Download Our Spring Menu Collection

This seasonal collection features 19 recipes, including starters, main courses, side dishes, and desserts. Featuring seasonal ingredients such as artichokes, asparagus, lamb, and strawberries. Download this PDF, which includes for recipes for entertaining at this time of the year.

 Gayle Padgett

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Gayle Smith Padgett, a UCLA graduate, has two master’s degress, neither in French. After studying in Mexico and South America, she worked as a language specialist in California and Virginia and later as a management analyst and US government liaison in Heidelberg, Germany. In 2011, she and her husband moved to Provence where they continue to crack French culture codes.

Discover more about Gayle's backstory and writing on her website - gaylesmithpadgett.com and read her books Passion for Provence: 22 Keys to La Belle Vie and The Birdwatcher's Wife: A Quest across France for Birds and La Belle Vie.

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Carolyne Kauser-Abbott · Explore · Road Trips South of France

Top 23 Questions People Ask About Lavender in Provence

June 8, 2026
The Romans first introduced the lavender plant to the South of France in approximately the 2nd century B.C.E. Although lavender grows throughout the Mediterranean region, it is one of Provence’s most iconic symbols. To better understand the role lavender plays in this region, we answer the top questions people ask about lavender in Provence. Lavender …
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Carolyne Kauser-Abbott · Expat Living and Real Estate · Inspire

Living in Provence, France: A Feature Story on The Connexion

May 29, 2026
Since 2002, The Connexion has been a trusted English-language window into life in France. Its readers range from long-time residents to hopeful newcomers and curious property owners. Whether in print or online, The Connexion delivers stories on French news, travel, legal matters, taxes, and visas. Readers also find hands-on guides for navigating property, healthcare, and …
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