Sue Aran

Sue Aran is an American who followed her dream of living in France. Since 2006, she has lived in a tiny village in the Gers department of southwest France. She owns French Country Adventures, which provides private, personally-guided, small-group, slow travel tours into Gascony, the Pays Basque, Occitanie and Provence. Fully bilingual, Sue is also a writer and photographer. In addition, she posts a quarterly newsletter about her life in France and contributes to several online and print magazines.

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The Art of Food: Cooking Classes with Suzanne Kay in Provence

October 30, 2024

For the past 11 years, I have guided tours through Provence. One of my tours, Edible Provence, offers two (2) cooking classes. Last year, I was very disappointed with one of the cooking class instructors I’d been using and needed to find someone new. While browsing the internet, I landed ...

Hotels Provence & Cote d'Azur · Stay: Accommodation & Rentals in Provence · Sue Aran

Hotel Les Templiers in Aigues Mortes a Boutique Hotel that Feels like Home

January 29, 2024

Hôtel Les Templiers, a home-turned-hotel, offers a personal twist on French hospitality. Aigues Mortes Boutique Hotel The hotel is housed in a 17th-century merchant’s house in the fortified, medieval village of Aigues Mortes, nestled between the Rhône River Delta and the Mediterranean Sea. Originally a small hamlet of fishermen and ...

Explore · Guided Holiday Tours · Sue Aran

The Best of the Camargue from Towns to Wildlife For Visitors

November 3, 2023

The Camargue region is one of the most unique areas in France, a vast salt delta of marshland and sand dunes encompassing more than 247,000 acres, nestled between the two branches of the Rhône River, the Grand and Petit, both originating in the Swiss Alps. The word Camargue derives from ...

Bed & Breakfasts in Provence · Stay: Accommodation & Rentals in Provence · Sue Aran

A Magical Stay at Le Prieuré La Madelène B&B in Provence

June 5, 2023

Imagine living in a beautifully restored 12th-century priory set amidst fields of bright orange poppies while enjoying a delicious breakfast or an evening aperitif on a shaded terrace under a starlit sky. Or relax by a tranquil pool, take leisurely day trips to nearby villages, and be guided to restaurants ...

Artists Inspired by Provence · Inspire · Sue Aran · Villages Towns and Cities

For Provencal Pottery Visit Caromb a Village in the Vaucluse

March 30, 2023

The village of Caromb in the Vaucluse is a place you pass through on your way to somewhere else. Caromb has a quiet mystique, and like many Provençal villages, it is bathed in the dappled light of ancient plane trees. According to local legends, Caromb was once the haven of ...

Inspire · Provencal History & Traditions · Sue Aran

Gypsy Pilgrimage to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in the Camargue

March 4, 2022

I find myself increasingly comfortable listening to conversations I don’t understand. Throaty vowels, rusty consonants, over half a dozen languages being spoken at once; French, Spanish, Catalan, American, Austrian, Italian, Romani during the Gypsy Festival, Pélerinage Gitan, in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. Listening with our minds instead of our hearts, language often limits ...

Explore · Sue Aran · Villages Towns and Cities

Alyscamps the Roman Burial in Arles is a Must-See

February 24, 2022

Immortalized in Dante’s Inferno, Alyscamps, one of the most famous historical burial grounds outside of Rome, is a short walk from the centre of Arles in the southwestern corner of Provence. The day my tour group visited, there was no one else there except a few stray cats, and the ...

Eygalières Hotel: Domaine La Pierre Blanche

The moment you drive through the front gate, you enter the embrace of this exclusive 15-room boutique hotel located minutes from Eygalières.

Alpilles
Boutique Hotels

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Bonnieux - 3 Bedroom Village Apartment

Bonheur en Bonnieux a 1300-square foot, 3-bedroom/2 bathroom, the newly-renovated apartment is located in the village center.

