Bandol, Provence is a small bright seaside village between Marseille and Toulon. It is a truly lovely village and we enjoyed a great lunch with a sea view on our first afternoon. But, what had really drawn us to the Bandol region was up behind the sea in the rough and rocky hills where the local Mourvedre grape is grown. The Bandol appellation produces some of the most distinctive wines -notably reds- of the French South and we were anxious to give them a taste!
After lunch we headed up through colorful vineyards in search of our hotel, Hostellerie Berard, in La Cadiere-d'Azur, a small medieval village perched on a hilltop about 6k north of Bandol. What a treat! The village is colorful and quaint and a perfect location to explore the Bandol wineries.
La Cadiere-d'Azur
View from the Village.
Enjoying our first evening stroll in our little hilltop village.
