If the sights of Carcassonne leave you wanting a taste of traditional accommodation, Chateau de Siran, which lies among the vineyards of the regional park of Haut Languedoc, is a 16th century country house with oodles of elegance.
It has vaulted walls, high ceilings and a remarkable renaissance sandstone staircase.
The rooms are light and airy with frescoes in Tuscan style paintings as well as mod cons. The hotel also holds wine workshops that take guests through the best wines of the region.
To book visit Chateau De Siran x
Could this be the coolest lifestyle centre ever?
Pedalling away on the exercise bikes while gazing at the view of the French countryside certainly beat going my local gym!
Le Mas Candille is a five star French estate that spreads across 4.5 hectares in the hills of Mougins.
It offers the kind of privacy that is much sought after by the rich and famous - Penelope Cruz and Kirsten Dunst have stayed here.
The Black Eye Peas have dined here. Expect rich French delicacies. This is a place to indulge.
Michelin starred executive chef Serge Gouloumes is at the helm.
I enjoyed a menu of foie gras tatin with Armagnac followed by wild sea bass served with fried rice and a vinaigrette of ginger and seaweed and a yuzu foam.
Monsieur Gouloumes is an artist in his kitchen, marrying delicate flavours, building textures and sculpting dishes that are masterpieces in their own right.
It's well worth booking on a culinary course with him. It starts with a visit to the famous Forville Market in Cannes to buy local produce and then you head to his kitchen to learn how to prepare his recipes.
This hotel is a place where the stars go to get away from the craziness of the Cannes film Festival or the Monaco Grand Prix both held in May, and the staff are very discreet.
It feels like you are smack bang in the middle of the French countryside yet you are on the doorstep of the playground that is the French Riviera. Cannes is only 15 minutes away, Monaco is 45 minutes and St Tropez is an hour, by car.
Visit Le Mas Candille to make a booking x
Horse riding, antiquing and boat trips are not exactly the first things that spring to mind as things to do in the London Docklands area.
The area can be pretty manic. Thousands of business people march along making urgent calls made into smartphones and tube announcements to get on the train, get off the train and mind the gap, constantly ring in your ears.
The fact is, The Dockalnds is also a major tourist destination where it is possible to mimic a country break and relax.
Just four stops away from Canary Wharf on the DLR is Mudchute, which is home to Mudchute Farm. Here the only sound to break the peace was a cock crowing. At 32-acres, Mudchute is the largest of the capital's 15 city farms and offers riding lessons in its arena and surrounding countryside.
A half hour horseback tour of the land, which is home to llamas, Gloucester Old Spot pigs, cows, goats and other farm animals, is an ideal way to begin a country break.
Lessons are in the mornings and evenings and costs £25 per adult for an hour's group session. Booking in advance is essential because they are popular.
Yes it's true you can buy vintage anywhere in London and easily picnic in the Royal Parks, but Greenwich village, a waterside escape with Georgian buildings, is wonderfully twee. There are loads of designers, riverside cafes and a chilled out vibe.
Greenwich Market has about 100 designer makers selling original clothes, art, accessories and gifts.
The weekend Clock Tower Market specialises in all things vintage. You can even get arty yourself painting plates at Biscuit Ceramic Cafe, on Nelson Road.
Take a peek in National Maritime Museum, walk up to Royal Observatory and have ice cream in the park.
Stay at:
The Radisson Edwardian New Providence Wharf is ideal for a massage and dinner.
The 169-room tower luxury hotel in the usual wharf architectural style has a sleek interior and no chintz in sight.
It is an ideal place to stay because it has mod cons – Bang & Olufsen stereos, entertainment systems, bathroom television and Wifi.
It's East River Spa has five treatment rooms, steam, sauna, rain showers and ice, all top quality with intense heat with twinkly lights.
The Thai-style relaxation room has heated loungers where you can sip chamomile and gaze at the panoramic view of the O2.
Plenty to do:
There's continental cafe culture at St Katherine's Dock marina, water sports and speed boat rides on the river, theatre, shows and stars at The O2 arena and green spaces for sunbathing.
Plus:
A £40 million project to install cycle docking stations in the Docklands had been given the green light. By 2012, hiring a bike will be as easy as swiping a debit card in the nearest cycle docking station, which of course you will be able to pinpoint by an app on your smartphones.
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