To see and to do

Culture: Roman ruins are dotted around the area. The sea with its beaches are all within 2 hours even as far as Nice. St.Tropez just 1 1/2 hours. Visit wineries, olive oil mills, deserted hill top village, village markets with everything from foods to merry-go-rounds. The pottery studios in lovely Moustiers-Ste-Marie are world famous as are the tile works in Salerne. Almost every village has artists of one type or another.

There are airdromes for gliding enthusiasts, golf courses, tennis courts and swimming pools. There are organized bus tours of the region from Greoux-les-bains. Also in Greoux is the new casino. Or just enjoy people watching from the cafes everywhere. Of course there is always the afternoon snooze in the comfy terrace chaise longue in the shade of the umbrellas.

Shopping :There is excellent shopping both in the area and within an hour's drive. FOOD is to be found at your doorstep in the hamlet. Though small, the Superette has an excellent food selection, wine selection and hardware. It is open most of the year but closes for a month usually during winter for vacation and during the off season is not open everyday. Even the Tabac sells useful items from news papers to holiday clothing, espadrilles, camping gaz, caps, fishing gear etc.

Riez has one of the best village square markets in the region on Wednesday and Saturdays. The rotisserie chicken is not to be missed. The fish stall has superb fresh fish, Thiery bread is wood oven baked and used organic grains. It also has many shops and a supermarket (Intermarche).
Greoux-les-Bains has many food stores, Durandau is one of the best patisserie's in France also selling bread from organically raised local grains, cafes, restaurants etc.
Moustiers-Ste.-Marie is a charming village not to be missed that specializes in refined pottery.
Manosque has 4 giant supermarkets selling everything - Hyper-U, LeClerc, Auchon and Intermarché. The Hyper-U also sells the least expensive auto fuels in the area. The stores in the old town are lovely. It is also a center for the less exotic shopping such as auto repair, discount shoes and home improvement items from tools to garden. The factory and factory outlet for L'Occitane (04.92.70.19.50, ZI St. Maurice) is on the outskirts of Manosque in the industrial zone on the south side alongside the Autoroute near the Manosque exit.
Forqualquier on the far side of Manosque is a charming town and has some lovely small shops.
Aix-en-Provence is famous for its out door market that takes over the old town. All days the pedestrian streets are filled with charming shops of every kind with many of the world famous designers represented.

Further afield, Marseilles is just over an hour, Cannes and Nice not more than 2 hours. One of the best wine outlets is the Maison du Vin in Les Arcs on the main road N7 between Les Arcs and Vidauban. These are not Grand Cru, but it offers tasting of most of the wines in the region. Montignac also has some pretty good "plonk" at their Co-op.

Opening Hours: Remember to check when the stores are open and closed. They tend to say open longer hours, more days and over lunch during the high season, but you caon't rely on that. Nor can you be sure they will or will not open on Sundays or Mondays and if they close for lunch. Best to call ahead to save yourself the frustration of a wasted trip. Usually even when most are closed, you can find a small Codec or Casino on a corner that is open for the basics.

Restaurants : The region is just far enough from the coastal cities that it supplies its own needs for modest, medium and world class restaurants. Alain Ducasse the only 9 Michelin star chef in the world has his own country inn just half an hour away in Moustiers-Ste-Marie. For recommendations:

Medical care : There are 40 doctors in Greoux-les-Bains and a hospital with emergency room facilities in Manosque. Manosque is a medical center with many specialist's offices. There are two English speaking doctors in Greoux-les-Bains and there is a cardiologist in Manosque at the hospital who is fluent in English.