Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: Some people must think we’re mad, but having bought the house in France, we had to decide what to do with our pets as between us we’ll be over here for about 5 months this summer. Our dog Millie (a gentle & rather dim …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: I make no bones about it – I love chocolate & last night sat with a glass of wine & my latest purchase from the wonderful ‘Chocolatier’ La Cour aux Saveurs in l’Isle sur la Sorgue. Back in February I was staying there (in …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: The last 2 days have gone by in a blur of builders, rubble & dust, but it’s been worth it. Having got rid of the hideous pellet burner (affectionately known as Growler) back in August, we’d been keeping our fingers well and truly crossed …

I always think it’s a shame that we don’t have the same approach to markets in England as they do in France. As I sit with my first coffee of the day and a ‘pain au chocolat’ in a cafe in Apt, the whole town is bustling, full of people …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: If Saturday is a day for the local market then Sunday has become a day to spend the morning pottering around a local Brocante market or village ‘Vide Greniers’ event. In the summer, we often found that we had to make a choice between …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: The first snow fell in the Vaucluse yesterday and Mont Ventoux started its shift from being a summer cycling venue to a winter ski resort, bringing with it thoughts of long walks across the hills that are so often out of bounds during the summer …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: Cycling around this area is a delight and even when it’s overcast (like today) it is a perfect way to spend a few hours. After an early wake-up I thought I’d hop on the bike & head across to the lovely Thursday market at L’Isle …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: So often we find ourselves chuckling about the odd things involving animals that we’ve seen over the years whilst in Provence including a horse in a flat cap. A piglet being walked on a lead in Lourmarin. Or the cat at Roussillon who delights in …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: It’s hard to believe that it’s only 4 weeks since we left the house in Provence & headed back to the UK after a wonderful first summer there. When we left, the days were still hot (well over 30) and the landscape looked parched …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: Where has the summer gone? Since the 25th April (apart from 22 days back in the UK) I have been lucky enough to spend the rest of the time out in the Vaucluse, sorting out our new house & getting under the skin of …