Sue Aran

Sue Aran is an American who followed her dream of living in France. Since 2006, she has lived in a tiny village in the Gers department of southwest France. She owns French Country Adventures, which provides private, personally-guided, small-group, slow travel tours into Gascony, the Pays Basque, Occitanie and Provence. Fully bilingual, Sue is also a writer and photographer. In addition, she posts a quarterly newsletter about her life in France and contributes to several online and print magazines.

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The Art of Food: Cooking Classes with Suzanne Kay in Provence

October 30, 2024

For the past 11 years, I have guided tours through Provence. One of my tours, Edible Provence, offers two (2) cooking classes. Last year, I was very disappointed with one of the cooking class instructors I’d been using and needed to find someone new. While browsing the internet, I landed ...

Hotels Provence & Cote d'Azur · Stay: Accommodation & Rentals in Provence · Sue Aran

Hotel Les Templiers in Aigues Mortes a Boutique Hotel that Feels like Home

January 29, 2024

Hôtel Les Templiers, a home-turned-hotel, offers a personal twist on French hospitality. Aigues Mortes Boutique Hotel The hotel is housed in a 17th-century merchant’s house in the fortified, medieval village of Aigues Mortes, nestled between the Rhône River Delta and the Mediterranean Sea. Originally a small hamlet of fishermen and ...

Explore · Guided Holiday Tours · Sue Aran

The Best of the Camargue from Towns to Wildlife For Visitors

November 3, 2023

The Camargue region is one of the most unique areas in France, a vast salt delta of marshland and sand dunes encompassing more than 247,000 acres, nestled between the two branches of the Rhône River, the Grand and Petit, both originating in the Swiss Alps. The word Camargue derives from ...

Bed & Breakfasts in Provence · Stay: Accommodation & Rentals in Provence · Sue Aran

A Magical Stay at Le Prieuré La Madelène B&B in Provence

June 5, 2023

Imagine living in a beautifully restored 12th-century priory set amidst fields of bright orange poppies while enjoying a delicious breakfast or an evening aperitif on a shaded terrace under a starlit sky. Or relax by a tranquil pool, take leisurely day trips to nearby villages, and be guided to restaurants ...

Artists Inspired by Provence · Inspire · Sue Aran · Villages Towns and Cities

For Provencal Pottery Visit Caromb a Village in the Vaucluse

March 30, 2023

The village of Caromb in the Vaucluse is a place you pass through on your way to somewhere else. Caromb has a quiet mystique, and like many Provençal villages, it is bathed in the dappled light of ancient plane trees. According to local legends, Caromb was once the haven of ...

Inspire · Provencal History & Traditions · Sue Aran

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

March 4, 2022

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 ...

Explore · Sue Aran · Villages Towns and Cities

Alyscamps the Roman Burial in Arles is a Must-See

February 24, 2022

Immortalized in Dante’s Inferno, Alyscamps, one of the most famous historical burial grounds outside of Rome, is a short walk from the centre of Arles in the southwestern corner of Provence. The day my tour group visited, there was no one else there except a few stray cats, and the ...

Le Clos du Buis Hotel in Bonnieux

Le Clos du Buis welcomes guests to a family-run 10 room hotel in the heart of Bonnieux in the Luberon Valley. Tasteful Provencal décor combined with modern comforts.

Luberon
Vaucluse
Boutique Hotels

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2-Bedroom Penthouse in Villefranche-sur-Mer

Extremely private, the Waterfront Penthouse 2-bedroom, 2-bath holiday rental with a panoramic view is a very romantic place.

Côte d’Azur (French Riviera)
Two Bedrooms

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3 Rental Apartments Near Aix-en-Provence

La Bastide des Amandiers has 3 self-contained apartments. The layout provides plenty of privacy and different spaces. A perfect place to spend time in the Luberon.

Luberon
Vaucluse
One Bedroom

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Studio Apartment Minutes from Aix-en-Provence

Surrounded by vineyards, the air-conditioned studio apartment has a bedroom, bathroom, a small kitchenette, and a sitting area.

Bouches du Rhone
One Bedroom

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Holiday Apartment 3-Bedrooms in an Olive Grove

A delightful 3-bedroom holiday apartment at Domaine des Escavalins is an organic olive farm. Well-appointed and private, the gite has room for six (6) people.

Var
Three Bedrooms

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Provence Marketplace

Glass Storage Jars with Lavender Design

These hand-painted glass jars are designed in Paris with a red lavender motif. The canisters are suitable for dry goods or even as a flower vase. The jar capacity is 0.4 gallons (1.5 litres), made with transparent, sturdy glass and a wooden lid.

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Scented Mini Candle Box Sets

Rose et Marius offers box sets with three (3) mini candles. These candle collections include signature fragrances such as "siesta in a sunlit home" and "early morning in the orange grove." These mini candles burn for approximately 25 hours in pretty glass containers.

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Linen Tablecloth with Country Flower Pattern

My French Country Home sourced a stunning linen tablecloth that is certain to dress-up your table for spring. The floral pattern is beautiful without being too showy. This rectangular tablecloth measures 170 x 250cm / 67 × 98″ and there are napkins too.

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Botantical Sensitive Skin Toner

Grown at Okanagan Lavender & Herb Farm, this toner includes distilled damask roses and lavender blended with a note of chamomile – a year-round favourite for hydrating and nourishing your face. Especially beneficial for mature and sensitive skin as it helps to heal and balance redness and irritation. (Shipping in Canada only).

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Table Runner Floral Design

Art de la Table is an art form. So instead of a tablecloth, use a pretty table runner in a bright blue floral design as your centrepiece. Available in 2 colours and 2 sizes, the traditional cotton print runner is quilted.

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Natural Soap from Provence with Fig Fragrance

Rose et Marius soaps are made with 97% natural ingredients (palm oil-free) and exclusive fragrances. Formulated with poppy and olive oil from Provence, this soap has a perfume that will remind you of a fig tree in summer.

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Sunflower Design Provencal Table Linens and Cushions

Provence's sunflower for your home with this beautiful collection in two background colours (white or blue). Choose from tablecloths (of different sizes), runners and cushions. Made with 100% cotton these products from Remember Provence are durable and easy to clean.

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Herbes de Provence in Pretty Canisters

These dried herbs are from Esprit de Provence. Grown in France, the selection includes Herbes de Provence, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Garlic, Salt with Piment d'Espelette, and Salad Herbs. Buy the collection and make some Provençal recipes.

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Photo: Lavender Fields in Provence

Whether or not you have seen the lavender fields in Valensole, this panorama will transport you to a magical place in Provence. Photo by François de Melogue, a talented chef and photographer. Available in a choice of sizes and different paper stock.

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Download Our Spring Menu Collection

Sue Aran

The Art of Food: Cooking Classes with Suzanne Kay in Provence

Hotel Les Templiers in Aigues Mortes a Boutique Hotel that Feels like Home

The Best of the Camargue from Towns to Wildlife For Visitors

A Magical Stay at Le Prieuré La Madelène B&B in Provence

For Provencal Pottery Visit Caromb a Village in the Vaucluse

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

Alyscamps the Roman Burial in Arles is a Must-See

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