A SEASON FOR EVERYONE

Get away from it all; from the stress of your job, from the daily commute and from hectic social lives. Getaway from the demands of family life, from the nagging DIY jobs and get-away from another weekend in front of the telly.

Nice Airport is about 2 hour's flight from almost every major European city, then just 35 minutes drive into the hills and a relaxing weekend break awaits. Stay for longer and you'll truly find happiness. Lay by the pool or find a shady spot in the 6 hectares of grounds, cool your feet in the river and watch the busy life of nature check a little reality into your own.

In the winter catch up on your reading in front of the roaring inglenook fire place, vin chaud in hand and the wafts of a hearty meal steaming from the kitchen. Go for a mountain walk under a crisp blue sky, or perhaps pop up the road to the nearest ski resort for a little fun on the slopes with a view of the Mediterranean.

The seasons change dramatically at Le Foulon, creating a different backdrop to the same refreshing holiday. In the spring wild flowers start to paint the ground, butterflies daub the sky, and our prairie runs riot with new life. It's an invigorating time of year, with winter shaking itself awake and the promise of another fine year marking itself indelibly on the countryside.

Summer itself is when most people want to getaway to the South of France; the lure of a new crop fueling the kitchens of Provence, the heat of the Mediterranean sun bronzing pale bodies, and the buzz of mountain villages preparing for their annual fetes and August holiday.

Autumn might not be the most obvious time for a break to the French Riviera, but it's fantastically beautiful as the forests give up their verdant green to a whole new spectrum. Almost overnight the landscape changes clothes, and whilst the days creep a little shorter, the sun continues to invigorate and a new harvest of mushrooms and truffles bring a different flavour to each restaurant. It's one of our favourite times here, and the air is often scented with bonfires reducing the fallen leaves to ash.

Winter is a time of crisp dry mornings, snow covered peaks and long walks before a long meal, some robust wines and tall stories. It's a time for splitting logs to fuel the two big fires warming Le Foulon (the French say the wood warms you twice, and after half an hour with an axe you'll know exactly what they mean), a time for catching up on reading, and for feeling cosy whilst a dramatic storm cracks the valley sky.

To me Winter in Provence is like one big Sunday - reading the papers, going for a stroll and then kicking back before an early dinner that pours into the evening and an early bed, content and full.

It's easy to relax here, it's easy to get to and very easy to enjoy, it's just a little difficult to leave. At least you know there's a another season to enjoy just around the corner.