The gorgeous Janine

The gorgeous Janine Marsh explores a secret part of the French Riviera… Gulf of SAINT-TROPEZ “Once upon a time there was a jewel nestling between Provence and the Côte d’Azur…” began an email I got from a friend. Who can resist an introduction like that? Certainly not me! So, I headed to the Golfe de St-Tropez, and found a little piece of French heaven. The Golfe de Saint-Tropez is bijou, stretching 30km from north to south, and 26km from east to west, consisting of 12 Provencal villages and seaside resorts: Cavalaire-sur-Mer, Cogolin, Grimaud, Gassin, La Croix Valmer, La Garde-Freinet, La Mole, Le Plan de la Tour, Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer, Ramatuelle, Sainte- Maxime and Saint-Tropez. Saint-Tropez is of course world-famous thanks to its most well-known resident Brigitte Bardot, but if your only goal is to visit this lovely town, you’ll miss out on so much more. Head for the hills to explore exquisite, pickledin-the-past perched villages, vineyards, and captivating coastal towns lapped by the Mediterranean Sea where dolphins frolic. Discover a land where the coast and countryside are inextricably linked and where the locals work in harmony with nature to preserve and protect this most beautiful, unspoiled and authentic part of France. Ramatuelle © E. Bertrand When to go The best time to visit may surprise you, it’s not during the summer months - though they are lovely, but instead spring and autumn when the weather is lovely, everything is open, the sea is warm enough to swim in and the natural beauty of the area takes precedence. Or even in winter with average sunshine 7 hours per day, and the sight of blooming wildflowers, including lavender and fresias, lifts your soul. Visit the vineyards and enjoy wine tastings, meet the locals who work with and preserve nature, eat like a lord, and enjoy being welcomed as a guest not a visitor. 8 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 9