Much has been written about Vincent Van Gogh’s life, the famous Dutch painter who led an expressive, tortured life. This statue le voleur de tournesol (the Sunflower Thief) by Gabriel Sterk may just capture the essence of Van Gogh’s work – as you never quite look at sunflowers, irises, olive trees …

Whether you are a visitor or a resident in France, you may need to visit a post office. The system is surprisingly efficient given the fact that it is operated by a heavily unionized workforce. La Poste does offer a large number of services online –  here is the website. …

Are you a spelling bee champion? Or, do you rely on spell check once in a while? Are you a grammar pro? Perfecting your mother tongue is not easy! Even French speakers will admit that learning French can be frustrating… What is the word for ___? How do you conjugate …

French by birth, a traveller by nature, Martine Bertin-Peterson is a Marketing and Management Professor at the College of New Jersey. However, once classes wind down for the summer, Martine begins her bespoke Goût et Voyage tours in Provence.  “What more can a man ask of heaven? If I should happen to die …

My birthday falls on the same date every year, and I had certainly dropped enough hints that maybe my hubby should plan something to acknowledge the day. Instead, at 12:45 pm we were headed towards Arles without any sort of agenda other than I suggested a visit to Abbey de …

Admittedly, it would be a tough choice for anyone to pick between, between the lush gardens of the UK, the sunny skies of California and postcard perfect Provence. Caroline Longstaffe’s solution was to start writing a blog Shutters and Sunflowers her artistic outlet for west coast beauty, British heritage and …

Have you ever considered buying black truffle plants? Truffle plants could be a fabulous gift. The black truffle, often called “the diamond of the kitchen” grows underground close to a tree’s root system. There are hundreds of truffle varieties. Learn more at Ginger and Nutmeg’s blog post: Provence’s Black Truffle Demystified   …

With its sobering history the story of the incredible Malpasset Dam that ruptured on December 2, 1959 killing 421 is definitely worth a visit if you are near Fréjus. For a relaxing drive through an uncrowded part of Provence the Vallee de Jabron in Haute Provence has stunning vistas with …

The game of pétanque, sometimes called boules is a form of religion in Provence. Most villages have an official or unofficial boules pitch. The more elaborate centres will even have a “clubhouse” offering refreshments. The word pétanque is Provencal in origin from the word petanca, which means “feet anchored”. The game in its’ …

Grotto on a Hillside Nutmeg got a little lost on her way to this hike. Given the religious significance of the location, maybe she was not the first lost soul during the long history of the Sainte Baume grotto. The grotto is located inside a natural cave high on the …