SILLANS-LA-CASCADE: Dating back to Roman times, the picturesque village of Sillans-la-Cascade seems to have escaped many of the changes wrought on other Provencal villages by tourism. Dominated by its chateau and 11th century ramparts, the sleepy narrow streets and typical mellow stone buildings sit perched above the Bresque River, which flows down to its spectacular waterfall.
Nowadays, local people travel from far and wide to feast at the restaurant 'Les Pins', well known for its traditional French cooking and warm hospitality, where one can taste a variety of local specialities throughout the year.
SALERNES & NEIGHBOURING VILLAGES: Salernes is a must for anyone interested in pottery and hand-painted tiles and boasts lively markets on Wednesdays and Sundays, together with excellent shopping facilities. Musical concerts in the village square are a regular event on warm summer evenings, and popular with all the locals, who come out after supper to have a nightcap and a quick hop around the square before retiring to bed.
Not to be forgotten are the villages of Tourtour, 'the village in the sky', Aups, famous for its truffles, Le Thoronet with its notorious Abbey, Lorgues and Entrecasteaux.
LOCAL DISTRACTIONS: These include tennis, only 5 minutes walk from the house, horse-riding in Sillans-la-Cascade and Salernes, and golf only 30 minutes by car. There is plenty of opportunity for both walking and cycling, with forest and cross-country tracks running directly from the villa, with little need to use the roads. Other activities include wine tasting in local vineyards, a visit to the monastery at Le Thoronet, natural caves in Villecroze, the waterfall at Sillans-la-Cascade and numerous picturesque Provencal villages well worth visiting.
The Lac St Croix, 30 minutes to the north, offers a peaceful haven to the coast, where one can picnic, swim, windsurf, canoe and sail. The notorious Grand Canyon du Verdon, reputed to be the deepest gorge in Europe, leads into the lake and is well worth a visit for its impressive scenery.
There is an excellent choice of local restaurants, a list of which we leave in the villa, together with telephone numbers.
