Schools out for Summer

Schools out for Summer meant just one thing for me; a road-trip through France, waiting for the moment to erect the huge family frame-tent at our final destination. This ultimately became Provence, an area my Dad fell in love with and returned to on an annual basis. We didn't complain. The sun was always guaranteed and the campsite pool was something special.

Provencal summer hols introduced us to the French set menu - not much choice, but often there was poulet frites, which suited my younger brother. Don't think he ate anything else for two weeks! It was the Nandos of our time. The set menu was something of a novelty back then and an idea my Dad fell in love with, probably due to its exceptional good value. My ten year old self loved the bottomless basket of baguette, the frites and cute orangina bottles.....in fact nothing's changed, I still do.

France remains a hugely popular holiday destination for many families. 80 million tourists will visit France in the Summer months every year. And August is the peak month. The French themselves take very long Summer breaks, often the entire month of August, frequently visiting family, rarely venturing abroad. This explains why the popular beach locations; French Riviera, Cote d'Azur, Brittany, Normandy, Corsica , will be heaving in August, creating an anxious race for a terrace seat at Apéro time.

I like to think that my Dad would be French Living's biggest fan, probably by-passing the French Summer crowds, deciding to give Provence a miss in August and choose our King Street terrace instead.

It's as if French Living was designed to rekindle those past summer memories because everything Dad loved about our French camping holidays in Provence is all there on our menu - a good value three course set menu, bière pression, soupe de poisson, magret de canard and of course a classic crème brulée.

Beat the crowds this summer, be one step ahead and indulge in a French Summer holiday, sipping one of our unusual guest wines, a Ricard, a kir, something bubbly...even an Orangina... on the Nottingham Riviera.