Conquering France by train... and golf buggy
Paul Martin – presenter of TV’s Flog It! – and his young children discover the joys of NOT flying
THIS was our first family trip to France. We usually head to Portugal for our annual holiday – the kids l ove the beaches and the water parks. We often get a villa with a pool or else go ‘glamping’ – a spot of luxury camping.
This year, however, I decided to fulfil a long-held dream. I’ve always wanted to travel to the South of France by train direct from the UK.
We had to get up early to get to London St Pancras for the check-in time of 6.45am ready for a 7.16am departure, but it was worth it.
The four of us – my wife Charlotte and our children, Dylan, seven, and Meredith, four – travelled by standard class to Avignon, and once we were settled in our seats there was a sense of calm as Charlotte and I set up the children with reading books and colouring pens to keep them happy.
At Avignon (the train continues to Marseille) we were hit by the wonderful heat of Provence, warming our weary bodies. And within a couple of minutes we had found our transfer, courtesy of the hotel, to take us to Domaine de Manville, a five-star golf and spa retreat. On the journey there we enjoyed the view of the mountains and hills. We were booked into one of the hotel’s villas, and the contrast between the modern interior and the natural landscape of Provence, noticeable from every window, was an amazing thing to experience.
The villas had a pool to share, separate from the main larger hotel pool, which was a great alternative for having fun with the children.
Domaine de Manville is still a working olive farm and honey producer. Unfortunately, due to the time of year, it was deemed too dangerous for our ‘hands-on bee encounter’ – next time, perhaps.
We were given a golf buggy to get between the main hotel and our villa, and Dylan soon became the owner of the keys and enjoyed driving between locations.
The hotel has such an inspiring setting, looking upwards to the small town of Les Baux, with its castle ruins teetering on the edge of the rugged hillside. We went on one of the well-marked walks just outside the resort – a quick way to get the kids out for a good stroll without having to think about which way to go. The route should take about 15 minutes to complete, but with children and various distractions along the way, it took us half an hour.
As you would expect from any French establishment that’s worth its salt, the food was outstanding. On the first evening we ate in the hotel’s The Restaurant, experiencing the finest cuisine, while the simple appetites of our children were accommodated – they were more than happy with their grilled chicken.
WE also enjoyed many lunches in The Bistrot for a more informal experience, yet without a compromise on the quality on offer. The wines were fabulous and it was great to sample some of the local offerings.
The spa is a reason in itself to stay at the hotel. The design is exceptional, with various treatment rooms and the most fantastic spa pool. The spa lies off the courtyard of the main chateau. On the second day we hired a car from Arles to explore the area. The 10th Century Chateau des Baux is a delight, something for big and small kids alike to enjoy. It offers wonderful views over the area.
The mixture of shops and galleries in Les Baux and the surrounding towns and villages is enough to satisfy any shopaholic – I bought a lovely Panama hat from La Chapellerie in Baux.
We then went to the Carrieres de Lumieres, an incredible art space in a former quarry just outside the town, to enjoy a brilliant show of the Renaissance greats, where all the works were projected on to the quarry walls, with accompanying music – it really was inspiring, and such a clever use of space.
We visited the nearby town of Maussane and sat outside in the market square to watch the world go by, have a drink and eat a pizza.
The main draw of Domaine de Manville for most visitors is the golf, with instructors and fabulous facilities on offer. I am not an avid golfer so I’m not really qualified to judge, but my son and I had a very constructive lesson with local professional Stephan, who was patient and covered so much in such a short time.
There are also nearby equestrian facilities for those interested in exploring Provence on horseback, and bikes were available for hire from the hotel.
Another huge asset of Domaine de Manville is the kids’ club, which now includes two original Romany gipsy caravans to get the children out and about exploring nature.
The fun sessions are organised by Rosa – the sunniest young lady you could wish to look after your children. Even my four-year-old had no worries about heading off, while Dylan, a budding entomologist, found a selection of creatures for his collection, including a beetle and a dragonfly. Rosa helped make a bug box to transport the specimens safely home.
We went to France looking to relax – I had no plans to trawl the local antiques shops but I wouldn’t have minded. When I picked up the car I thought I might cut loose and have a bit of an antiques hunt, but I resisted the temptation.
If you’re looking for antiques, there are still bargains to be had in France. While there I spotted some early 19th Century olive oil pots – very hard to come by now, and about 3ft high. In France they cost £600 to £800, but in the UK you would pay about £1,200. You could double your money if you managed to get them back in one piece. But the thought of staggering on to Eurostar with one put me off.
I’m on the road for about 160 days of the year making BBC’s Flog It! It’s a job that involves a lot of travelling, often to far-flung corners of the UK. And when we’re filming in the North East, Scotland and down in Cornwall, you can’t just travel back home after filming finishes at 7pm so I spend lot of time in hotels.
I’ve been presenting programmes for 14 years, including Britain’s Hidden Heritage and Things You Didn’t Know About Britain. Altogether I’ve made about 1,000. I worked out I’ve seen about 13,000 miles of the British coastline.
I grew up on the coast, in Falmouth in Cornwall, so being near the sea is special to me and I love returning to Cornwall. My other favourite places include Yorkshire and the Derbyshire Dales. I’ve also fallen in love with the coastline in West Wales. From Tenby all the way up to Conway, it is absolutely stunning. Almost a match for Provence…