The Magic of Provence

Mention Provence and all sorts of images might spring to mind. A hilltop village washed in the scent of lavender? A shady olive grove in the heat of a summer afternoon? Or even a playboy's paradise on the Mediterranean coast? In fact, Provence is so unique and diverse it's almost impossible to do it justice. But hey, we're up for a challenge, so here's our guide to the magic of Provence, in handy bite-sized chunks.

Geography

Officially, Provence is the administrative region of Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, a large area of southern France bordered by the Alps and Italy to the East, the Rhone River to the West, and the Mediterranean to the South. Unofficially, it's a land of endless sunshine and ancient landscapes, of picture-perfect villages and winding cobbled streets, and of long, slow lunches on sticky afternoons. The climate also makes it a land where the good life comes easy. Vineyards and olive groves pepper the hills and plains, while good food and drink is a regional obsession.

For two different Provencal experiences, try the stately grandeur of the thousand-year-old Château de Rochegude (Rochegude, Provence; tel. 04-75-97-21-10), once home to popes and royalty, followed by the Mas des Baussiers, a beautifully renovated guesthouse that looks out over lavender fields and orchards in Les Baussiers, in the heart of rural Provence (04-90-75-14-94).

The Mistral

It rains for between 30 and 50 days a year in Provence, compared to 70 in London. The annual average temperature on the plains is over 17 degrees centigrade, compared to 16.5 in Barcelona. The region is bathed in around 3000 hours of sunshine a year. OK, the fierce and sometimes biting wind they call the mistral tends to sweep through the region during the winter and spring, but only serves to emphasise just how idyllic Provence is for the rest of the year. Nowhere's perfect, but Provence comes close.

Writers and Artists

A tour through Provence is a tour through a region where ancient traditions survive, and where the landscape doesn't seem to have changed for hundreds of years. It's also a tour through a region that can seem eerily familiar, even if you've never been there before. Provence has provided the home and inspiration for countless writers and artists, who have, in turn, immortalised it in their work. Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne both painted Provencal landscapes and scenes of Provencal life. Emile Zola and Peter Mayle (author of 'A Good Year') are just two of the writers to have used Provence as a stunning backdrop.

A Year In Provence

In fact, Peter Mayle has made a career of writing about the region. His most famous book, 'A Year In Provence', is an autobiographical account of his first 12 months in a rundown farmhouse in the area of Luberon, and became an international best seller when it was published in 1990. It also started a publishing revolution. Soon, anyone with a laptop and a stout pair of boots was moving to a dilapidated cottage in some far off land and writing books about their experiences with eccentric locals and uncooperative goats. But 'A Year In Provence' remains the genre's defining work, a hilarious blow-by-blow account of a man who swaps the big city and a high-powered career for a centuries old farmhouse with broken pipes and a view of heaven.

To sample the delights of Luberon in comfort, try the 15th century La Cordiere guesthouse in the picturesque town of Lourmarin (www.cordiere.com). Or for other accommodation options in Luberon, try http://www.provencebyways.com/lodging.htm

Wine

It's easy to fall in love with Provence, and even easier after a few glasses of the local wine. Provence is one of the major wine-producing areas of France, with over 500 wineries and 140 million bottles produced annually. The fertile soils produce fine whites, often sparkling, that perfectly compliment seafood from the nearby Mediterranean. Red grapes are also grown in abundance. But rosé wines are a speciality of the region. The best Provencal rosés are fresh and fruity with a lingering bouquet of summer sunshine.

If you really want to immerse yourself in the wines of Provence, many vineyards now offer accommodation (and any number of opportunities to sample the produce). One of the best is Domaine du Crestet, 3km south of the old Roman town of Vaison La Romaine (Tel: 04 90 36 38 09).

Pastis

Given its wine making tradition, visitors to the region may be surprised to see locals sipping on a milky yellow liquid that is certainly not wine. This is pastis, another speciality of the area, a highly alcoholic liqueur that tastes of aniseed and is often consumed with ice on hot days. It's fair to say that pastis is something of an acquired taste, and visitors may be relieved to know that it's perfectly acceptable to dilute it with large amounts of water before drinking the stuff. That's certainly one way to force it down without offending your hosts.

Food

The locals realised a long time ago that they needed something to soak up the booze, so in typical fashion went about creating a culinary tradition that is pretty much unrivalled, even in food-loving France. Again, sunshine is at the heart of Provencal cuisine, in the tomatoes, garlic, herbs and olive oil that form the basis of most of its best-loved dishes. A couple to savour are, first, ratatouille, a light stew of tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, aubergines and, well, whatever else is fresh from the garden that day. And then, of course, there's bouillabaisse, an aromatic fish soup from the port city of Marseille. As important as the food is the way that it's eaten, in long, slow meals that can go on all afternoon.

There are any number of wonderful restaurants in Provence. But if you happen to find yourself in the historic city of Aix-en-Provence, make sure to try Brasserie Les Deux Garcons (04-42-26-00-51), a café that dates back to 1792 and counts Zola, Cezanne, Picasso and Winston Churchill among its famous clientele. For a more rustic experience, head for the small town of Aigues-Mortes and the famous Chez Bob (04-90-97-00-29), where authentic and delicious Provencal cuisine is served in authentic and delightful surroundings.

Sightseeing

You don't really need to go sightseeing in Provence, there are sights worth seeing round every corner. If you're based in the Luberon region, however, the Cistercian abbey of Sénanque, the medieval villages of Gordes and Bonnieux, and the world-famous antiques market at Isle-sur-la Sorgue are definitely worth a visit. For a more urban view of Provence, the medieval city of Avignon is grouped around the vast Popes' Palace, and the regional centre of Aix-en-Provence is famous for its tree-lined squares and elegant café terraces.