Sussex and Provence

It is not quite a year in Provence for Kay and Steffan Gadd, but the Sussex couple always spend at least March to September in their delightful farmhouse in the village of Bonnieux. "We think it's paradise here," says Kay. "We love everything about the lifestyle.

"The house was a wreck when we bought it 12 years ago, and it took us two years to renovate. At the time, we used to drive down for occasional holidays. But now we have the luxury of spending much more time here. We know the area intimately and have a large circle of friends. It's not like a holiday home.

"In winter, we close down the house and get somebody to keep an eye on it and to start up the car from time to time."

One of their hang-outs is the Provence Country Club, where they play golf. This is a British-backed development where "leaseback" apartments cost from £90,000, through FPDSavills (020 7824 9029).