Summer Provence Lavender Fields-near-Sault
Caroline LongstaffeExploreLocals Travel Tips

Summer in Provence is When to See Lavender Fields

Throughout the Luberon region, the landscape is peppered with fields of small, round-shaped lavender bushes, which for almost nine months of the year lie dormant like sleeping hedgehogs. In the spring, they begin to sprout, and from about the middle of June, their fragrant flowers bloom, fanning their purple fronds …

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Dreaming of Christmas in Provence
Caroline LongstaffeInspireProvencal History & Traditions

Why I’m Dreaming of Christmas in Provence

We departed Lourmarin just as winter had arrived, with Christmas around the corner. The trees were almost bare, only a few remnants of their golden autumn gown still clinging to the branches. Temperatures had fallen, especially when the Mistral blew her cruel, icy breath down the Rhône Valley. There were …

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Château Léoube Rosé Provence
Caroline LongstaffeTasteWines and Spirits of Provence

Falling for Château Léoube Rosé from Provence

The first time that I tasted Château Léoube rosé was in California, not in Provence. It wasn’t that long ago that rosé wine was hard to find in the USA. Initially, it was often confused with white zinfandel, wine of a similar colour but not similar in any other way. …

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Christmas Shopping Lourmarin
Caroline LongstaffeInspireShopping & Gifts

Christmas Shopping in Lourmarin

Lourmarin in December It’s December and people everywhere are getting ready for Christmas. After weeks of blue skies and gentle warm days, it’s raining where I live in California and temperatures have plummeted. The puddles are splattered with the last remnants of autumn and the mornings are frosty with low …

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Luberon Domaine de Fontenille
Caroline LongstaffeHotels Provence & Cote d'AzurStay: Accommodation & Rentals in Provence

Find Luxury in the Luberon at Domaine de Fontenille

Imagine staying in a glorious 19th century Provencal country estate surrounded by mighty cedars, olive trees and resplendent vineyards framed by the rolling Luberon hills of the Durance Valley. Transformed in 2013 by architect Alexandre Lafourcade, Domaine de Fontenille is now a luxury spa hotel and exceptional wine domaine, with …

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Sunflowers Provence Summer Flower
Caroline LongstaffeInspire

Sunflowers in Provence the Summer Flower

What’s in a Name? Sunflowers are synonymous with Provence, their bright smiling faces adorning paintings and postcards throughout the region. With brilliant yellow petals, sometimes known as rays, their resemblance to the summer sun is unmistakable. Stunningly beautiful these dazzling flowers conjure up the very essence of summer, especially summer …

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Provencal Architecture Shutters Provence
Caroline LongstaffeInspire

Provencal Architecture and the Shutters of Provence

I’m often asked why I called my blog ‘Shutters and Sunflowers.’ To me, they are both so defining of Provence and indeed much of France. Throughout this beautiful country, many of the buildings, whether historic or recently built, are adorned with shutters. And in the summertime, everywhere but especially in …

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Isle-sur-la-Sorgue Antiques
Caroline LongstaffeExploreVillages Towns and Cities

Spend a Sunday Visiting Isle-sur-la-Sorgue Antiques

By Caroline Longstaffe Provencal Antiques Sunday morning is market day in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Known throughout Europe for its astounding array of antique shops, alongside its’ conventional Provencal market, this charming town also hosts an incredible Sunday antique market. Just 39km from Lourmarin, the pretty drive through the Luberon Valley takes about …

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Candied fruits at Lilimand Confiseur at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
Caroline LongstaffeLocal Food ProducersTaste

Sweet Treats the Candied Fruit Makers in Provence

What is Candied Fruit? Don’t ask your nutritionist’s permission when it comes to candied fruit. The answer is obviously yes. The process of converting fresh fruit to a crystallized version takes lots of time and even more sugar syrup. Sometimes referred to as fruit glacé in France. The Arabs brought …

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Lourmarin Shopping Rose Bagatelle
Caroline LongstaffeInspireShopping & Gifts

Lourmarin Shopping at Rose de Bagatelle

By Caroline Longstaffe: Lourmarin Shopping It’s a small world’, maybe an overused cliché…… Yet things often happen to me, fine gossamer strands weaving connections to my life in California and very often Provence. These invisible threads do indeed shrink my world, just like this story about the charming owner of …

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