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.

 Mary Kay Seales

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Mary Kay Seales was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest in Washington State, where she also teaches writing to international students at the University of Washington. As a lifelong traveler, photographer and writing teacher, her recent move into travel writing was a natural progression.

She has lived and worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Costa Rica, India, Azerbaijan and France, and her travels include Bora Bora, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Peru among other destinations.

She is the author of two guide books - The Beginner’s Guide to the French Riviera: Stop Dreaming & Start Packing, and The Beginner’s Guide to the Olympic Peninsula: Exploring the Wild Beauty of the Pacific Northwest - as well as a frequent contributor to other publications in France.

Her most recent blog is The Conscious Traveler.

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Carolyne Kauser-Abbott · Hotels Provence & Cote d'Azur · Stay: Accommodation & Rentals in Provence

Need a Luxury Escape to Provence? Hotel Capelongue Delivers

June 10, 2026
Our vacation in Provence began with an overnight flight from North America to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, followed by the TGV to Avignon. As we wound through the Luberon Valley, our driver pointed out the famous perched villages. We caught a fleeting glimpse of Lacoste and its château, once home to the Marquis …
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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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