La vie est belle

Exciting ways to get away from it all

Am I the only one who finds the word “hiking” intimidating? For me it has always conjured up images of crampons, ice-axes, carabiners and frostbite. So, when I’m invited to join a small group on a hik

Just when you think you’ve found a hidden gem of French mountain cycling, the Tour de France pitches up and announces it as a finish of the biggest stage of the first week – and one of the most fun st

When it comes to entertaining friends, it is hard to top Château de Chambord as a spectacular party venue. Set in a vast forested estate larger than the City of London, this flamboyant royal residence

A dash of Gallic chic and a hint of 70s styling have reinvented this Provençal home, where relaxation is taken seriously

Cyclist: What are your earliest memories of the Tour? Serge Laget: I first discovered the Tour in my village of Langogne in the Cévennes in 1954, when I was seven. I remember as if it were yesterday.