Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: Our Renovation in Provence: The Demolition Continues! You’re going to have to brace yourselves for a little hideousness- but we’ve started taring down the wood panels downstairs. This panelling so popular in the 70s is a form of cache misère which basically translates into hiding …

Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: Our New House (!!!) is just the end section of this Mas (Provencal farmhouse) that is actually well known in the area as the Mas Longue (Long Farmhouse). There are even postcards of this building from 100 years ago! We are in the centre of …

Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: Our version of Peter Mayle’s “A Year in Provence” After two years, the time had come for us to finally settle down and buy a house in beautiful Provence! What we wanted Oh the dream of a Provencal farmhouse… One day… Our minuscule budget dictated our …

Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: Camili Books and Tea I stumbled across this bookstore and tearoom only a few months ago despite the fact that I had been living 20 minutes away from Avignon for a year. I had always gone to Aix en Provence for my English books. …

Rosemary and Bay Truffles – “The Essence of Flavour” Truffle faux pas Last year, as a gift for a kind favour, Robin and I baked these amazing truffles and presented them to a neighbour in a pretty glass jar. She looked at us almost in disgust. Not only had we …

Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: Personally, I love experiences as gifts. My man has bought me all manner of classes and courses as gifts to feed my love for learning. Last Christmas, he bought me a cooking class at the charming restaurant La Petit Maison du Cucuron. Chef Eric …

Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: Fennel bulbs are in season and looking good! I must admit, and you’ve probably noticed, that I am obsessed with markets. Despite generally scheduling my entire week around whichever market I would like to visit, I sometimes just can’t get to the market I …

Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: I was at the Carpentras flea market a couple weeks ago and came upon this 1920s album. I couldn’t help myself when I saw that the book was being sold with postcards as well. Despite most likely paying too much, the first 3 pages …

Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: My local farm shop is selling these tender shoots at the moment. Large baskets of the just-picked leaves are set up to pick and choose. I originally placed only 2 varieties in my basket before I was told that the combination of Roquette (Arugula), …

Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: The other evening I witnessed the most beautiful sunset I’ve yet to see in Provence. Sadly, the camera cannot truly do justice to the intense colours we saw- but I’ll share these images with you anyways! First, while wandering the garrigue landscape admiring the …