Visit the Fort Buoux Ruins Fort Buoux, in the Luberon, is an ancient site that is definitely worth a visit. Lesser known than some of the main attractions of the Luberon, you’ll find yourself on a winding road at this time of year (fall/winter) in the fog that feels a …

Sea Urchins, Truffles, and Long Walks The villages of Provence become quiet after the holidays. People tend to stay in, stoke their living room fires, and leave a pot au feu (stew) on the stove for many hours. There are fewer festivals that celebrate one particular type of local produce …

During December in Provence, the local bakeries and gourmet grocery stores are filled with delicious specialties and the winding streets of hilltop towns come alive again (after quiet November) for the Christmas markets. The gift of food is king here. I have to say I cannot be more on board …

November in Provence. Bring on the chestnuts! Have you ever had crème de marrons (chestnut cream)? It’s like a gourmet version of Nutella. How about chestnut honey? Now that’s different! Are you in the holiday spirit yet? The massive amounts of high-quality chocolate boxes at the supermarkets are tempting me… …

October in Provence The grapes have been picked and now the nets have been placed at the bottom of the olive trees ready for this year’s harvest. The bright green traditional Alpilles olives vertes cassées have appeared in the markets and every store. Even olives are seasonal in Provence. Also …

My Stylish French Box I have been following on social media for some time My Stylish French Box and basically coveting their gorgeous boxes full of hand-picked French items. The concept, created by the writer of My French Country Home Sharon Santoni (see her beautiful Instagram and stunning house here) is that every three …

This is the month where just about the whole of Northern France descends onto the beaches of the Côte d’Azur. On the radio, they announce “black weekends” which signify lots of Parisians heading south causing a rather lot of traffic. Everyone is finally on vacation. Don’t expect to see a …

Cicadas, Cherries et Chaleur! It’s full summer here in Provence. The cigales are singing (quite loudly I must say!) and the sunflowers and lavender are in full bloom. The ballet (or science?) of knowing when to open and close your shutters has been mastered for all those without air conditioning. …

Experience Provence as a Housesitter Recently I was fortunate enough to be invited to stay as a housesitter in a home of expats who had arrived in France some years ago. They now live in a delightful village in the Var, Haute Provence. The owners needed to return to the …

Natural Wine Trend If you’re not currently living in London, New York, Paris or Japan you may not have heard of orange wine or even biodynamic wine for that matter. We were first introduced to this type of wine five (5) years ago, while living in London, at the Terroir biodynamic …