Personally, I love experiences as gifts. My man has bought me all manner of classes and courses as gifts to feed my love for learning. Last Christmas, he bought me a cooking class at the charming restaurant La Petit Maison du Cucuron. Chef Eric Sapet at the restaurant (from …Continue …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: Menton on the French-Italian border is blessed with high sunshine hours and it is this climate that supports the growth of citrus fruits, in particular the famous Mentonnais lemon. Each year in February the town celebrates its citrusy wonders by hosting Fête du Citron, literally …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: Today hasn’t been the best of days – we were expecting some trials and tribulations associated with buying a house in France, but I don’t think we ever expected what has happened today! Since we had the offer accepted on the house near Uzes we’ve …

A new Barefoot Blogger friend is moving to Uzes! Just like me, she’s tossing away most of her worldly possessions in the US and she’s starting all over in France. Unlike me, she has some familiarity with the French language. Never mind she had French in high school. At least …

This recipe I call “Jacques Zucchini Tart.” It is the perfect appetizer – think chilled rosé with a savoury, lightly salted snack that takes about 30 minutes to pull together. Your guests will be impressed

Returning to Aix last week, it was good to see the textile market stalls back together in the Cours Mirabeau after being scattered around during the Christmas period; but further changes are afoot from June onwards and the stall holders are not happy. All three markets – textile, foods and …

Many years ago I met a charming couple from California while at the winery in Provence. They were staying on the property for a week and we hit it off immediately. I adore California wine country, and they love Provence so we had a great deal to talk about. One …

Now that winter has truly arrived in Provence, we all enjoy warmer and richer food than we do most year-round. Contrary to popular belief, it gets incredibly cold here (though not for very long), and a delicious warm stew makes everyone in the family happy.  Continue reading here for the …

Writer Alphonse Daudet described his affection for the town of Fontvieille and its windmills as follows: “Ce coin de roche qui m’etait une patrie et dont on retrouve la trace – êtres ou endroits – dans presque tous mes livres” The translation: This corner of rock was a homeland to …

Fennel bulbs are in season and looking good! I must admit, and you’ve probably noticed, that I am obsessed with markets. Despite generally scheduling my entire week around whichever market I would like to visit, I sometimes just can’t get to the market I want to with the best produce. …