My wife and I were on vacation in Italy, zooming along the autostrada near Florence when she suddenly started shouting and waving. “Pull over!” she yelled. “Right now! There’s a Decathlon!” That got my attention. I spun the wheels to the right and barely made it onto the off-ramp in …

James Jaulin is a world-travelling photographer who has previously been profiled in Perfectly Provence. His newest exhibition will be in the charming hilltop village of Gordes, beginning on April 28th and open every day from 9 am to 7 pm. The exhibition will take place in the Chapelle des Pénitents, …

An abrivado is a special event in Provence, where French cowboys called gardians run bulls through a town as part of a big sporting event. It’s an exciting test of horsemanship that not all gardians can master. Even more exciting is the Gaso de Taureaux. Here, instead of running through …

The area around St-Rémy-de-Provence is wonderful for hiking. The Alpilles Mountains are crisscrossed with well-marked trails that offer fabulous views. But let’s face it, who wants to schlep through the mountains on a hot summer day? Isn’t there a better way to stretch your legs and see the beautiful countryside? …

“The bull has escaped!” Cowboy Culture in Provence I looked up to see a thousand pounds of anger barreling down the street at me. Everyone scattered, frantically jumping over the metal barriers to safety. The bull thundered past, followed by closely by French cowboys on horseback. It was a terrifying …

Who Wants Dessert?  Ready for Christmas in July? Or in any month of the year, for that matter? Then head over to L’Aile ou la Cuisse, one of my favorite restaurants in St.-Rémy-de-Provence. You are in for a treat. L’Aile ou la Cuisse, which means “the wing or the leg” …

Delicious wines, a gorgeous winery and a privileged location in one of the most beautiful spots in France: Château Romanin has it all. It is also a place where wine, religion and mysticism have intersected for centuries. It began with the Greeks, who built a shrine here to the goddess …

The Roman History of Arles What’s 2,000 years old, 100 feet long and used to float? If you guessed a Roman barge, you win! And you can see one now in the Arles Museum of Antiquity. Arles was once an important Roman town, a trading centre with a significant port. …

Just ten minutes from the centre of St.-Rémy is a shady picnic spot known only to the locals. It sits along the shores of a lake created thousands of years ago by the Romans. When hordes of tourists crowd into town, it’s nice to take a break in a quiet …

Many of us love the Alpilles, the “little Alps” that rise between the famous Provencal towns of St-Rémy-de-Provence and Les Baux. Their craggy beauty dominates the surrounding landscape. But outside of taking an airplane ride, it is impossible to appreciate them from the air. Until now. Gilles Lagnel’s new book, …