Welcome to the first in a series of articles based on Provence lifestyle. These posts are an attempt to separate fact from fiction and dig into what it means to live in Provence. To discover more we ask a series of questions to understand why some people choose to visit …

A Long Olive Story It has been almost 100-years since Jean Martin founded his company in the village of Maussane. In 1920, this town on the southern flank of the Alpilles range had a population of just over 1200 people. When M. Martin senior launched his business of preserving and …

Truffle Markets It is more common to see summer truffles in the markets than in the past. However, this summer tuber may be related to the “Black Diamond,” but the taste is certainly not as distinctive. There is also a significant price differential between the summer and winter varieties. In …

Ras El Hanout is a spice blend essential to Moroccan cooking and critical for a traditional lamb and chicken couscous recipe. The name translated literally means ‘head of the shop’ for which actual mixtures vary, and in some cases, maybe closely guarded family secrets.

Distracted by Marseille’s traffic, we almost missed the sign indicating a sharp right turn towards Le Petit Nice. Once you make that turn, you are committed. Of course, you WANT to be at this 16-room boutique hotel and eat at the Michelin three-star restaurant, but the narrow entryway is not designed …

That Provencal vacation that you have dreamed about is finally going to happen! You have tackled the family calendar, arm-twisted a friend into dog sitting and booked the flights to the South of France. Now what? With beautiful images of lavender fields, azure waters and chilled rosé floating through your …

Depending on where you live “Fall might be in the air.” Certainly, in most places in the northern hemisphere, the days are markedly shorter, the leaves are changing colours to rich, warm tones (reds, oranges and yellows). The harvest is done for most kitchen gardens, ahead of the of frosty …

On a hot July afternoon, Girl Gone Gallic and I set out to discover Provence’s pathways of abundance. The inspiration for the name of this property came from a book by French author and garden lover Adrienne Cazeilles. Les Sentiers de L’Abondance is the name of a unique garden located …

Certified Sommelier at 21-years old Youngest Wine Director in a Michelin-starred restaurant (globally) Ruinart Champagne Sommelier Challenge NY 2015 Winner Wine & Spirits Best New Sommeliers of 2016 “Drink Pink a Celebration of Rosé” published in May 2017 With all that Victoria James has accomplished at 26 years old one starts …

It rains a lot in Normandy. So, two residents of northern France to deciding to spend their retirement years in Provence would hardly be considered unusual. Sylvie and Pascal Verger were searching for a village house with a garden for their relocation from Honfleur. However, the trigger for their real …