The region north of Sainte Maxime offers beautiful Provencal landscapes with typical villages. I suggest you go on a day trip to the hinterland of the Cote d’Azur. Leave early, because there is a lot to visit…

• Draguignan: a nice town with a lively medieval quarter. As you are interested in local history, then you should visit the Musee des Arts Populaires (old farm tools, costumes, furniture, photos of peasant life…)

Also worth visiting today, the ‘Massif de l’Esterel’. It is an area of red rocks (maybe not as impressive as the Grand Canyon, but it is the strangest sight in Provence) located East of Sainte Maxime. The ‘Massif de l’Esterel’ is a great area for hiking. Driving is not easy since the roads are quite narrow, but if you don’t mind rough driving, take one of the narrow hill roads into the wild heart of the Esterel. Then you can walk to the top of the main peaks: ‘Pic de l’Ours’, ‘Pic du Cap Roux’ (near the coast), ‘Pic Vinaigre’. The views are beautiful.

If you have enough time, on your way back to Sainte Maxime, you can stop in Cannes: It is one of the most glamorous seaside resorts in Europe, mainly because of the International Film Festival.

While you are in Cannes, you should have a nice walk on la Croisette (along the coast).

Other interesting places to visit around Cannes are Mougins and Biot, which are two typical hill towns. See attached Map 6 for locations.