gourmet trail across Paris. Apart from Le Timbre and La Cerisaie, described in my article on 24 hours in Paris, there are others, notably the amazing Spring, whose chef/patron is a young American, Daniel Rose. You must go there, and unless it’s lunchtime (Thursdays and Fridays) you must book (dinner is served on Mondays though Fridays). Daniel has no menu, he just cooks what he feels like and according to what he finds in the market on the day, and his choices are inspired. On a Friday lunch we ate snails in a wonderful broth of coriander and lemongrass, followed by a melting lamb salad and a to-die-for chocolate mousse. We chatted to Daniel for a long time afterwards and he was pretty interesting, not just about the culinary scene in Paris (very poor) but also about Paris itself. Oh dear. To quote Daniel “Paris is dead. No it’s worse than dead – at least death is interesting. It’s fossilized”. Wealth tax, the thirty hour week and the bypassing of Paris as a financial hub has meant that educated young Parisians are largely working abroad (they all seem to be living in South Kensington, don’t they?) and the city has lost much of its sense of importance. “It’s just another European backwater of a city” another cultured but disgruntled Parisian told me. But I digress. Here is a list of small chef/patron eateries in Paris, as recommended by a couple of charming gents we got chatting to in La Cerisaie. You can find their details by entering their names and then ‘Paris restaurant’ in Google. Spring. In the 9th arrondissement Le Timbre. English chef, in Montparnasse La Cerisaie, by Gare Montparnasse Fulvio, in the Marais Le Goupil, Place Jules Reynard, Porte Maillot Atelier Berger, Rue Berger, Les Halles (Norwegian chef) L’Epi Dupin, in Saint Germain Pasco Le Temps au Temps L’Enredgeu Le Chai, in the suburb of Boulogne. Ony lunchtimes. Highly recommended by our informant Ribouldingue Le Comptoir du Relais, at l’Odeon in the 6th arr. Well known chef.

Bonjour from Paris

Leo and I are in Paris, getting up to date, on your behalf, on the current hotel scene there (we’ve written several books on the city together, including the Charming Small Hotel Guide to Paris). We each stayed in a different hotel each night, as is our custom on our inspection trips, for the first few nights, but now that we need to get together and do some work, we’ve rented an enchanting 7th floor apartment (reached by a tiny wrought iron cage lift) near Bastille. I feel I should be penning a novel – probably something in the style of Colette– up here. Its got polished wood floors and pretty pictures on white walls and a tiny but sweet kitchen with an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower. Every hour, on the hour from nine pm to midnight, it bursts into an explosion of flashing, gittering lights lasting for ten minutes, before sobering up for the next 50 minutes. Amazing! Go to www.parisinsight.com for more details of the apartment and its rental. More from Paris in my next post, including where to eat, where to stay and what to do.

Truffle hunting in Provence

The first weekend in December found us indulging in a truffle weekend – hunting them and then eating them in copious amounts – in Provence, where we sat drinking chilled rosé wine in warm sunshine, pottered around the Sunday antiques market at Ile sur la Sorgue and even swam in the hotel pool, heated to 29 degrees. A brilliant part of the world for an out of season break, particularly in November which is nearly always filled with blue skies. We flew from Bournemouth to Avignon on Flybe…both airports deliciously empty, and everything easy. The hotel? Crillon Le Brave (http://www.thehotelguru.com/best-hotels/France/Provence-Towns-and-Villages) which hosts truffle and wine weekends in November and has wonderful views across vineyards and olive groves to Mont Ventoux. Better still, it’s partly owned now by Robin Hutson, a superb hotelier who was responsible for the Hotel du Vin chain (which he sold a few years ago to Malmaison) and his wife Judy, who created the Hotel du Vin look and is now weaving her subtle magic at Crillon le Brave. They are old mates and we were lucky enough to be their guests …. a blissful break.