Luberon
Three Bedrooms

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2-Bedroom Penthouse in Villefranche-sur-Mer

Extremely private, the Waterfront Penthouse 2-bedroom, 2-bath holiday rental with a panoramic view is a very romantic place.

Côte d’Azur (French Riviera)
Two Bedrooms

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3 Rental Apartments Near Aix-en-Provence

La Bastide des Amandiers has 3 self-contained apartments. The layout provides plenty of privacy and different spaces. A perfect place to spend time in the Luberon.

Luberon
Vaucluse
One Bedroom

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Holiday Cottages Near Toulon

Near Toulon and its Mediterranean beaches, Villa Bernice has 3 cottages available for holiday rentals. There is an apartment with two bedrooms suitable for 4 people and two studios for 2 persons.

Var
One Bedroom
Two Bedrooms

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Provence Marketplace

Glass Pitcher for your Table

Fill this pitcher with water, lemonade or your favourite cocktail, and it will brighten your table. Made in France by a long-standing glass manufacturer, the bee pattern is a nod to Emperor Napoleon.

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Eco-friendly Wine Cooler Bag from Provence

Le Rob'Fresh is a chic, lightweight (200g - 7 oz) cooler bag for transporting your wine bottle or beverage. The cooler bag can hold 1.8 kg, is available in a collection of motifs, and is machine-washable (in cold). The fabric is OEKO-TEX® certified, and the bags have an environmentally-friendly kraft gel pack. The small Rob'Fresh version is L 36 cm (14 in) x H 19cm (7 in) x W 9 cm (3.5 in). Price is 23€ + shipping.

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Mortar and Pestle Made with Olive Wood

This Mortar and Pestle is produced by Bérard France. Made with olive wood from Provence, it is ideal for grinding herbs, seeds, and spices. Buy one for yourself or as a gift.

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Table Runner Floral Design

Art de la Table is an art form. So instead of a tablecloth, use a pretty table runner in a bright blue floral design as your centrepiece. Available in 2 colours and 2 sizes, the traditional cotton print runner is quilted.

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French Linen Napkins Fresh Herb Design 100% Linen

My French Country Home brings the beauty and fragrance of a French herb garden to your home with this Fine Herbs Linen napkins. Designed with an elegant display of the most beloved culinary herbs, these napkins add a fresh, botanical charm to any dining setting. Sold as a set of six (6) designs and made with 100% high-quality linen.

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Quilted Tote Bags in Provencal Fabrics

These large tote bags come in a range of Provencal fabrics. Whether you choose lavender, wild flowers or one of the other two patterns these sturdy bags are light yet strong enough to carry all the necessary accessories and even a laptop. The bags are made with printed and quilted fabric and have solid handles.

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Bright and Beautiful Table Linens from Provence

Discover the Beaulieu linen collection features Provence's iconic sunflower in yellows and blues. This collection includes , napkins and table runners. Made with 100% cotton these products from Remember Provence are durable and easy to clean.

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Candles Fig Perfume from Provence

Rose et Marius combines citrus notes of fig leaves with Indian absolute for a summer in Provence into fragrance in this scented candle. Infused with exclusive perfumes, buy these refillable candles that burn for about 60 hours, making great gifts or additions to your home.

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Linen Kitchen T-Towels

A great hostess gift! Kitchen Towels made with high-quality linen. Perfect for spring in Iris and Tulip motifs. My French Country Life sourced these beautiful towels made from 100% linen. Sold as a set.

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Download Our Summer Menu Collection

Sue Aran

The Art of Food: Cooking Classes with Suzanne Kay in Provence

Hotel Les Templiers in Aigues Mortes a Boutique Hotel that Feels like Home

The Best of the Camargue from Towns to Wildlife For Visitors

A Magical Stay at Le Prieuré La Madelène B&B in Provence

For Provencal Pottery Visit Caromb a Village in the Vaucluse

Gypsy Pilgrimage to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in the Camargue

Alyscamps the Roman Burial in Arles is a Must-See

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