The Good Life France Magazine




The Good Life France Magazine brings you the best of France - inspirational and exclusive features, fabulous photos, mouth-watering recipes, tips, guides, ideas and much more...


Published by the award winning team at The Good Life France

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2 years ago

Issue No. 15

Discover the Drome, Nyons - the last Provencal frontier, Charente-Maritime, Burgundy, Paris gastronomy, Nice, secret Provence, recipes, a whole lot more. It's the next best thing to being in France...

2 COTIGNAC At first

2 COTIGNAC At first glance Cotignac wows visitors with its large limescale cliffs reminiscent of ancient troglodyte living. Houses are literally carved into the cliffs and anyone can climb the steps that lead up to the old cave dwellings for a 2 euros entry fee during visiting season. The village has 2,300 inhabitants and is typically Provençale. The population quadruples to over 10,000 in the summer months when glroious sunshine, festivals, markets and concerts lure visitors. Our favourite restaurant, the Café du Cours, on the Cours Gambetta, serves steak tartare, tuna tataki, pastas, burgers, and pizzas fresh out of the oven. Service is always excellent and it's a great place to people-watch especially on market day (Tuesdays). Just a few doors down is the Centre d'Art La Falaise where seasonal exhibitions of regional artists can be seen. Mirabeau Wine has a shop underneath where you can sample award winning rosé and buy beautifully selected locally produced home wares. More information about Cotignac www. provence-living.net Tourist office: la-provence-verte.net/ ot_cotignac/ Café du Cours, 23 Cours Gambetta Mirabeau Wine Showroom: www. mirabeauwine.com

3 Estagnol Beach, Bormes les Mimosas Bormes les Mimosas is situated on the stretch of coastline connecting Toulon and St Tropez and is home to swanky villas and Châteaux of the rich and famous plus some of the best beaches in France. Our favourite is Estagnol. The coastal road, called Route de Léoube, which runs between La Londe-les-Maures and Bormes-les-Mimosas is spectacular – you’ll spot huge and ancient cork tree forets and vineyards that literally touch the ocean. There are two famous beaches on this stretch of road, both with private parking (paid): Le Pellegrin and L’Estagnol. We prefer Estagnol for it’s a beautiful bay with clear waters, which are not too deep for small children, lined by beautiful old pine trees. It’s small and gets busy, so avoid peak times or plan to arrive early or late. “L’Estagnol” is the perfect beachside Restaurant, not fancy like in St Tropez, but good food including lots of choice for little ones. It’s fun, colourful and efficient and just behind the dunes of the beach. Off-season it’s a great idea to walk the coastal footpath that runs behind the beaches through the dunes where you breathe in the scent of sea salt and the flora and fauna of this protected area. If you’re not too sandy and tired, pop into Château Léoube for a Rosé Tasting in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. Restaurant L’Estagnol (booking advised): restaurant-lestagnol.fr Château Léoube: www.chateauleoube.com