Provence, a green (and purple) land

Not for the faint-hearted, the beauty of Provence has often reduced even the most passive visitor to tears.

Few regions in France have been blessed with as many wonderful sights, aromas and sounds as Provence.

As soon as you set foot in the region you’re enveloped in a swirl of sensations that will leave you breathless. Rich purple fields of lavender vie for your attention under immaculate sapphire skies, and a rhythmic choir of crickets leads a pastoral symphony.

Provence, like the whole of France, is blessed by a very fast and efficient train service. Plan ahead and you can load a bike to use as the principle mode of transport at your destination.

With so many villages huddled close to each other, biking to lunch is a fun and rewarding way to see the landscape whilst keeping your carbon footprint under control. It’s also worth remembering that after a couple of glasses of wine you can’t drive anywhere, biking on the other hand…

I based myself in St Rémy-de-Provence, a beautiful small hamlet with little more than a handful of shops, restaurants and cafes and where the weekend market is something of a major institution. St Remy has a whole array of great produce for sale from the wonderfully tasty olive oil to local wines and ‘must-have’ arts and crafts.

As well as its local products, St. Rémy-de-Provence is also renowned for its famous residents – including Nostradamus, Van Gogh and the poet Frédéric Mistral – and also for its lively Provencal festivals and traditions.

During my visit I happened to stumble upon the lâcher de taureaux, a localised ‘running of the bulls’, where a small bull is left to run wild in the streets whilst the local boys taunt and try to outrun him. It’s not a spectacle that will please everyone, but it is a part of the local culture nevertheless. The lâcher de taureaux runs from July 14 to the 25.

If being chased by a bull is not your idea of relaxation, there are more chilled out things to do here. The beautiful architecture and the preserved tight streets provide an enchanting stroll discovering the assortment of pavement cafes where you can sit, read and relax.

If you can drag yourself away from the hamlet, there are plenty of sights to see in the surrounding area. Check out the wonderful Roman ruins of Glanum or pay a visit to Van Gogh’s asylum.

For the green traveller, there are a multitude of attractions. In the nearby village of Le Baux de Provence you can visit an incredible winery with a fantastic organic and biodynamic reputation.

The tiny, family-owned Mas de Gourgonnier has set the standards in ecological land management and wine production. Don’t forget to visit the shop to buy some delicious biodynamic wine, prize-winning olive oil and homemade jams and sauces.

In the same village (voted one of the prettiest villages in France) you’ll find the Cathedrale d’Images, an astounding art concept with something of a cult following. A disused quarry is used as a giant ‘canvass’ onto which works of art are projected. The spectacle is mind-blowing.

Not far from St Rémy, another quarry has been turned into a unique troglodyte house. Family photos, wonderful furniture and gloriously preserved farm equipment paint a vivid picture of farm life from bygone days. Contact Mas de la Pyramide on 04 90 920 081 and ask Lolo to show you around.

Of course Provence also incorporates the sea, so it would be ignorant not to make a detour to the coast. A great eco hotel is rapidly gaining popularity in the area just a stone’s throw from the beach. Facilities at the Ferme d’Augustin include a pool, spa and wonderful home cooking.

France happens to have some incredible islands in the Mediterranean and, whilst we all know Corsica, very few people know about Porquerolles and Port Cros. These two gems have been described as the ‘European Caribbean’ and in terms of green travel visiting them is an absolute must.

Port Cros was designated a national park in 1963. With well-maintained hiking trails, glorious beaches and crystal clear waters vibrant with colourful marine life, it’s a true natural paradise for those wanting a wild escape on the fringe of civilisation. Regular ferries operate from Hyeres.

Provence certainly provides a treasure chest of sensory experiences with wonderful food and wine and mesmerising scenery. And although tourism is definitely big business in the region, it’s never too hard to find your own private patch of paradise amidst the lavender-freckled landscapes.

For more information on visiting Provence, see www.visitprovence.com

Product Review: The Agent18 EcoShield slider

Living with an Iphone, or any other expensive phone for that matter, poses the interesting question of whether you should do something to protect it - knowing full well that a case might spoil its design - or leaving it cover-less and thus open to danger.

I live with a white Iphone, it shows videos, it plays music, it checks my emails and generally does a good job of being a phone. It also happens to love finding new ways of scratching itself or getting dirty which has brought me to investing in a case. I am something of a purist and thought a case would spoil the look, I also happen to be ecological in my choices and those mass produced plastic cases were just not making me feel good about things. All this changed when I discovered Agent18 and the Ecoshield Slider case. If you are thinking about a case for your Iphone or Ipod then stop thinking and buy one of these. I will tell you why.

I have tested this for a few weeks now and I still like it as much as I did when I first opened the box. Let me tell you about that day. The case came in a pack with a screen protector, the case itself and a handy little stand. I must admit that the first night was completely frustrating, I am totally useless with patience-intensive exercises like fitting a screen protector and suffice to say I was ready to give up when I noticed that I would simply not be able to fit the screen protector without having some kind of air bubble in there. Anyway, a few minutes of help from a more patient and able friend and it was on. Fitting the slider is simple and it completed the all-round protection my phone needed.

The case is slim, very slim. It adds little to the bulk of the phone and everything is easily accessible, the vibrate switch is there, the volume keys are there (and protected) and your attachments will all work fine so no problems with the charger or anything else. It fits like a glove but gives the phone an added sturdiness you can really feel. So much so that I found myself being a little too cavalier with the phone and throwing it around much more than usual, I think I subconsciously decided it was now safe from all harm.

The plastic is made from recycled post consumer plastic bottles and it feels wonderful, it has a real non-slip form and feels like part of the phone rather than an addition to it. One minor gripe – which I am almost embarrassed to highlight – is that you can’t see the apple logo on the back and I say this not for advertising purposes but for the odd times when you want to check your hair before a photo in its mirror-like finish. I think that the vast majority of normal people won’t even think of this but it has to be said for the vainer readers out there.

In essence this is THE case for anyone out there needing to protect their Iphone or Ipod and who want to do so in the greenest possible way.

Pros:
- Secure locking mechanism – never again worry about your case sliding apart at an inopportune time
- Interior silicon pads to prevent product scratching
- Side grips to make sure this baby will never slip out of your hand again
- Made from post-consumer plastic bottles- which means this is a lean, green, protection machine
- Protective screen film and table stand included


Cons:
- Losing the apple ‘vanity mirror’ on the back of the phone

For more information see: www.agent18.com