The search
Finding the locations was just one element of my search . Getting into these places , if they were private , was a whole other task and no less daunting . I had to find out whom owned the villa or chateau . Try to contact the owner and ask permission to visit . These are very private , wealthy people with large secluded properties . Thankfully , the admiration for Churchill and documenting history won them over , and I was kindly granted access .
I visited Cassis , Lourmarin , Pont-du-Gard , Cap de Antibes and many other locations on my journey to follow in his footsteps . Discovering where Churchill painted the red rocks between Theoule and St Raphael was a special find , It ’ s really not that easy to find a specific rock among a coastline full of red rocks !
Living the highlife
There is no doubt that Churchill lived a grand life on the French Riviera . Not for him the life of poor , starving artist . His travels were replete with valets , Scotland Yard Detective bodyguards , secretaries and all manner of equipment to write and paint .
Churchill was a Francophile and loved his trips to the Cote d ’ Azur , coming often and staying as long as was permissible .
Though there was one occasion he ventured there alone . Winston , arriving at the glorious Chateau de l ’ Horizon and low on funds , tried the hazardous experiment of foregoing his valet . Greeted by his hostess , Maxine Elliott , he said “ You have no idea how easy it is to travel without a servant . I came away from London alone and it was quite