When asked, "What is the meaning of life?" a French painter once replied, "Paris in springtime."
We passed through Paris this spring on our way to Provence and the Côte d'Azur and found our own little pieces of paradise tucked into Provence's picturesque countryside and along Europe's most celebrated seaside, the Côte d’Azur.
Traveling to Provence and the Côte d’Azur for the second time in two years, we were returning to see new villas on the market, as well as inspecting existing villas and hotels in our product line. Deirdre assumed the roles of driver and coordinator. Anne-Marie, a French national, was the navigator and interpreter. Ellie, an avid photographer, shot more than a thousand
photos. We don't know if we could possibly have seen more, or laughed more, if we tried.
Our first night we arrived at the colorful hotel Les Muscadins located in Mougins. Mougins has become one of the most sought after vacation destinations in the region. The area provides easy access to the countryside and hilltop villages, and is only a 20 minute drive from Cannes and the beaches. Laced with olive groves, orange trees, jasmine, and violets, the countryside
serves up with each season an array of abundant colors. In late April, we were blessed with blooming iris and gardens full of sage and rosemary. The roadsides displayed patches of brilliant red as the poppies emerged from the rich soil. Mougins, like nearby St. Paul de Vence, sits perched on the craggy hills above the sea, looking down on some of the world's most famous
coastal resorts: Cannes, Cap Ferrat, Villefranche, Monte Carlo, Antibes and Nice.
Our first night we had a light meal at a restaurant fittingly called La Mediterranée. When the waiter brought a plate of grilled vegetables, generously coated with the freshest extra virgin olive oil, we knew we had indeed arrived in the Mediterranean.
Anne Marie, Deirdre, Ellie
