Through the lens: La Drome, South of France

Teyssieres, Drome region - this is where I grew up

Through the lens - Tiptoe Traveller in Turkey

Recycling in Turkey, with a touch of poetry

Let me keep my towel to help save our planet!

We visited Turkey for a few days. We chose to stay in an independent hotel in the centre of Antalya. In our bathroom, there was a note saying 'to save our environment, please try and use your towels more than one day. If you wish to have a clean towel, please place used towels in your shower tray'.

I thought this was a great ecotourism initiative. We followed the iınstructions but unfortunately our towels were changed every day until we made a request to keep them. It was obvious that the staff were not aware of this practice.

How can we do our bit if travel organisations do not follow their own rules?

How can we turn green liviıng and ecotourism into a reality and not just into a box ticking exercise?

Tiptoe Traveller in: Valensole, South East of France

Living with the locals

In the summer, my husband and I went to a small village in the south of France called Valensole. The region is called Haute Provence, only 45 minutes drive from Aix-en-Provence. We stayed for a few nights in l'Atelier du jardin, an eco-friendly gite. Écogîte© is a Gîtes de France certification for green building holiday homes.

Viviane and Jean-Nicolas were great hosts. Breakfast was all home made (yogurts, cakes, pastries, bread, jams etc..) and served in beautiful potteries made by Jean-Nicolas.

There is plenty to do in the area. Les Gorges du Verdon are definitely a must see site. They are just stunning!

The nearest airport is Marseilles or for the eco-friendly option, you could travel with the Eurostar and use French public transport. But hiring a car is recommended if you want to explore the area.

We would love to go back because we didn't managed to explore the whole area in 4 days.