Our time in Provence passes far too easily. The days slip by in a gentle pattern of dog-walking, cycling, pottering around local villages and just sitting, chatting, whilst we set the world to rights. I know we should be doing lots of other things too, like making the most of …

Attracted to food, photography, and longing for France, we “met” via Instagram. Jean-Marie Liere has lived in Sydney, Australia, since 1997. He stays connected to his homeland by offering French cooking classes and planning his “Our French Impressions” group tours in France in Bordeaux and Provence. The French Connection Born …

After 18 years in Aix, I only realized that it’s actually someone’s job to clamber up narrow staircases and reach across the void inside the Tour de l’Horloge to manoeuvre the four (4) statues around every 3 months when the season changes. It’s down to (or should we say up …

On Monday, August 16th, a fire broke out near a motorway service station close to Gonfaron. Although the exact cause is to be confirmed, human carelessness caused the blaze. The ignition found the fuel needed with dry scrubland in the Var resulting from hot summer temperatures and near-drought conditions. The …

There are a few things that you might regret in life, but visiting Vancouver, British Columbia, would never be one of those things. Spending a week in this beautiful city on Canada’s west coast was a dream made possible by good friends who insisted we needed a getaway. They were …

Loyal readers who follow my musings about Provence know that visits to the Pont du Gard are a regular part of our annual visits to the South of France. However, after you have walked out to the Roman aqueduct and walked across the bridge and hiked to the top of …

Originating in 1540, choux pastry is used to make countless French pastries. This type of pastry has the ability to form a number of different shapes – even swans! Choux Pastry Swans an incredibly beautiful option to make for any occasion. They are delicate and elegant, with a retro flair …

Blessed with many picturesque villages, there is only one place in France with a dedicated star overhead – Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. Moustiers-Sainte-Marie Flanked by towering cliffs, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie resembles a Provencal nativity scene protected by a 150kg gold star suspended between the bluffs. In 1981, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie joined the ranks of the beaux villages …

Annette Charlton admits she is a Francophile to the core. She is also the founder of A French Collection (blog) and now a new podcast series. For a decade, the Charlton family – Annette, her husband, and three children – split their time between Newcastle in Australia and Brittany in …

There are lots of different melons, from the ubiquitous cantaloupe to the fabulously expensive Yubari King. And the best of them all comes from a small town in Provence called Cavaillon. Melon de Cavaillon has a history that goes back to the days of the Avignon Papacy. The popes needed …