Holiday Traditions Christmas in Provence takes place, as in most regions of France, with family. It is a traditional holiday loaded with Christian symbols. The festivities start at the beginning of December at the time of Saint Barbara. Noël en Provence se passe, comme dans la plupart des régions de …

Nestled in the Alpes-Maritimes above the Cote d’ Azur is the medieval village of Lucéram. One day before Christmas, my friend decided to take me on a tour of the “Circuit des Crèches.” We drove high up the winding roads to the alpine region above the sea. Circuit des Creches …

Holiday Markets At this time of the year, Provence experiences reasonably mild weather so the Christmas markets are usually held in the open air. Associated with the celebration of Christmas, you can find everything related to holiday celebrations and Saint-Nicolas. The Christmas markets look like real little villages. Stroll through …

There are so many fun things to do in Nice—you can walk along the Promenade des Anglais, enjoy the view from one of those famous blue chairs, and dig into a salade niçoise at a café in the Old Town. Now here’s one to add to your list: visit the …

Based in the United States, author Raylene Abbott’s work surrounds spiritual training with mentors from Native American and other sacred backgrounds. Her studies of the Black Madonna began in 1992 and eventually led to a lengthy stay in France where she traced religious pilgrimage routes. In 2014, she discovered her …

“C’est la sardine qui a bouché le port de Marseille!” (A sardine blocked Marseille’s port!) This local saying is famous throughout France. Another that is less well-known is “Chercher Molinari” (look for Molinari). Both expressions, curiously, come from the same famous disaster that took place in the 18th century. The …

World War II France Jean Moulin is not a familiar name to those, like myself, who only took basic history courses in school. Our overview of World War II never mentioned this wartime hero. Once we began spending time in the Alpilles and noticed the Route Jean Moulin road signs, …

This guest post about the Santons and Christmas in Provence comes from Marie-Helene, the co-founder of the online store Remember Provence. They curate Provencal-themed housewares, gift items and culinary ingredients and ship to customers around the world. Remember Provence represents only high-quality products produced traditionally. Please follow this link to …

The following article is a re-post of the original written by Marie-Helene the owner of online boutique Remember Provence. She spends her days, filling orders for made-in-Provence artisan products that are shipped all over the world. When she is not busy packaging orders, Marie-Helene is searching the region for high-quality …

Contributor blog post by Margo Lestz: It took a Revolution France’s rousing national anthem, the Marseillaise, was written during the French Revolution. In 1792 the Revolution was in full swing, and all the monarchies of Europe were nervous. It made them uneasy to see people rise up against a king, and it was …