a flavour of provence ....

“Provence is a country to which I am always returning, next week, next year, any day now, as soon as I can get on a train,” wrote Elizabeth David, the esteemed food writer who introduced the joys of French cooking to a post-war British public.

And it’s not difficult to understand why. With 900 kilometres/560 miles of coastline stretching from the golden beaches of the Riviera to the windswept expanses of the Camargue; vibrant cities and time-forgotten villages; rolling fields of lavender; colourful festivals and mouth-watering food, this south-eastern corner of France has long attracted visitors from far and wide.

Like the Greeks before them, the Romans knew a good thing when they saw it. Arriving in the 2nd century BC, their six-hundred-year stay in Provence – so-called because it was the first Roman province outside of Italy – shaped the region we know today. Towns were built at Orange, Arles, Fréjus, Nîmes … where fine examples of Roman engineering and architecture still stand strong. The Roman theatre in Orange, the best preserved in Europe, is one of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Provence (the others being Montmajour Abbey near Arles and the Popes’ Palace in Avignon), and the Pont-du-Gard aqueduct, 50m/164ft high, is the highest Roman aqueduct in existence. The Musée de l’Arles et de la Provence Antiques in Arles is a must-visit for keen historians.

Toast the Romans too as you sip a glass of the palest rosé. Although wine was first introduced into the region by the Greeks around 600 BC, it was the Roman soldiers who retired to Provence who developed the vineyards. These days, Cassis (white) and Bandol (red) lead the pack of the AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) classified vins from the Côtes de Provence and Côtes du Rhône stables. Provence is France’s largest producer of rosé wines and its fourth-largest grape-growing region.

All are the perfect accompaniment to the local cuisine. Thanks to enthusiasts like Elizabeth David and, more recently, Rick Stein, Francophiles are able to recreate ‘a taste of the Med’ at home – but there’s no substitute for the real thing. Diverse landscapes and 300 days of sunshine per year ensure the finest ingredients for regional dishes.

In the Camargue, gardianne de taureau is top of the list: a rich, bull-meat casserole served with red or white Camargue rice. Bouillabaisse, a copious fish stew, is the order of the day around Marseille’s Vieux Port and Sisteron lamb, naturally scented with rosemary and thyme, will tickle your taste buds in the perched villages of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The ubiquitous Aïoli (steamed cod, potatoes, carrots and green beans served with garlic mayonnaise) always goes down well.

Whatever you’re eating, you can guarantee that ‘green gold’ is at the base – Provence’s olive oil was awarded the AOC label in March 2007, a title only given to products of the highest quality. Visit any market – there’s at least one in most towns and villages – and the size (impressive), colour (vivid) and smell (fresh) of the vegetables will astound you. The daily morning market in Nice’s Cours Saleya is well worth a detour.

Ah yes, the sunshine. The great and the good have been flocking to the South of France since the 18th century, when Hyères-les-Palmiers near the naval city of Toulon was the place to be seen. Today, nearby Giens Peninsula is one of the world’s best spots for wind-surfing and the sleepy island of Porquerolles across the way, one of the three Caribbeanesque Îles d’Or (Golden Islands), hides one of the finest beaches in the region – the plage d’Argent.

But it was the artists, attracted by the strong light and rugged geography, who really put Provence on the map. Paul Signac discovered the little fishing port of St Tropez in 1892 and his friends, including Seurat and Matisse, soon followed – view some of their work in the village’s charming Musée de l’Annonciade. Meanwhile in Aix-en-Provence, local boy Paul Cézanne was painting Ste-Victoire mountain and developing Cubism – you can still visit his house/studio in the city.

From 1888-90 Vincent Van Gogh found himself in Arles and St-Rémy-de-Provence, a turbulent period, which turned out such masterpieces as the sunflowers, Café de la Nuit and Starry Night. An exhibition of his work – along with paintings by his friend Adolphe Monticelli (Marseille-born artist) – will be held in Marseille, France’s oldest and second-largest city, from 12th September 2008 to 11th January 2009.

Whatever time of year you visit Provence, you won’t be far away from a festival or celebration. In February, the Var department’s coast is bathed in yellow as the mimosas are in full bloom. To celebrate, flower parades (Corso du Mimosa) are held from Bormes-les-Mimosas to St-Raphael. May welcomes the Féria de Nîmes, where Camargue culture, fused with Spanish influences, is celebrated across the city with bullfights and daring displays of horsemanship.

In the same month, Grasse hosts the Expo-Rose international cut-rose exhibition, showing 50,000 of the flowers. In June this year, the town’s International Perfume Museum reopens after a €11m/£8.5m makeover so fans of Patrick Süskind’s novel will be able to test their own olfactory abilities.

Lovers of the arts are spoilt for choice in July, when several world-class festivals are held: the International Festival of Lyric Art in Aix-en-Provence; Nice Jazz Fest; Les Rencontres d’Arles International Photography Festival; Les Chorégies d’Orange, which sees some of the world’s finest opera singers perform in the Roman theatre, and Avignon Festival, where many of the theatre productions take place in the shadow of the Palais des Papes, the 14th-century residence of the Popes.

So whatever your preferred mode of travel, when you’ve felt the warm sun on your skin, smelt the lingering perfume of lavender and thyme, tasted that first chilled drop of rosé, been serenaded by the acoustic talents of the cicadas and watched the sun dance off the aquamarine water, like Elizabeth David and millions before and after, I can guarantee you’ll be back for more.

For further information see www.discover-southoffrance.com

Odyssey is the magazine of luxury cruise company Noble Caledonia (www.noble-caledonia.co.uk)