Gordes Luberon
Cheryl ShufflebothamExploreVillages Towns and Cities

Visiting Gordes —The Crown Jewel Village of the Luberon Valley

Placed in a commanding position with all her majestic glory is a village that shines like a jewel above all others. She wears her crown well as visitors flock to capture her image from the valley below. The best time to see Gordes is when it’s calm in the early …

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Villa Ephrussi Cap Ferrat French Riviera
Cheryl ShufflebothamExploreVillages Towns and Cities

Visit Cap Ferrat and Villa Ephrussi for a Touch of Italy in France

Located on the gorgeous Cap Ferrat peninsula, overlooking the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer and Beaulieu-sur-Mer, is an Italian-style villa built during France’s Belle Époque by Baroness Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild. The mansion, with its nine exquisite gardens, was bequeathed in 1934 to the Académie des Beaux-Arts of the Institut de France. …

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Hotel Crillon le Brave
Cheryl ShufflebothamRestaurant RecommendationsTaste

An Enchanting Evening at Hotel Crillon le Brave

Tucked away in a small hilltop village overlooking a landscape of vineyards and olive groves, lying in the shadow of Mont Ventoux, and practically bordering the villages of the Côtes du Rhône appellation is an intimate gem of a resort intertwined in the streets of the village. Hotel Crillon le …

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Les Bories Luxury Hotel Gordes
Cheryl ShufflebothamHotels Provence & Cote d'AzurLiving in ProvenceStay: Accommodation & Rentals in Provence

Les Bories Luxury Hotel and a Spa Hidden in Gordes

Secluded in a 20-acre aromatic park of olive and cypress trees, lavender, rosemary, and thyme is a hidden little retreat called les Bories, which is located on a quiet road across from Gordes. Les Bories is a five-star luxury hotel with a beautiful spa that offers extensive treatments. So in …

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Mas des Sens Luberon
Cheryl ShufflebothamRental & Self-Catered Properties in ProvenceStay: Accommodation & Rentals in Provence

Mas des Sens is a Provençal Oasis in the Luberon Valley

I really don’t want to share this one, I really don’t. But it’s pure kindness that makes me not withhold. In the Luberon valley, just below Bonnieux and Lacoste, lies an oasis of perfection called Mas des Sens. Le mas is a gorgeously manicured property in a quiet, rural location and …

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French Pharmacy Allergic Provence
Cheryl ShufflebothamInspireShopping & Gifts

Allergic to Provence? A Trip to the French Pharmacy

Please no! Anything but that. Upon visiting Provence this past June, with the unusually high temperatures of 95-100 degrees, my pasty white, sun-deprived skin went into shock. I developed hives or eczema all over! What to do? I finally stopped in at the pharmacy in Bonnieux—the French pharmacy is the …

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Monieux Village Vaucluse
Cheryl ShufflebothamExploreVillages Towns and Cities

Monieux Village A Hidden Gem Near the Gorges de la Nesque

One day while driving through the Gorges de la Nesque, we “needed” a place to stop to have an apéritif before heading to Venasque for dinner at one of our favourite restaurants, les Remparts. My husband suggested Monieux since he had passed through the village on his bike in the …

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Le Petit Café Oppede le Vieux
Cheryl ShufflebothamRestaurant RecommendationsTaste

Le Petit Café in Oppède-le-Vieux Takes the Cake

There’s no doubt that the food in Provence is amazing. So each year, we like to award a restaurant for the best food of the trip. We have our favorites—Le Fournil in Bonnieux, les Remparts in Venasque, la Bergerie in Maubec, and la Terrasse in Joucas. But this year, le …

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Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Cheryl ShufflebothamExploreVillages Towns and Cities

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat: A Slice of Quiet on the French Riviera

After much research on where to go for a “taste” of the Côte d’Azur—while wanting to avoid the crowds—we resolved that Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat was what we were looking for. After all, it is apparently a place for millionaires and European aristocracy, according to one source. Sounded good to us! As we …

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Banon Village Provence Cobblestone Vineyards
Cheryl ShufflebothamExplore

Banon the Prettiest Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Village of Them All?

At the top of Banon, located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, there is the prettiest group of houses all bedecked with flowers, whose colours change depending on the season. This is absolutely one of the most photogenic spots if you are looking for charm. Additionally, as you continue to walk up …

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