“The bull has escaped!” Cowboy Culture in Provence I looked up to see a thousand pounds of anger barreling down the street at me. Everyone scattered, frantically jumping over the metal barriers to safety. The bull thundered past, followed by closely by French cowboys on horseback. It was a terrifying …

Who Wants Dessert?  Ready for Christmas in July? Or in any month of the year, for that matter? Then head over to L’Aile ou la Cuisse, one of my favorite restaurants in St.-Rémy-de-Provence. You are in for a treat. L’Aile ou la Cuisse, which means “the wing or the leg” …

Delicious wines, a gorgeous winery and a privileged location in one of the most beautiful spots in France: Château Romanin has it all. It is also a place where wine, religion and mysticism have intersected for centuries. It began with the Greeks, who built a shrine here to the goddess …

The Roman History of Arles What’s 2,000 years old, 100 feet long and used to float? If you guessed a Roman barge, you win! And you can see one now in the Arles Museum of Antiquity. Arles was once an important Roman town, a trading centre with a significant port. …

Just ten minutes from the centre of St.-Rémy is a shady picnic spot known only to the locals. It sits along the shores of a lake created thousands of years ago by the Romans. When hordes of tourists crowd into town, it’s nice to take a break in a quiet …

Contributor blog post by Keith Van Sickle: The Wednesday morning market in St.-Rémy is one of the best in Provence. And it is very popular, which makes parking a challenge. There are a few spots available in the pay lots and on the street, but they tend to fill up …

Just below the famous hilltop fortress of Les Baux sits the boutique luxury hotel Benvengudo.  The name means “welcome” in the local language and it couldn’t be more appropriate. Walking into the manicured grounds of Benvengudo is like stepping back in time, to a more simple and gracious era.  The …

Contributor blog post by Keith Van Sickle: One of the glories of Provence is the fresh produce. And in St.-Rémy, the best place to get it is at the Wednesday market. Every week, dozens of vendors set up shop throughout the charming town center, selling fruits, vegetables, olives, cheeses, lavender …

Discover another Le Thor artist: James Jaulin spent decades as an antiquaire (a dealer in antiquities) traveling the world in search of rare and beautiful treasures.  He now travels the world as a photographer, capturing the beauty of life through his lens. So what does he consider himself to be …

Val and I are back in France for the spring, in St-Rémy-de-Provence. One of the things we enjoy most about this area is biking. St-Rémy is right next to the Alpilles, a low mountain range with rocky outcroppings. Well, to call the Alpilles “mountains” is a bit of a stretch, …