Travel writing is hard. Especially when you’re not even travelling.
Hello you reader-of blogs people, and welcome to the first ever travel blog. Ooh, how exciting. Unfortunately, today is a rather dull Wednesday, though there are some very nice pink clouds in the distance. I can just about see them over the trees. I’ve been home for a while now, but I’m going to talk about my holiday anyway because it’s nice to reminise about somewhere hot and warm when you live somewhere cold and wet.
France is a lovely country. It’s hot and sunny and the food is great. Because of this – whenever we can – my family and I go to a beautiful area called Provence in the South of France. That’s wine country, for those of you that don’t know. In a little country area of Provence, down a rickety dirt track and over a narrow three-metre-long bridge there is a house. And this is the house we visit every time we go there. It’s owned universally by three generations of my family so there is always some one there, even in the depths of winter when the snow is so thick that you can’t even reach the town and the river bursts its banks.
Speaking of the town, this is one you’d definitely want to visit if you ever get the chance. It’s called Pierrefeu Du Var and is situated forty-five minutes from a beautiful beach called Cabason.
Yes, this may seem like a long distance when you’re there for a sunny holiday, but the scenery of PFDV more than makes up for it. The town is set high up on a mountain with beautiful views of trees and houses alike. It is full of traditional french buildings with the red roofs, colourful doors and window frames and stone walls. I can’t emphasise how much I love these old designs enough. They really add to the countryside instead of taking away.
PFDV is one of those sleepy towns where you’re never bored but you never have anything to do. The time just slips past in a lovely haze of sunshine and cold drinks. One of my favourite places to go is the main street, where there is a lovely bar called Dani’s, where you can sit outside under red umbrellas and order Orangina or a tall glass of Coke. The Boulangerie (bakery) is right next door where they cook fresh bread and pasteries all through the day and you can pop in at anytime and get whatever you want. There’s also a beautiful organic fruit and veg shop only five minutes walk away and a pizza shop where they make and cook the pizzas right there in front of you and cook them in a traditional stone oven.
Last year I was there during the Wine Festival and the square was full of stalls and shows and singers were on stage all through the evening. That night we got pizza from the store and it was the tastiest pizza I’d ever had!
If you’re into the more convential route of buying food at a supermarket, there is a massive SuperMarché only five minutes from the town. It’s a relief when you step out of the hot sun and into the cool temperatures of the shop, I can tell you! There are many scenic walking routes around the town and bikes to hire are everywhere. When you’re there it’s hard to imagine being anywhere else.
Cabason is truly the cleanest and nicest beach I have ever been to. It is surround by a “wooded area” carpark that so that you can park where ever you want and the cars don’t get too hot because they’re shaded by the trees. A lovely café and restaurant are right at the entrance where they make fresh food and icecream all through out the day. The sand is pure white and as soft as anything. In the afternoon it does tend to get boiling hot, so don’t forget to bring your flipflops! The water is cool and clear and very salty. It’s so clear that one year me and my dad swam all the way out with snorkling gear and looked down at a miniature reef far below the surface of the water. There were hundreds of fish I had never even seen before – red ones and green ones and a black and white stripped one that I had never seen before or since.
If shopping is a major hobby of yours then there is also a large Decathlon shop only half an hour car journey away. It is packed full of camping gear, clothes, shoes and everything you could imagine. Every time I go I spend hours in there – it’s so hard to leave without buying everything!
My favourite thing about France is my house, although of course that’s not for sale! We are set back in the countryside (though we’re still close to the town) and surrounded by vineyards that grow grapes bursting with flavour. Needless to say, France is one of my favourite places. If you haven’t been yet, you should go. Trust me.
Until next time,
Moo.