Mas des Oliviers, Provence

A farmhouse in the hills behind Saint-Rémy, surrounded by olive groves and lavender. The main house sleeps six, with a guest cottage for two more. Long lunches under the plane tree, swimming before dinner, the cicadas in the afternoon.

The nearest village, with its twice-weekly market, is a ten-minute drive. Avignon is thirty. Marseille an hour. The house is at its best from May to October but has a fireplace and underfloor heating for shoulder-season stays.