With summer on the way, most of us are busy planning our holidays and the June issue, just back from the printers, is packed with fantastic ideas that would appeal to every kind of visitor. For those wanting a little more sunshine than we got in the UK last summer, the ideal destination is Provence, one of my favourite regions of France. The lavender will soon be in bloom and with this in mind, we couldn’t resist the beautiful picture of this iconic French flower for the cover. The lavender fields are just a short distance away from the gorgeous village of Ménerbes, which is a great place to base yourself in this area. Our Provence-based writer Jon Bryant visited the village and brings us the very best of what it has to offer.
Our Active Annecy feature provides ample inspiration for those wishing to enjoy the great outdoors. From hiking to high ropes, it doesn’t matter how active you are, the mountains around the beautiful Lake Annecy are ideal for those wishing to experience either an adrenalin rush or a relaxing stroll.
Meanwhile, music lovers will be spoiled for choice with our selection of this summer’s best festivals, so whether it’s Mozart or Massive Attack that you’re into, there’s an event here for everyone. With all these features, plus stories on aspects of France you might never have known (how about donkeys, yurts or war heroes?), as well as our regular features on food, wine, film, language and UK-based events, this issue brings you - as ever - all the inspiration you could wish for this summer.
It's hard to believe that it's now May and we're already putting the finishing touches to our June issue - this year seems to be going very fast!
But it's just as well as June is a wonderful time to explore France and I'm really excited by all the great stories going into the next issue. I'm also really happy to have finally made my first trip to France this year. It was a whirlwind tour that provided me with the very best of France in April. I went from skiing in Morzine for the very last days of this year's ski season, and on to Marseille for this year's ABTOF (Association of British Tour Operators to France) conference. It was a fantastic trip (as ever!) and I particularly enjoyed visiting Marseille for the first time. Our hotel was situated next to the Vieux Port and the view was reminiscent of the front cover of the first FRANCE Magazine I edited (Feb 2007). It's a sensational sight of all the wonderful yachts and old buildings and, being lucky with the weather, it felt like the height of summer. As well as representing the magazine on a panel session on stage 'How to make the most of the media', it was great to meet so many of the tour operators who create your holidays. There are some really exciting trips going out to France this year, which made me even happier to play a part in inspiring you to go.
As well as Marseille, we took a trip down the coast to Cassis where I had a wonderful dinner on the quayside. The tiny, colourful fishing boats bobbed alongside me as I tucked into a wonderful dish of fresh sea bream accompanied by some delicious local wine. Cassis is a gorgeous little spot, so the Archant Life France team and I returned on Monday (before flying home) to take a boat trip along the Calanques and see the fascinating rocky inlets along the coast. I was also lucky enough to visit Arles, another wonderful spot about an hour from Marseille. The Roman amphitheatre is an amazing sight and I really enjoyed wandering through the narrow streets around it before a delicious dinner at the Michelin-starred restaurant Le Cilantro, where we had a delicious meal prepared by chef Jérôme Laurent.
Back to work now, but not long the next trip - can't wait!
A bientôt,
Carolyn