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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Issue No. 28

This gorgeous issue is stuffed full of fabulous features from beautiful Annecy to the sunny southern Basque country and the city of Pau, the Canal du Midi and much more. There’s a fabulous photo essay of the four seasons of Provence, practical guides and recipes galore with a focus on the gastronomy of the Touraine region in the Loire Valley - from an ancient recipe for macarons to more-ish nougat cake!

City focus: Pau Capital

City focus: Pau Capital of the historic Béarn, elegant Pau stands beneath the Pyrenees. Or does it, wonders Gillian Thornton. Every

Every major city has its iconic street. The boutique-lined boulevard. The monumental avenue. Or perhaps the quaint quarter fringed with historic houses. But few can boast anything to match the elegant city of Pau, capital of the Béarn region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Pau’s must-do walkway is the Boulevard des Pyrenees, bordered on one side by imposing Belle Epoque apartment blocks and, on the other – yes, you guessed it – by the distant jagged peaks of the Pyrenees. But don’t hold your breath. You do need a modicum of luck to enjoy the spectacular backdrop to this wonderful high-level boulevard. Belle Epoque Boulevards I’ve been to Pau twice before and on both occasions have found this rugged mountain frontier stubbornly hidden in cloud, so I’m delighted third-time round to see the mountains towering into the evening sky. I can even identify them, each one neatly labelled on the iron railings that fringe the south side of the Boulevard. Just line up the notch on the balustrade with the tall chimney on the old tramway factory below. The Boulevard begins just a short walk from my stylish overnight accommodation at the Hôtel Parc Beaumont, which overlooks a glorious green space broken up by magnificent trees and tranquil lakes. Stay here during the legendary car races in May and you’ll have a front row seat on the action as the drivers race past. The rest of the year, this modern hotel is a tranquil base for exploring the town on foot.