As you know I’m a real sucker for the local markets and can happily spend a whole week visiting them in turn, sitting in a café having a ‘grand-crème’ whilst watching the world go by and heading home with a basket full of the wonderful local produce, perhaps with a …

‘Tis the season to be jolly, and what better way to do that than indulging in some delicious wines. Now, there’s a certain stigma when it comes to rosé that it should only be enjoyed during the summer, but in actual fact, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Just …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: If you’re in Provence, you will probably have already bought your little pack of seeds to plant today to mark the feast of Saint Barbara (Sainte-Barbe), and hopefully with some warmth and sunshine, they will be ready for Christmas. The local saying is: Quand le blé …

A buffet table laden with 13 desserts! How could the French be so smug as to think that North Americans with our turkey-centric Christmas dinners, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and a variety of sides are excessive? Or so I felt when I first heard about this holiday tradition. However, …

Provence in Autumn Almost anyone with an artistic eye – photographers, painters, Instagrammers – love Provence for its beautiful light. Famous artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gaugin Paul Cézanne and Pablo Picasso all captured the ever-changing luminosity on their canvases. Provence is glorious in any season, however during …

Now that we’ve followed a year in the life of Brit expats, Jane and Gary, at their southern France chambre d’hôte, let’s see how the season ends at Mas d’Augustine. (The excerpt below is from Jane). The September and October sunshine is glorious, with lovely warm afternoons and slightly chilly …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: A bit shocking to come back to Aix and find two burger bars about to open in town, one each end of the Cours Mirabeau! ‘J’aimerais qu’ils aillent ailleurs’, said Mayor Marysse Joissans, but they must have had a green light as ‘Five Guys’ opens in …

As you have probably gathered, we like to entertain; we love having friends and family around our table. Any occasion is a great reason to try a new recipe or return to that one that never fails. December festivities are an excuse to pull out the china, the fancy wine …

Local photographer Jean François Galeron shared that taking photos for his book Lumières des Alpilles was not difficult. Completing a photo journal dedicated to his corner of Provence was a project he had contemplated for over 30 years. The hard part was culling thousands of images into a stunning 212-page collection. …

Contributor blog post by Jill Barth: Earlier this month, I lined up a set of wine bottles from France. Each one from a unique and stated region, each one bearing a label like a little luggage tag: here is my home. To the French people, their government and producers indication …