MY VILLAGE
LA GARDE-FREINET Côte d’Azur charm
Jane and Alban Roy found the perfect balance of serenity and community in the unassuming charm of La Garde-Freinet, behind St-Tropez on the Côte d’Azur
How did you choose your village and house? We were living and working in Brittany, and decided to go for a change. We knew the Gulf of St-Tropez pretty well, so we looked around there for something to buy. We found a wonderful house in La Garde- Freinet, in the hills behind. It’s a wooded area with lovely views. We’re away from the rush of the Côte d’Azur but still very close, there’s plenty of breathing space. It’s a great place to relax and get back to nature. We had looked at many other houses and decided on Villa Fontane because it suited what we wanted to do. It has a swimming pool, four bedrooms, plus a second house on the property for weekly rentals. We find the village very charming; we just love it here.
What aspects of village life do you enjoy? We especially like the markets and that the village is still authentic, not too glitzy. A lot of artists live here. There’s a good feeling. It’s a nice size as well, there’s 1,500 people here in winter, so it’s got an active life all year round. It’s big enough to have everything you need day to day – butchers, bakers, and chemists – but small enough for us to get to know people very easily.
What is there to see and do? We like going down to the sea. The closest beach is just 15 minutes away, and within half an hour you have a big choice of other beaches. Then there are other little villages: Grimaud and Ramatuelle, and further afield the Verdon Gorges. For a day trip, it’s easy to get to Aix- en-Provence, Nice or Marseille. Living in the countryside, it’s a big treat to head over to the towns, go to a museum, the cinema or the theatre.
Jane and Alban are living a tranquil life in La Garde-Freinet but are near the glittering attractions of the Côte d’Azur
How was your French when you first arrived, and has it improved? That was 40 years ago in Paris, and I didn’t speak French. I remember people were too polite to correct me. It was my children who taught me French because they would say “mum, you don’t say that”. I’m OK now. I’m very surprised that there are a lot of British people in the village who seem to have their own community – even their own plumbers and electricians, so they don’t really need to speak French at all. But my husband is French and I’ve been here for so long, that I do feel very comfortable with the language.
How do you find interacting with the locals socially? Everyone’s very friendly, very courteous, and made us feel welcome when we arrived. There are people who have lived here for generations, and then there is also quite a large community of people who have moved here and are more international so that’s also a good source of friendship for us.
146 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2024
What has been your experience of working there? Very positive as well. We offer tourist accommodation, so we work with the local tourist office. We run a three- bedroom guesthouse and an independent cottage as a gîte, set in two hectares of grounds with a large heated swimming pool. The tourist offices in France are amazing, so helpful and on the ball. They gave us free training for things like starting up your business and using social media. They were very encouraging.
Have you developed a taste for any particular local speciality? The rosé wine, of course. We’ve got vineyards just across the road. As for food, the aioli, which is a local dish typically offered on Fridays of fish with vegetables and a very, very garlicky mayonnaise, which is delicious. Oh, and the chestnuts, there are a lot of chestnut trees around here so we’ve become addicted and use them, both in cooking or just with a bit of plain yoghurt for a dessert.
What about the local architecture and history? Dominating the hill, there’s the Fort-Freinet, which dates from the 12th century. It was built as a lookout so you get an amazing view of the village, which was built lower down. The village has little cobbled streets and houses with lovely red tiles. You’re not allowed to put solar panels or satellite dishes on the rooftops because they are protected as historical heritage.
What has surprised you most about living in this part of France? I thought I would find the climate difficult because I like rain, unlike most people who are seeking sunshine. But I found that it does rain here sometimes, and as we are a little bit up in the hills, we do get the four seasons. But most importantly we’re blessed to live in such a beautiful, wonderful part of the world. Everything is just glorious. ■
Find more about Villa Fontane in La Garde-Freinet at
bnb-villafontane.com
© JANE ROY / VILLA FONTANE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148
