What is the name of your accommodation? 

Aux Pins Parasols

Before we dive into the details, could you briefly introduce yourself?

Two families. One farmhouse. 13,000 square meters of wilderness in the department Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. Who would buy a home sixteen hundred kilometers away from their home base in Berlin with a family they met in their children’s day care? We would. We did. Dorian and Anna, Linnie and Nicolas plus our kids Matteo, Ella, Oskar, Milou and Tilda. Most days we don’t believe our own courage, but it makes us smile to know that we went for it. All kinds of crazy. But the good kind.

We would love to share a bit about you as a person with our customers. Would you like to tell us more about yourself? For example: your interests, free time activities, work, family, holidays?

We are travelers. Always searching for new places of wonder. Dorian’s and Nico’s French roots have had us exploring la belle France. We’ve shared vacation homes for weeks at a time, always sensually connected by the love of food, the markets, the landscapes and la belle vie. Such a contrast to our lives in Berlin filled with parenting, teaching, selling, writing and human resourcing.

When and in what way did this property come into your life and what motivated you to make it a part of your life?

Over a decade ago Linnie and Nico visited Nico’s aunt Françoise and uncle Philippe, who had built their retirement dream away from the noise, pace and pollution. The 50 olive trees still tiny, two donkeys still busy grazing and clearing the land. An eclectic haven of alternative freedom. A painting here, a sculpture there. Linnie and Nico fell in love and so they kept returning. Year after year, watching the land grow into its own. Tiny Ella feet shifting sun-drenched pebbles along the driveway, holding her great-grandmother’s hand. A dream taking root, born out of a do-it-yourself kind of crazy that only love and passion can breathe life into. When the time came to hand the dream over with age, Linnie mused with the idea of taking it over the way city folk do. Never in her wildest dreams did she think Anna, Dorian and Nico would sign up for the ride, but they did. We flew over on a Friday and had signed a napkin contract by Sunday. Love and longing at first sight.

Can you tell us more about the process of renovating and furnishing your property?

Dorian’s papa became our saving grace. A professional jack-of-all-trades, he pulled up with his van filled with every imaginable tool. The five of us tore down walls, laid terracotta tiles, opened ceilings, plastered staircases and filled containers of bygones. Emotional, always, because we were re-sculpting a vision that had once belonged to people we hold dear. Yet it slowly became ours. None of us designers, no architectural backgrounds, but here we were designing a haven of our own. One brocante treasure and brushstroke at a time. Five children swinging hammers, painting side tables and running wild through the garden that has park grandeur. All of us are nurtured by the nourishingly beautiful meals prepared by Mama Helène. Devoted and enchanted by the adventure we endeavored together. Five weeks. Fall, New Year’s and Easter holidays. That’s all we had before we would rent it out and share it with guests to sustain our piece of paradise. Guests partaking in the lovingly crafted intimacy that is Aux Pins Parasols gives us goosebumps. Your story weaving into ours is the dream.

On a personal level, what makes your property truly special for you? Any standout memories or moments that make it dear to your heart? 

Aux Pins Parasols is a feeling. Airy, private, free and wild. Safeguarded from the bustle and pace of the everyday trot. Waking to walk barefoot and naked to swim into the sunrise, reading on the tree-shaded terrace sofa while far-away giggles sound from the children’s hiding spot among treetops. It’s the sound of the lunch bell, “à table!”, that has everyone gathering for extended meals of sun-warmed tomatoes and flavorful market hauls.

How would you describe the atmosphere and interior of your property?

Aux Pins Parasols is golden afternoon light and morning fog. It’s stars you can touch by reaching your hands toward the sky. It’s birdsong and lazing coffees with pâtisserie treats that glide into l’heure apéro. Picking flowers and pine needles out of uncombed hair. Time slows down as the house and garden embrace your senses and hug your soul. Never polished, but wild. Sensuality reduced to its grain. Pure, remote, retreated.

Which part of your property do you love the most, and why?

Our expansive land invites you to lose and find yourself in a way that only nature canvases. Hiding the clock and reading the light to determine the rhythm of our days. Knowing that every time we visit, another memory is made that embroiders our life’s storybook.

What makes the location where your accommodation is located unique and special?

A capsule so private and removed from the sight of strangers, we are nestled into the home terrain of rosé. Hundreds of vineyards to visit, winding cork-oak roads to travel until the dark blue Mediterranean glistens in the distance. Every market stroll is set in a scene of French village charms. Authentic. No frills. Extraordinarily ordinary. Enchanting and sensually memorable.

Are there any sustainable or eco-friendly applications associated with your property that you are proud of?

When our aunt and uncle began to develop Aux Pins Parasols over 25 years ago, they were inspired by the terrain and the seasons. Vines, olive trees, cypresses and oleander. Blooming thym sauvage, wild asparagus and the rich, versatile nature that is Provence. Rather than taming nature, the goal is to submerge ourselves in it. We catch and store millions of raindrops in our reservoir and we collect sun rays to power the things that make our lives so comfortable.

What motivated or inspired you to rent your property to guests?

We love sharing our vision to in turn nourish our little paradise. Aux Pins Parasols is the place where we want to watch our children run wild. It’s the place our mind wanders when the mundane becomes taxing. A place we can only maintain, lovingly grow and develop by inviting you to write your own holiday chapters here. We want you to visit again and again, noticing each tiny change, celebrating the road we’ve walked to get there. We dream of a community of people whose pulse calms and whose breath slows as soon as they set foot on the gravel pathway.

Can you paint a vivid picture of the overall experience someone can expect when staying at your property?

Just you, nature and the seasons. Nothing manicured, nothing trying to be what it’s not. The smell of morning coffee prepared for a loved one who’s swimming naked while greeting the sunrise.

In what ways does your property stand out from others? What unique features or characteristics make it a one-of-a-kind experience for guests?

The private setting of Aux Pins Parasols, nestled amongst pastel villages that allow you to connect with locals and fill your wicker baskets with goodness. Then the sun-faded gate closes and the rest of the world fades away. The deep, large pool holds all your loved ones or embraces just you when you sneak a moment to float while getting lost in the blue sky that is Provence. Aux Pins Parasols is life reduced to sensual simplicity. Not fancy, just fantastically free.

Can you share the best compliment you've received from a guest? 

Aux Pins Parasols is freedom. The most beautiful compliment is when guests write to us on the morning of leaving, asking for availability the following year or during a different season.

What do you hope guests will take away or remember most from their stay in your accommodation?

Aux Pins Parasols becomes a sensation your mind wanders to for retreat. Nature’s palette, the scent of wild thyme, the sound of turning pages in a favorite book, a meal that you wish will never end.

Do you have any recommendations for guests to fully enjoy their holiday? Your valuable tips will be featured on your accommodation's page!

Don’t miss the markets. Every morning there’s one nearby to travel to. We mostly cook, but if you wish to venture out, visit La Commanderie de Peyrassol, a fascinating historic building and winery. We love their brasserie for a relaxed family-style lunch, and the restaurant Chez Jeannette just earned a Michelin star. If you’re visiting outside the summer, you can make time for a day in Aix-en-Provence. Just 50 minutes away, it’s always worth the day trip. We also love to drive the winding cork-oak-lined roads to the Mediterranean in the evenings. Plage du Fort de Brégançon is one of our favorites. Pack a picnic and swim into the sunset, or enjoy the spring and autumn sun as it catches the waves.