* Provence: Verdon Gorges, The Grand Canyon of Europe

Lunch at Riez la Romaine. Archaeological digs and roman ruins will take you back in time in this tiny village full of character. On to admire the lavender fields of Valensole and then stop at the Honey Centre where you can learn all about the busy bee's work and taste some locally produced honey. Dinner and overnight.

A spectacular day's hiking in the Verdon Gorges. Picnic on the river banks and admire the limestone strata of the sheer rock walls, towering above a sliver of water, before continuing to an old road workers post. Stunning scenery and the turquoise waters of the Verdon river are yours to savour all day long. Dinner and overnight.

Start with a short hike through the St Maurin caves with their fragile rock formations, one of nature's wonderful works of art. Continue to the "Route des Cretes" up on the north side of the canyon for a picnic and a peaceful afternoon dedicated to bird watching, notably the wild vultures circling on high, hundreds of metres above the trickling river. Dinner and overnight.

Visit the village of Aiguines at the mouth of the Verdon Canyon, in a spectacular setting overlooking the enormous Ste Croix Lake. Lunch.