Paris, Provence and the Cote d’Azur

Romance awaits in every Parisian arrondissement: an affair with a Latin Quarter bookshop, an admiring glance in the Musée Rodin, a starlit walk along the Seine’s storied banks. It might be as spirited as the Saint-Ouen flea market, or as solemn as the Panthéon, as fleeting as an éclair au chocolat from the Rue Montorgueil, or as languid as a stroll through the streets of Montmartre, where every lamplit corner is another postcard.

Reclining along the banks of the Rhône, Avignon could be the perfect Provencal city. It received the seal of approval from the Catholic Church, at least, in the 14th century, when it was selected as the papal seat; and while the popes may have returned to Rome, the Palais de Papes stands as the grandest of legacies: an awe-inspiring, dove-white fortress that dominates a city of quiet medieval squares and tiny local bars perfumed with pastis.

The pine-shaded playground of billionaires and beautiful Hollywood stars, this rocky peninsula east of Nice is where the French Riviera reaches its most glittering peak. Here, winding coastal routes link landscaped gardens with villas turned grand hotels, whose demonstrations of luxury are forever challenged by the superyachts that drop anchor in the azure-blue bays.