Holiday images of Provence saturate social media platforms. The region is a popular holiday destination for its lavender fields, market produce, historic sites, and cultural venues. With many daily international and regional plane and train arrivals, Provence should be a consideration for corporate gatherings: offsite meetings, seminars, reunions, incentive travel, …

Yesterday we awoke to freezing temperatures in Provence with bright blue skies and decided that it was far too cold for a bike ride, so instead, we would take Millie on a walk that we hadn’t done before. I know I have mentioned the fantastic walks here in previous posts, …

This is a reference guide, a list of the Markets of Provence and the Côte d’Azur, and additional travel tips. Below is a regional directory for daily markets by department (Alpes Maritimes, Bouches du Rhône, Luberon, Vaucluse, and Var) within Provence. We will add details for Alpes de Haute Provence …

There’s a new obsession running around in my head: “visit as many of France’s ‘Les Plus Beaux Villages‘ as I possibly can.”  So far, I’ve seen only 10 out of some 156 “authentic” Les Plus Beaux Villages. I have a lot of travelling to do. Les Plus Beaux Villages There …

Hilltop Crestet Crestet can be described as what I like to call Burgunesque, a word I made up for places that remind me of the rural charm of Burgundy that I first fell in love with. This village is not in Burgundy but in the gorgeous Provençal countryside with a …

“The Allure of Provence and its Wines” was previously published in Culinaire Magazine (June 2016). This updated article includes additional reading, travel tips, and details on wine colour production and terminology. Mention Provence to a friend and they likely have a mental image that involves cobalt skies, cicadas and lavender …

Having Millie, our Golden Retriever, with us in France this Winter has been lovely. Not only is it nice to have her company about the house, but it’s also meant that we have taken her on some delightful walks. Many are well-trodden routes that we have got to know well …

As I mentioned in my earlier post this week: I remember the first time I sipped a Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, a vin doux naturel (VDN, naturally sweet wine) from France’s Southern Rhône Valley. It was with Patrick Soard and his daughter Justine, of Domaine de Fenouillet, on their property – neighbours with …

Almost every year, we put together a list (or a few) of favourite restaurants in Provence. Since this is Provence, there is practically no end of terrific dining options in the region. Chefs in Provence build their menus around seasonal, locally available produce, small-batch cheeses, ethically raised meats and Mediterranean …

Very rarely do you come across a Côtes du Rhône Villages so incredible that it might as well be a Gigondas wine. However, in this case, the red wine that we used in this wine pairing from Paul Jaboulet Aîné (2020) is a nice upgrade. It is big and bold, …