LOVE IS IN THE AIR

If romance is in the air for you, this is where they wrote the book on the subject, and some world-famous love songs, too. (We reveal the charming truth behind that old evergreen, 'Roses of Picardy' - see The Truth behind the Song). For writing your own love songs, an extra special place to stay is one of the essentials, and Picardy can offer the perfect backdrop, whether in the fairytale shape of luxury châteaux with Sleeping-Beauty turrets and a downy four-poster, or the cosiest of chambres d'hôtes, complete with a roaring log fire. You're in the land of rose gardens, oysters, champagne, and home-made chocolates to melt the heart - of near-empty beaches, delicious meals in discreet restaurants, whispering woodland walks and horse-drawn carriage rides through streets that have hardly changed in centuries.

CHANSONS D'AMOUR . . .

Do you remember 'La Mer'? What could be more romantic than a stroll hand in hand along the sands of the Baie de Somme beneath wide, watercolour skies with only the wheeling seagulls' cries for company as Charles Trenet's evocative voice comes drifting back? Follow that with a fireside tête à tête in a cosy quayside restaurant at St-Valery with perhaps some of those sea-fresh oysters or other local delicacies as an appetiser with your apéritif.

'The Night They Invented Champagne', perhaps? Maurice Chevalier was not from Picardy as far as we know. (If you know his birthplace, why not send a message to the Forum and let us know.) But Picardy champagne from the Marne valley is the real (appellation d'origine contrôlée) thing, and the rolling countryside round pretty villages like Chézy-sur-Marne, Condé-en-Brie or Gerberoy is perfect for intimate little walks or lazy afternoon drives.

What about 'Autumn Leaves'? Perhaps it was written to bring back happy memories of the glorious woods of Chantilly, Compiègne and Thiérache, or the glow of plane leaves on the ancient cobbles of Beauvais, Laon, Soissons or Abbeville. So when those autumn leaves start to fall, you'll be making your own memories. Imagine the sound as they scrunch beneath the carriage wheels and trotting hooves while you are driven, snug in a rug, through Gothic Amiens or Senlis.
For 'Roses of Picardy', there are the gardens of 12th century Valloires Abbey with its fairy-tale towers, Chaalis Abbey (Link to Gardens for 28 others), and plenty of other castles and châteaux too. There's charmingly elegant Chantilly, or Pierrefonds, and for romance with touch of sheer luxury, how about actually staying in one? Try Montvillargenne in deepest Oise, once owned by the fabulous Rothschilds, or the fairytale Château de Reilly. For historic atmosphere and a hint of Gallic naughtiness, there's La Tour du Roy, in Vervins (Aisne), where le patron is particularly proud of his duplex turreted rooms, impressive four-posters and a see-through double bath. The so-completely picarde, family-run Hostellerie des Remparts at Péronne is just where it says, tucked away in the ramparts of the old town, and their foie gras and carré d'agneau des prés salés (salt-marsh lamb) melts in the mouth. Or perhaps you'd prefer the cosy intimacy of a chambre d'hôte with a duck-down double duvet. (For these and more, click Accommodation).
Of course, romance can also put a spring to the step and an urge to do something quite daft, such as sand-sailing, go-carting, taking a microlite flight or making your first parachute jump. The Somme area is famous for all these, but there are plenty of more relaxed à deux activities in the form of horse riding along the beaches, or the forest paths of Retz and Compiègne or even golf. And dare we mention shopping for something special to remember it all by? Could it be a piece of antique jewellery, wedding wear, or a new look for the love-nest? If you find any other little place that brings out the romantic in you, do let us know so that we can include it. You're bound to find your heart's desire in Picardy.

'ROSES OF PICARDY' - THE TRUTH BEHIND THE SONG

This evocative World War I favourite sounds at first as if it was written for the girl left behind in England, and was probably sung by the troops as such. In fact it was written by a British officer Fred Weatherly, who fell in love with a charming young French widow while seeking refuge at her house. Their all-too-brief affair was in 1916, the year of the Battle of the Somme which started on July 1st when the roses would have been at their best, which can only add to its poignancy. Click here to find out about a battlefields tour by car,