AFTER a five-day sojourn in the Provence Alps and 'Green' Provence, I'm moved to put a small vase of fresh flowers on the kitchen table each day, eat only fresh food, plan a herb and vegetable garden and get out on my bike more. People live life to the full here. In the Gorges du Verdon, they're cycling up and down hills, climbing with ropes or walking along wellmarked trails. The more sedentary pleasures of eating and drinking are also glorified. Inland from the increasingly pricey Marseilles and the exorbitant St Tropez, inexpensive restaurants and tables d'h�te offer sublime meals in gorgeously remote settings. Several courses accompanied by local wines will be presented by an enthusiastic waiter and the bill will leave you shaking your head in disbelief and planning to move here.

A two-hour drive from the coast brings you into the heart of the Alpes-deHaute-Provence and the ridiculously picturesque village of Moustiers Sainte Marie. Set on either side of a narrow rocky canyon, this ancient village is divided by a rushing mountain stream.

Narrow medieval streets and vaulted passages lead to the centrepiece of the village, the 12th-century Notre Dame church, topped by a four-level Italianate bell tower. A golden star hangs over the village, suspended high across the valley by a forged-iron chain and fastened into solid rock on each side of the gorge. The original star, legend has it, was placed there by a grateful knight returning from the crusades.

The Notre Dame de Beauvoir chapel, reached by steep stone steps, dates back to the time of Charlemagne in the eighth century and is built on the site of a fifthcentury church. A thriving town in the middle ages, Moustiers now earns its living mainly from the sale of faiences, typical Proven�al pottery.

Good restaurants are plentiful. Les Santons has a leafy terrace and excellent food served by an endearing host, who balanced precariously on the balcony to divert a stream of water from the roof, which threatened our table after a heavy downpour.

There are well-marked hiking trails all around Moustiers. A bilingual Canadian guide at the tourist office, author of a book on hiking and bike trails in the region, will point you in the right direction. Nearby, the Gorges du Verdon is a spectacular canyon, 700 metres deep, that forms a border between the Alpesde-Haute-Provence and the Var. The Route des Cr�tes starts just north of La Palud-sur-Verdon and follows the full 23km loop along the edge of the northern rim, offering the best views of the canyon.

The Verdun flows into an enormous turquoise lake, the Lac de Ste Croix, formed when a dam was built in 1975.

France's newest village was built on the lakeside to replace the original village now lying beneath the lake. The lake shore has plenty of beaches and picnic areas and the size of the lake gives a feeling of endless space and light.

The Verdon canyon was a natural home for primitive man. In the Grotte de la Baume Bonne at the village of Quinson, a few miles west of Lac de Ste Croix, hundreds of 400,000-year-old artefacts have been unearthed. A museum of prehistory, the largest in Europe, was opened in 2001, designed by the English architect Norman Foster.

Brignoles is an attractive, lively town at the heart of what has been dubbed La Provence Verte, or Green Provence, an unspoilt area of the Var region, which lies south of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Chambre d'hote accommodation in quirky, friendly homes comes at surprisingly low cost in these parts. La Cordeline, in the centre of Brignoles, is a 16th-century stately townhouse, with a jacuzzi in the garden and a roaring fire in the sitting room.

A couple of miles away, in Vins-surCaramy, you can stay in a Renaissance castle, lovingly restored by its owner over a period of 40 years. The main courtyard of chateau de Vins is surrounded by four circular corner towers and is overlooked by an arcaded loggia, a perfect setting for the summer concerts held here.

The Hostellerie de l'Abbaye Celle, just outside Brignoles, is considered by locals to be the best restaurant around. Its haute cuisine and impeccable service will guarantee your return. Walking around the gardens you can see some of the ingredients of your dinner - bright tomatoes;

white, pink and purple aubergines; green, yellow and red peppers; spinach; peas;

salads and aromatic herbs. Guests can watch the dishes being prepared in the kitchen and be left in no doubt that this is a very special place. You can stay here too, in the suite favoured by Charles de Gaulle.

Walks in the area include Mount SainteBaume, famed for its healthy climate.

Here you can make the steep climb to the grotto where Mary Magdelene is supposed to have lived for the last 30 years of her life. In the crypt of the Basilica of St Maximin, the biggest Gothic building in southeast France, you'll see a black skull said to be that of the penitent saint, which is paraded round the town every year.

The most attractive coastal town in the Var regions is Hyeres. This medieval town, unlike others along the coast, has remained relatively undeveloped, with narrow streets, arched gateways and old houses painted in Proven�al pastels with contrasting shutters and doors. In the 19th century, the town was popular with the British aristocracy and Queen Victoria was a regular visitor. British visitors are on the increase again since Ryanair began using the small airport of Toulon-Hyeres.

Irish visitors can easily access the region via Marseilles with Aer Lingus and Ryanair. And while most people come to Provence for the mild weather and gentle art de vivre, the more robust are drawn to the winter skiing. A new bus shuttle service, la Navette Blanche, goes direct from Marseilles airport to the ski resorts of the southern Alps.

For more information check out:

www. franceguide. com www. discover-southoffrance. com www. alpes-haute-provence. com www. vartourism. com www. laprovenceverte. fr www. hyeres-tourisme. com THE FACTS SLEEPING Hotel Clos des Iris, Chemin de Quinson, Moustiers Sainte Marie, 00 33 (0)49 274 6346 www. closdesiris. fr; La Cordeline, 14 rue des Cordeliers, Brignoles, 00 33 (0)49 459 1866; Chateau de Vins sur Caramy 00 33 (0)49 472 5040; Tonic Hotel, 43 Quai des Belges, Marseilles, 00 33 (0)49 155 6746, www. tonichotel. com EATING Les Santons, Place de l'Eglise, Moustiers, 00 33 (0)49 274 6648; Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de la Celle, Place du General de Gaulle, La Celle, 00 33 (0)49 805 1414, www. abbaye-celle. com; Restaurant du Golf de Barbaroux, route de Cabasse, Brignoles 0033 (0)49 469 6364, www. barbaroux. com; Le Poisson Rouge, Port du Niel, Hyeres, www. lepoissonrouge. fr