My Stylish French Box I have been following on social media for some time My Stylish French Box and basically coveting their gorgeous boxes full of hand-picked French items. The concept, created by the writer of My French Country Home Sharon Santoni (see her beautiful Instagram and stunning house here) is that every three …

Contributor blog post by Jemma: When we arrive in France’s Riviera this summer, Lolo doesn’t have a swimsuit. It’s not because she forgot to pack it. She simply doesn’t own one that fits. My new teenager is growing like the queues of passengers waiting for the next French train that’s actually …

Maybe it was a seven-year itch or natural progression, but in 2017 Sharon Santoni added “My Stylish French Box,” a curated subscription box, to her already rather full plate. The box concept was born from her love of sharing favourite brands and ideas, and a desire to help smaller French …

My wife and I were on vacation in Italy, zooming along the autostrada near Florence when she suddenly started shouting and waving. “Pull over!” she yelled. “Right now! There’s a Decathlon!” That got my attention. I spun the wheels to the right and barely made it onto the off-ramp in …

Did you know Marseille has France’s oldest quincaillerie or hardware shop? It really is a must-visit if you are interested in traditional Provencal life. Take the magnificent big hand-graters, for instance – just the sort of gadget used in café kitchens many years ago to churn out carrots and cabbage …

Arts de la Table, Bastide We are blessed here in Provence to have the best ingredients when it comes to producing scents (and eating!). Grasse is the perfume capital of the world; not surprising considering the endless fields of lavender, roses, fruit blossom and wild scented herbs that create the …

Please no! Anything but that. Upon visiting Provence this past June, with the unusually high temperatures of 95-100 degrees, my pasty white, sun-deprived skin went into shock. I developed hives or eczema all over! What to do? I finally stopped in at the pharmacy in Bonnieux—the French pharmacy is the …

Sébastian and Agnes Krier shared the following about their architecture and design boutique, “Ce lieu ne pouvait que s’appeler Ouvrage: ce qui est produit par l’ouvrier, l’artisan ou l’artiste, le résultat du travail de ses mains et donc son œuvre.” This place could not be called anything but “Ouvrage.” The …

Cézanne finds himself marooned between the Foire aux Santons and woolly jumpers at the textile market. It seems strange having the Aix-en-Provence Christmas markets starting up against such a bright blue sky and warm sun, but there we are – the chalets are built and the children’s rides are already …

The retail stores and  shopping malls are decked with holiday decor signaling that it’s time to start thinking about gifts for everyone on your list. Fortunately, if there are cooks and food-lovers on your list, there are lots of options in price points that range from a few dollars to …