Contributor blog post by Cheryl Shufflebotham: The thrill of discovering new villages with the expectation that the next one will be more charming than the last is why my early trips to France entailed a five-page list of villages in alphabetical order to see.The sight of this list would often …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: I have to confess driving round/past/through Gardanne several times but never stopping to have a look round. We did, this week, and found it interesting. It wasn’t a good start as the tourist office was shut. We had checked the opening hours on the website …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: This morning I hopped in the car and headed across to Forcalquier, a short distance from us in the neighbouring Department of Alpes-De-Haute-Provence. Monday is its market day and provides the perfect excuse for a visit (if such a thing is needed?) and it is …

Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: I love exploring Provence in the winter. It’s quiet and you can linger in the streets of small towns to appreciate the little details such as potted plants adorably shoved onto windowsills. Or, the particular stunning shade of peach on a weather-beaten shutter. Provencal …

Contributor blog post by Cheryl: While most tourists visiting the Luberon head right for the spectacular villages of Gordes and Roussillon, there lies tucked away in a world all its own the quiet, refined, and classy village of Goult. Classy is the word to describe this quaint little village with …

Contributor blog post by Phoebe Thomas: Sainte Agnès is a tiny little village located high on a ridge above Menton on the Côte d’Azur, only a couple of kilometres as the crow flies from both Italy and the coast. It is known as the “highest coastal village in Europe” as …

Contributor blog post by Margo Lestz: Sur le Pont d’Avignon The Avignon bridge is known around the world today because of the famous children’s song, Sur le Pont d’Avignon (On the Bridge of Avignon). In medieval times, it was also a well-known bridge, but not because of this song – …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: Spent an interesting Sunday in Toulon but….have a look at the photo below. It was Sunday, tick It was 11 am, tick …but the gallery was firmly shut! It is so exasperating when this happens after driving all the way from Aix.  I found out, …

Contributor blog post by Caroline Longstaffe: Lourmarin in Provence’s Luberon in autumn; the intensity of the sun has faded but it still has some warmth. The crowds have receded but the region’s vibrancy has not diminished. The vendage is almost complete and the air is perfumed with the heady scent of …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: Last week we spent the morning in Grasse, a town I hadn’t visited for years. Of course it’s perfume-central with lots of parfumeries offering free tours and shops with tempting arrays of bottles, sprays, soaps and creams. Plus there’s the Musée International de la Parfumerie …