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17 July 2010

Hotel Les Rosées!

Last year my husband and I went on a short trip to France.  This time I promised myself I would see the Riviera and all that the Provence region has to offer. From a recommendation from a friend  I booked us a room at Les Rosées  because it sounded perfect and its name caught my attention. The flagstoned walls are pink!  I thought, how romantic!  This is my first pink post at Pink Saturday and I'm dedicating it to Beverly and all the pink lovers.  Thank you Beverly for letting me join. If you wish to join, please click here!

We are, it turns out, the only non-honeymooners at Les Rosées, and it isn't hard to see why. It doesn't get much more romantic than this. As pretty as its name, this lovingly restored, traditional Provençal country house sits in the same flower-filled garden in which it has snoozed peacefully for more than 400 years. It is located in Mougins, just 20 minutes from the glitz of Cannes, it is a gloriously tranquil base from which to explore the most glittering stretch of the French Riviera.

The town of Mougins, only three kilometres north, is like taking a cool, flower-filled bath. All winding bougainvillaea-bedecked streets of artisan shops, fountains and picture-postcard restaurants, Mougins is exactly how you'd imagine a picturesque village on the French Riviera to be - only prettier. It's no wonder that generations of glamorous writers and beautiful people - Jean Cocteau, Man Ray, Christian Dior, Catherine Deneuve, Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel, among them - have hung out here. Most famously, Picasso spent the last 15 years of his life in Mougins, high on a clifftop overlooking the Côte d'Azur, after he married Jacqueline Roque. The fascinating Musée de La Photographie at the centre of the village has a wonderful collection of photographs of him and other 20th-century icons.
  Here are a few pictures of the hotel and of Mougins:

Arriving late and weary, we don't fancy venturing out for dinner, but a snack of ham and cheese with a glass of wine in our room is no problem. I was told that the Isadora suite is the most beautiful and is a favourite of Liza Minnelli, but we are happy with our pink spacious bedroom .
 After our long car journey, the bed, with its clouds of crisp linen, is heavenly.

Decorated in warm, earthy tones, the pink flagstoned rooms have a rustic feel, yet are still stylish.  You can see the influence of the owner's Canadian wife in the homely touches. Breakfast - everything is organic - is a treat: white tablecloths, croissants, ham and cheese, and homemade jams in the idyllic garden. The pool is a good size and, if we hadn't been on the doorstep of some of Europe's starriest towns, we could easily have spent a blissful day reading in the shade of the trees.

I convince Glenn that we have to visit the famous Fragonard perfume factory in nearby Grasse, the perfume capital of the world. A guide explains the whole process from distillation to bottling. Did you know that to extract one kilo of rose essence you need to distill 3,000 kilos of roses? The tour is free, but ends, predictably, in the factory shop and a fairly heavy sell. Glenn grumbles, but agrees to treat me to a tiny bottle (only, I suspect, because our attractive and fragrant guide recommends it so warmly). The products at Les Rosées are Fragonard, naturally, so I've already had a chance to sample them in the luxury of our pretty Provençal-style bathroom.
The highlight of the trip for Glenn undoubtedly was driving along the heart-stopping coastal roads. This should definitely be on everyone's list of romantic things to do before you die (if you are afraid of heights, stay away) - fortunately we, and our mini, make it back to the serenity of Les Rosées in one piece.

Hope you enjoyed my post!  I'm tickled pink to have joined Beverly at Pink Saturday and cant wait to visit other pink participants.  See you soon! 

19 comments:

  1. Welcome to PInk Saturday with this delightful post on one of my favorite destinations. Thanks for sharing! ~ sarah

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  2. Welcome - it was my first time too - your is much better - isn't it Paris (France) where it says something about seeing things out of rose colored glasses? And now I see way. It was beautiful there. I would LOVE to go and see that for myself. I love it. Beautiful. Thanks for stopping by.

    sandie

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  3. Mougins is so beautiful!! The stonework, painted walls, shutters, hanging baskets, planters, narrrow passages..! I'm struggling to find words to describe how attractive this place looks! Thank you!

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  4. Lovely, and could there be anything better in pink? I think not! :-)

    Welcome to PS from just across the border in Stowe, VT. We have lots of Montreal visitors here all the time.

    Happy Pink Saturday on Sunday!

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  5. Thank you for taking us along with you on this wonderful trip. I was in Paris many years ago, but was not too excited about it. Thanks for taking the time to drop by my place.

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  6. As a lover of all things pink, I'm so thrilled to have found your blog and this post.
    And the icing on the cake? The trip to the parfumerie. I will go there, for def.
    I've been to Provence (a must for aromatherapists), but not to the places you mention.
    Putting the rose distillation in perspective, to get one DROP of rose oil (true oil), you need the buds of about 50 roses! That's one of the reasons why it's so expensive, but boy is it worth it!
    See you soon again!

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  7. Nice to meet you!Just beautiful blog and interesting post!
    You have a lovely banner!
    I´m folowing too!

    Happy belated pink saturday!

    xoxo

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  8. lovely and fun! :) happy pink-ness

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  9. Anne-Marie,

    Love your photos, thanks for sharing your exotic getaway spot!

    Thanks for visiting my blog, “Inspire!” My latest posts are “Successful Living,” “No Happier” and “Celebrate!”

    Cheers,
    Ron

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  10. What a beautiful place. This made me actually long to be getting on a plane. Thank you for sharing.

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  11. Looks to be a gorgeous place. On my bucket list for romantic destinations now!

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  12. This is BEAUTIFUL. I absolutely love the photos. :)

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  13. Beautiful - my son went to the Riviera over spring break and loved it. I, of course, stayed home and worked to pay his tuition for spring term :(

    The life of a Mom is not so glamorous

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  14. Great post and what a beautiful place!!! Really fun sharing your trip:)

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  15. ahhh!! Just picture perfect!! just like from the postcards. the place is sooo romantic and rustic!! Envy! lol

    By the way, theres something wrong with your blog update on my dashboard. The last post im seeing was like 2 months ago. i thought your stopped blogging for a while. good thing i tried to check you out..

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  16. Hi there! Just found you through a blog hop, and I'm now following!

    I am a former French teacher myself, and Montreal is one of my favourite destinations (I live in Ontario). I'm looking forward to getting to know you further!

    Kate @ This Mom Loves

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  17. Anne-Marie, this is a very belated welcome to your first Pink Saturday. I have been so busy at work that I have not been able to visit, but I want you to know I am glad you joined us.

    What an exquisite place this is. It must seem like a dream of beauty. I would have been nervous of those roads, too.

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  18. What a lovely post about France. I h've heard that the Riviera is just horrible with all the people , the noice, the cars..... But where you were it just looks great, so peaceful. maybe next year or maybe in fall We could go there......

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  19. Hi, I really adore your blog and the concept... I'm your newest follower, stop by and visit me at healthy living and a balanced you www.aliciahunter.net

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