Alexis Steinman is an American, an explorer and a storyteller who has chosen to live in Marseille. Fully bilingual, Alexis settled in Marseille in September 2017. The city continues to feeds her curiosity and her stomach. For this talented writer, the port city offers endless opportunities to share the stories …

What should I take home from Provence? Expect a sensory overload on your first (and every) visit to Provence. In mid-summer, purple-blue lavender rows contour the landscape. Market stalls brim with seasonal produce from blood-red cherries in the spring to the makings for ratatouille in late summer. Then there is …

They fell in love with the South of France, although apparently not at first sight. It took 20 visits to Provence before Keith, and Val Van Sickle decided to make the region their part-time home. The couple’s home is near San Francisco in California’s Silicon Valley. However, a contract assignment …

Fountains and Roman Baths Aix-en-Provence is known as the City of Water. Settled in 122 BC by the Romans who found natural springs, they called the city Aquae Sextiae after one of their important consuls Sextius Calvinus. The “Waters of Sextius” provided the population with water (both hot and cold) …

Jen and Chris Mallon are British transplants. They sold everything in 2018 and moved from England to Apt in the South of France. It was a quick move they decided to relocate in June and arrived in France at the end of September. They left their jobs, sold a house, …

Spring Events in Provence Spring in Provence is absolutely lovely. As is the case with most of the year, the sun shines brightly, but expect the odd rainstorm. Moisture in this period is critical for the grapes, olives, and almonds to start their growing cycles. In March and April, expect …

Magical Lavender Spotting a lavender field in flower for the first time is magical, but it’s the fragrance that is heavenly. The tiny plants stretch towards the horizon, like small purple streams. It’s little wonder why you see so many images of people posing against this stunning backdrop. Lavender fields, …

Riviera Road Trip Aix-en-Provence can be cold in the winter. To stay warm, we wore our puffy jackets, shopped for sweaters, and walked on the sunny side of the street. When canary-yellow bunches of mimosas appeared in the market, it was a sign that spring was close at hand. Flowering …

Cotignac in Provence’s Var Susana Iwase Hanson is the founder of Provence Living Cotignac, after living on several continents, she and her husband discovered Cotignac, a quiet village in the Var, a decade ago (read her interesting backstory). Cotignac’s residents enjoy the benefits of living in the Provencal countryside with the …

Local Author and Guide Jean-Pierre Cassely is a recognizable public figure in Provence and beyond. Cassely worked for France 3 television for a decade and currently has a daily France-Bleu Provence radio slot called Provence Insolite (Unusual Provence). More recently, Jean-Pierre Cassely collected curious landmarks in two guidebooks Secret Provence and …