After long lunches, guests would change into casual clothes, dip in the pool, play a round of pétanque, or sit and admire the view, anchored by a rare, ancient parasol pine typical of the South of France. They could gaze at distant vineyards, fields of lavender and scarlet thyme, and breathe in the heady, herbal scent so evocative of the South of France in summer. They might drive the 15 minutes to the local beach at Beauvallon for a swim, or head into Saint-Tropez, another 15 minutes on, for a night out. For culture, there was the Chartreuse de la Verne, the monastery founded in 1170, or the hilltop villages of Gassin, Ramatuelle, and Grimaud, with their local markets.
Photographed by,Chloé Le Drezen
Cocktails might be a glass of house rosé (La Tour de l’Horloge of Les Vignerons de Grimaud)—though Jacqueline herself preferred a White Lady, with French lemon juice. Dinner was always a different kind of fresh fish, perhaps a carpaccio with a soup or salad course, followed by Edouard’s favorite dessert: a crown-shaped bavarois, made with yogurt and topped with fresh fruit and wild strawberries. Regional dishes like canard aux pêches (duck with peaches) were served hot at lunch, followed by salad and cheese with wine. In colder months, friends and family retreated to the cozier rooms and the fireplace, where a Blue Edition Eilersen table from 1970 is flanked by early ’70s Mario Bellini poufs.
