Bilingual guide Chiara Orlandi grew up in the heart of Italy, in Umbertide, a place that she still holds dear in her heart even after several years away in the United Kingdom and Edinburgh, Scotland. Orlandi studied event management at Edinburgh’s Napier University, her second Masters (her previous degrees are …

Born in Paris, Caroline Guyot studied languages (English and Russian) and history. After 14 years of selling advertising space featuring European luxury products, for her employers at the International Herald Tribune and the New York Times – Guyot called it quits. She left the “City of Light” and her advertising …

In 1999, a decade after the publication of Peter Mayle’s “A Year in Provence”, Georgina Causton and her partner decided to take a sabbatical year. Smitten by the South of France, they never returned to live in London. Instead, they bought a house and three mortgages later ended up with …

This recipe for a delicious fig tart comes from our friend Nito Carpita, a classically trained chef. The figs are baked in a sweet custard – just try to resist!

Lavender is the purple beauty of Provence; it is a big industry in France and the key to essential oil production. Tourists and locals flock to see the fields in full blooming glory. The timeframe changes annually depending on weather, but typically some fields are ready by late June, and …

Last summer, I had the pleasure of meeting Patricia Sands in person. We met for coffee on a terrace that faced the Promenade des Anglais, in Nice. In reality, the patio may face that direction not that we could see the beach from our table, or over two lanes of …

Occasionally, I get asked what do I enjoy the most about Perfectly Provence? Hands down it is the personal connections forged via this online community of contributors and readers. Some of my favourite moments (to date) include a lady’s lunch in Nice, exchanging recipes and wine pairing ideas with new …

Take a road trip to a world away from lavender-scented fields, perched villages, and candy-coloured shutters. Head to the Camargue! The marshland and brackish waters where the Rhone River finally meets the Mediterranean define Provence’s “wild west.” Created in 1986, the natural wetland preserve is 100,000 hectares in size (read …

Understanding the Cowboys of Provence Summer days in Provence are bathed in sunshine and surrounded by a chorus of cicadas. In the Bouches du Rhone, the blinding blue skies and the sweltering heat are also prime time for village festivals surrounding horse and bull events. These horsemen and women are …

According to Wikipedia, York, Pennsylvania is known as the White Rose City a place with so many well-preserved buildings that it is considered an “architectural museum.” Marjorie Williams has recently published her second book Markets of Provence we asked her how growing up in York gave her an appreciation for shopping …