The first thing you should do in Terre Blanche is inhale deeply — not to find your yogic center but to discover quite possibly the best-smelling resort in the world.
Across this hilly, 750-acre swath of Provencal countryside, lavender, thyme, rosemary, jasmine and myrtle burst forth the sweetest scents nature has to offer, perfuming all five stars of this resort in France's Var hinterland.
The beauty of the landscape and its attributes wasn't lost on Sean Connery, either: He purchased the estate in 1979 from the mayor of nearby Tourettes. The actor envisioned a grand golf club and set about clearing the land for fairways. Ultimately, the project proved too much for 007 but not for German software billionaire Dietmar Hopp, who picked up the gauntlet in 1999 and opened Terre Blanche five years later.
Golf is the name of the game at Terre Blanche, with two Dave Thomas-designed 18-hole courses that continue to rack up recognition, including a No. 1 ranking last year by Golf World magazine for European golf resorts. The on-site Albatros Golf Performance Center includes a driving range, the Leadbetter Academy and even motion capture technology to analyze and optimize your swing.
But nongolfers like me don't feel left out, as the pleasures of Terre Blanche run deep, and positively subdermal at the spa — at least if you book a treatment or shimmy up against the jets of the "vitality pool." The centerpiece, however, is the 20-meter, colonnaded pool lined with rows of chaise lounges.
By the afternoon, the squeals of children pierce the chamber regularly, revealing the attraction of the resort for young families, predominantly European, who populate most public areas apart from the golf courses. So if absolute tranquility is the goal of a spa visit, aim for early morning or slip into the attached sauna and steam room for a sweaty escape. It's much the same at the nearly 6,500-square-foot, outdoor infinity pool behind the main building, but there's far more space to spread out.
Terre Blanche's four restaurants, including the Michelin-starred La Faventia, also powerfully poke the pleasure centers. Most guests take dinner in Le Gaudina, which if not boasting the pedigree of Faventia serves just as much Provencal cuisine to be proud of, particularly when pairing the ox cheek braised and glazed with lemongrass and ginger with puff pastry with praline cream and a lavender-infused martini.
The only place Terre Blanche slumps somewhat on dazzle is in the semidetached villas and suites forming the bud of the property. It's not the comfort, space or materiel that is in question but a design that, although perfectly adequate, doesn't channel as much of the spirit of Provence as perhaps it could, with simple terracotta-colored floors, pale yellow walls and beige curtains (although the outdoor terrace is a keeper).
The contrast may represent the northern European sensibilities of the owner, and, indeed, most common areas keep to grays, blacks and whites, with any flares of color kept firmly with delineated lines of upholstery, throws and artwork. It probably appeals to the wealthy, reserved clientele, who may shy away from more significant flights of fancy.
But you can always return to the breath, too, and that note alone ensures Terre Blanche stays in the memory for a lifetime, to be resuscitated each time a fragrance of supreme quality passes under your nose.
Visit en.terre-blanche.com.