| Le Foulon is about as tranquil
as a holiday can be. If peace, tranquility and the ability
to relax one hundred percent are what you are looking for
in a break, be it in the summer, autumn, winter or spring,
then look no further.
Set in 16 acres, 4kms from the nearest village,
we have no neighbours to disturb or be disturbed by, zero
light pollution to spoil the star gazing, and the loudest
thing at night is the chirp of crickets on the prairie. Beyond
that it's the babble of the river passing through the valley,
which is much reduced in the summer months, but can be quite
an impressive torrent during the winter, or early spring
when it carries the melt water from the mountains higher
up.
Bar none our guests have enjoyed a restful
and soothing break, and return to their home lives calm and
with their batteries fully re-charged. It starts as soon
as you leave Nice airport behind you, and drive away from
the fascinating yet hectic Cote d'Azur. When we first discovered
this hidden valley we couldn't believe this kind of peace
could be just 35 minutes from the second busiest airport
in France with connections to the rest of the world.
Coming from London it took a while to sink
in that after less than 2 hours on a plane and just 35 minutes
in a car you can be somewhere that feels like a million miles
from anywhere. It's not that the valley feels cut off or
beyond civilisation, it's just that after such an easy and
quick
journey you are faced with a beautiful and panoramic view
of mountains and forest that's uninterrupted bar the ruined
castle of Greolieres. In our experience this kind of seclusion
usually takes a lot more effort to enjoy.
It's not that there aren't any other buildings
in this Provencal valley, it's just Le Foulon is lucky
enough not to be able to see them. The nearest village as
the crow flies is Cipieres, with around 500 inhabitants,
but it's just over the brow of a hill and despite it only
taking 35 minutes on foot we can't see a single property.
Greolieres is about the same size, and just
as laid back and charming as it's neighbour,
and yet we cannot see a single building from Le Foulon, bar
the pretty ruined castle, or chateau. I don't think this
feat is by design, more luck, but whatever it is it means
you can enjoy an uninterrupted view of the countryside that
just soaks up any stress or anxiety and re-connects you with
nature.
Yep, that's right, this area can turn you into
a bit of a hippy, but that's just good karma!
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