“The bull has escaped!” Cowboy Culture in Provence I looked up to see a thousand pounds of anger barreling down the street at me. Everyone scattered, frantically jumping over the metal barriers to safety. The bull thundered past, followed by closely by French cowboys on horseback. It was a terrifying …

Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: This market is so big you need a little map! Forgive my silly map-drawing skills… Arles Market on Saturdays The Arles Saturday market is one of the largest in Provence. Each of the 450 vendors have an average of 5-metre large stands. If you arrive …

Calisson d’Aix is a specialty candy from Aix en Provence made with almonds, melon and citrus paste. The actual origin of the recipe is most likely from Italy. The following recipe does not follow the same exacting industry standards, but is a fun “Sunday project” with a sweet result.

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: Looks like the 3-year renovation at Piscine Yves Blanc is going well and that the pool will re-open in September 2018 (yay!). The main work of enlarging the pools and developing changing rooms and offices is done; now it’s over to the plumbers, electricians and tilers. …

Provence is synonymous with sunshine, lavender and rosé wine and can get a little hectic in the summer months (July and August). So, we’d like to share what we love about Provence the rest of the year, especially in winter! Firstly, it’s much calmer people-wise. The climate can also be …

Learning a second language is never easy, and as a uni-lingual adult, the long “road” to mastering French is daunting. Even native French speakers agree that there are more exceptions to the language’s rules than necessary, and let’s not even begin to talk about verbs. Marina Depoorter is the founder …

It took over 600 years to open this luxurious bed and breakfast in the heart of Avignon. La Divine Comédie is a jewel of a guest house with five suites and a magical garden, the successful outcome of the owners Amaury de Villoutreys and Gilles Jauffret’s vision. They purchased the …

I can honestly say that cycling in Provence is always a delight, but sometimes we do a new ride that just makes my heart sing & leaves me feeling as if I’m grinning ‘from the inside out and that’s just how I felt after doing this route earlier this week. …

Until recently the village of Saumane, in the Vaucluse, was not on many tourist’s itineraries and the town’s residents probably liked it that way. After four years of restoration work and a large budget, the hilltop Château de Saumane has opened for public visits during summer months. Writer, philosopher, political …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: Peter Mayle once wrote that Chez Etienne was his favourite Marseille restaurant for lunch and it seems he is not alone. As the locals say, ‘Il faut absolument passer, un fois, dans sa vie, chez Etienne’. Even Gault & Millau call it a ‘veritable institution’. Mayle …