Two big reveals This is the most dramatic coastline nobody talks about, inches away from one of the best clifftop drives in Europe, equally unheard of. The Calanques of Cassis The Calanques are deep limestone fingers cut into the coast between Marseille and Cassis. The Mediterranean fjords. The geology here is dramatic: ancient tropical limestone pushed up from the ocean floor over millions of years, carved out by ice-age rivers, then drowned by the rising sea. Because the rock is nearly pure calcium carbonate, it acts like a giant mirror — and the water turns a color that needs a name. Neon-blue, as if light is iradiating from deep within. I…
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THE BEST TRAVEL ADVICE IN THE WORLD
ONE: Travel to wonderland Use the rabbit hole. Go where the magic is: visit Disneyland or the Harry Potter Studios or Il Giardino dei Tarocchi, fly a kite on the beach, spend a week in an old mill in the middle of nowhere, camp in the desert and bathe in the Milky Way at night. Travel back to yourself. Recapture the world as it looked before you grew up and started being reasonable about things. TWO: Return to your happy place You must have one. A cabin, a lake, a farmhouse in a vineyard, a specific city in a specific season, a table with a particular view, maybe a person.…
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My Breton Feast: The Connoisseur’s Guide to Taste Elevation
We are all foodies, but appetites come in many forms: ravenous, impulsive, artistic, disciplined, cultivated, refined, or simply passionate. And just as I have no doubt that everyone will discover at least one galette that makes them hum with delight, I also know that, after truly experiencing Brittany, three things will change forever: your relationship to crepes, your expectations of oysters and mussels, and your understanding of the miraculous role of salt in dishes. Oysters Is it the almost otherworldly shell, the promise of aphrodisiac powers, or simply a fashionable reputation? What’s certain is that oysters create fascination, if not addiction for some. I’ve never been a huge fan myself,…
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#SINEQUANON LUBERON: THE ULTIMATE LAVANDER ESCAPE
From the excess of the Riviera to the wilderness of Camargue or the big ego of the historical cities, Provence is great from the highest mountain to the serene sea. But at the heart of it all you will find the Luberon - and that is a coup de coeur to last a lifetime.
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Bretagne: a Celtic love story
How did we end up with a Crêperie? Our friends already know the story, which, incidentally, became quite famous in the press at the time. However, the true inception is the best part: what exactly is the connection between salted caramel, King Arthur, galettes complètes, island houses, and Celtic dances? One word answer: a wedding. Of course, not just any wedding, but a wedding like no other, held in a water-surrounded hamlet in Brittany. Besides bringing together a wonderful bunch of people scattered all over Europe and uniting a deeply in love couple, the wedding proved the perfect opportunity to step into a story. To be honest, Carnac was already…
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Purple reign in Provence: step into the postcard
Oh la la! To chase lavender perfection, to truly step into that postcard! this is another quintessential escape reserved for the happy few: lavender season in Provence. As ever, true immersion simply can’t be rushed; you really must take a week for the discovery; anything less would be, quite frankly, a compromise. Consider this as your personal itinerary for a laissez-faire exploration of the finest lavender fields. However, do keep in mind that true revelation comes not to the avid seeker, but to the dreamer. Chasing these fields should always be about magnetic loops and romantic detours, never merely about the pins on a map. Intel: Day One: The Heart…
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February Challenge: The Sensory Raid On The French Riviera
Et voila! everything pops into scented bubbles, wild colours and shocking beauty. For the happy few, this late winter escape on the French Riviera is the surprise conquest of forgotten festivity. THE FIND A sensory raid on the Riviera during Carnival. Nice, Menton, Mandelieu-la-Napoule This is a masterclass in regional celebration. This Riviera adventure is the ultimate antidote to grey skies, the unlocking of unexpected extravaganza. In February, the happy few go to Nice for the Carnival and stay for the myriad parties, for the golden explosion of mimosa, and for the discovery of Menton’s fantastical citrus architecture. INTEL When to Visit: The main window spans two weeks in February…
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Bet you didn’t know: Carnival was born in Nice!
Nice is the original When you think Carnival, Rio and Venice instantly come to mind, but the Nice Carnival is, in fact, the oldest ever documented, with its earliest mention attributed to the Count of Provence Charles d’Anjou in 1294. While the initial festivities were likely more spontaneous revelry before Lent, it evolved significantly in the 19th century. In 1873, a dedicated Carnival Committee was established, transforming it into the grand, structured spectacle we enjoy today. Partly continuing the legacy and partly designed with the mission to attract winter tourism to the Côte d’Azur, this marked the birth of the modern carnival, complete with themed parades and elaborate floats. How…
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NORMANDY #SINEQUANON: FROM D-DAY TO MAGIC DAY
ONE: MONT SAINT MICHEL There is only one possible number one. Though more intimately connected to Brittany’s wild coast, Mont-Saint-Michel remains the absolute top-of-mind wonder for any escape in Western France. It is an island fortress of faith, an ethereal vision, a pilgrimage of the sea, a place where tourist guides seem inadequate and only a magnificent mystery remains. I wrote more about “the Wonder” here. TWO: THE ALABASTER COAST AND PAYS DE CAUX The Côte d’Albâtre is the French counterpart to the famous white cliffs that define the English Channel coastline. It’s a road trip of striking beauty, with quaint villages and the high falaises. Stop in Etretat, Yport,…
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A story of tides: Mont Saint Michel, revealed
The mountain has always been a place of awe; beautiful and inaccessible, it caused many to perish at the mercy of tides. And as it happens with so many places of awe and beauty, it has always been a site of worship. In the early days of Christianity, monks were using Mount Tomb – that was the first name of the island – as a sanctuary. It was in 708 that Saint Michael appeared to the bishop of Avranches, commending to build an abbey on top of that mountain. The abbey was consecrated in Saint Michael’s name, and since anno domini 708, Christians continue their pilgrimage to the holy mountain,…
