Think of the Cote d’Azur and you think of refined opulence; F Scott Fitzgerald, Tender is the Night, Brigitte Bardot, Cannes Film Festival; glitz, glamour. The reality if you actually drive there is v

RECKON RACING AROUND THE MEDITERRANEAN IS EASY? THINK AGAIN, SAYS MATTHEW SHEAHAN

Not many successful breakaways involve almost 5,000m of climbing over 324km, but that’s exactly what Napoleon Bonaparte pulled off in just six days in the spring of 1815. After escaping from exile on

As we crossed the River Hérault on the D612 approaching Agde in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France, it felt as though we were going home, even though the last time we were here was in

YACHT CHARTERS AND SAILING HOLIDAYS OFFER MORE VARIETY AND ADVENTURE THAN EVER. HERE’S OUR PICK OF UNFORGETTABLE TRIPS TO CONSIDER

Celebrating 100 years of the BBC Shipping Forecast, Jane Russell takes us on a series of coastal cruises through the forecast sea areas, exploring some of the special places on offer in each of them