Contributor blog post by Michel: Friday, July 21, and we were on the road to find a good vantage point to watch the Tour de France near Lauris. As we drove toward the town of Orange to get on the A-7 autoroute, we came upon a huge field of sunflowers. …

With the taste of an all day slow roasted cassoulet, this quick and easy version is great any day of the week. Tender chicken breasts with creamy cannelllini beans and wild mushrooms is a definite win at the table.

I was recently invited to a full day gourmet cooking class at Jean-Marc and Alice Villard’s cooking school in their home at Maubec. #Joblove !! haha. Maubec is located in the Luberon, about 45 minutes from Avignon an hour from Aix en Provence.an hour from Aix en Provence. The class …

Contributor blog post by Jemma: Lolo has adapted completely to Toronto’s time zone. Which would be brilliant news, except that she is still waking up in Antibes. Theoretically, my pre-teen could obliterate all jet lag as we close up our Côte d’Azur home, Bellevue, and leave this beloved region for more …

Contributor blog post by Margo Lestz: A few months ago, I wrote about the Gallic rooster and how it became the symbol of France. Then William Bahr, an online friend with whom I share an interest in the French Revolution, asked me why the rooster was called Chantecler. This caused me to do a …

When we go to Avignon, we try to park at the Hotel Mercure garage because the stairs exit close to the Popes’ Palace. Right next to the stairway, is the Hôtel des Monnaies (mint), the earliest private Baroque monument in Avignon. It sits opposite the main entrance to the Popes’ Palace. …

It has been almost two decades since Anne-Marie Simons and her husband Oscar decided to uproot their Washington, D.C. lifestyle and spend their retirement years in the South of France. They eliminated other alternatives (continents, countries and cities) and chose Aix-en-Provence for its “quality of life.” The city’s attractive combination …

Contributor blog post by Victoria Koning @Mirabeau Wine During our visit to the Fragonard perfume factory in Grasse, we were quite impressed by the similarities between creating perfumes and creating wines. It’s especially poignant in the art of blending Provence rosés, which is incredibly technical to make. Our oenologists can …

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 …

Contributor blog post by Jemma: French Lessons welcomes 2017’s guest contributor: Rachael, our friend and dinner party guest whose evening ended badly. She’d only bid us ‘bonsoir’ when she promptly returned to Bellevue’s gate. A call to the police confirmed that yes, indeed, her car had been towed to Antibes’ pound. …