St Rémy-de-Provence epitomises the appeals of the south of France that will very quickly wash away the worries of a busy life. Its fame ranges from the paintings of Van Gogh to the first century Roman city site of Glanum, to its Wednesday morning market considered to be amongst the best in the region. The ‘old’ part of St Rémy is 15th century-ish and is full of character with narrow one-lane streets and numerous nooks and crannies. Its attractions include St Martin’s church (the interior a replica of St Paul’s in Rome), a Van Gogh museum, numerous boutiques, specialty biscuit and chocolate makers, over 60 restaurants, bistrots and cafés (great for people watching) and even a small lavender museum whose aromas compete with those of the boulangeries – there were 15 when we last counted! St Rémy is within easy driving distance of numerous attractions waiting to quench your thirst whether that be roman history, art, wine, Provençal markets, gourmet foods, festivals, sunshine or the all encompassing ‘la vie de France’. A sampling of these include Pont du Gard a magnificent Roman aqueduct, the famed Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards with its wines of delicate complexity, the popular Les Baux-de-Provence and the hilltop villages of the Luberon – Gordes, Menerbes and Roussillon.