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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

In the centre of the pretty village of Saint Saturnin les Apt is a peaceful square (home to the vibrant Tuesday morning market), and to one side is a small garden area that sits in front of a stark stone wall, which is a memorial to the dramatic and devastating …