Pétanque Provence's Favourite Game Moustieres St Marie
InspireProvencal History & TraditionsVirginie Van Der Wees

Pétanque Provence’s Favourite Game is Balls of Fun

Join us for a French immersion stay in Provence with us, where your accommodation is a private bungalow next to our Mas. During your immersion, you will have 3 hours of lessons per day. We will share two meals together a day, and we will do two excursions together in …

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Roman Barge Arles Museum Antiquity
Carolyne Kauser-AbbottInspireProvencal History & Traditions

5 Places to Find Roman History in Provence

Visible traces of Roman history weave throughout Provence, which is one of many reasons to visit the region. Below we highlight five (5) top places for evidence of the Roman era. #1 Roman Aix-en-Provence The Romans understood the need for freshwater for a settlement to thrive and survive. So, Entremont, …

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Dreaming of Christmas in Provence
Caroline LongstaffeInspireProvencal History & Traditions

Why I’m Dreaming of Christmas in Provence

We departed Lourmarin just as winter had arrived, with Christmas around the corner. The trees were almost bare, only a few remnants of their golden autumn gown still clinging to the branches. Temperatures had fallen, especially when the Mistral blew her cruel, icy breath down the Rhône Valley. There were …

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Les Baux de Provence
Carolyne Kauser-AbbottInspireProvencal History & Traditions

8 Châteaux Castles of Provence to Visit

Perched on hilltops throughout the region, the castles of Provence are intriguing. These seemingly impenetrable fortresses have stone foundations and ramparts for defensive purposes. Reflective of turbulent periods in French history, many of the châteaux in southern France were built on summits maximising the ability to anticipate enemy approach. Today, …

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History Pigeonniers of France
Guest PostInspireProvencal History & Traditions

History the Pigeonniers of France in Perspective

Beautiful Bird Homes Thousands of pigeonniers, or pigeon towers, dot the landscape of the south of France. If you look for them, you will quickly realise that they come in an astonishing variety of shapes, sizes and styles. Arguably, no creature has had more beautiful homes built for it than …

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Le moulin de Pallières official photo
Carolyne Kauser-AbbottInspireProvencal History & Traditions

The Pallières Windmill in Pennes-Mirabeau Back to Milling Flour

Named after a rocky outcrop in Pennes-Mirabeau, the 18th-century Pallières windmill stopped working sometime between 1862-66. Finally, after a lengthy restoration project commencing in 2019, the mill is functioning and open for visitors. Once again, sitting on its rocky ledge, the Pallières windmill has operational blades and a dedicated miller …

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Easter Traditions in Provence
Guest PostInspireProvencal History & TraditionsShopping & Gifts

Sweet Treats, Food and Easter Traditions in Provence

The following article on Easter traditions in Provence is an excerpt from Marie Helene, the founder of Remember Provence. Online store Remember Provence sells Provencal-themed housewares, gift items and culinary ingredients to customers worldwide. In 2013, the French company relaunched the website and moved product sales to an entirely Internet-based …

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Gypsy Pilgrimage Saintes-Maries
InspireProvencal History & TraditionsSue Aran

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

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 …

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Fascinating Medieval History Apt
InspireJulie WhitmarshProvencal History & Traditions

The Fascinating Medieval History of Apt

Over the last few weeks, we have got a little bit further under the skin of the local area, and it’s taken us to some very different places, most recently on a guided tour of the Cathédrale Sainte Anne, in the heart of Apt, focusing on its medieval history. Each …

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Christmas Traditions Santons Provence
InspireMargo LestzProvencal History & Traditions

Christmas Traditions the Santons of Provence

Christmas Traditions in Provence This year, all I wanted for Christmas was santons – those little clay Provençal figurines that pop up every Christmas in the south of France. They’re part of the local Nativity scenes, and every person in the village is represented. I began collecting santons when I …

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