Saying Goodbye to Fall Weather and Provence

By Paula Kane

Here it is, the last full weekend of my stint in Provence. The time always whips by and it’s hard to believe I’ve been here just over two months already. This stretch is often punctuated with a wide range of emotions, and this year has been no different.

We’ve been so lucky to have had one of the best Septembers I can remember. With 12 days of over 30 degrees and the rest in the very high twenties, no rain and endless sunshine, it’s been brilliant. As a result, I’ve been on my bike as much as humanly possible. Last weekend I was lucky enough to spend a day with friends cycling in the Drôme. The weather was hot and sunny and the views and route lovely. Afterward, we sat on a charming village terrace in the sunshine drinking pressions, then carried on to cooking dinner for even more friends. It was one of the best days I’ve had, as schedules rarely work out to allow us a full day together. On days like this, leaving feels like a heart-wrenching exercise, one I wish I didn’t have to do.

…Continue reading here. Saying goodbye to Provence, even if it’s for a short period, is really difficult. Perhaps the heavy mistral winds that blew through at the start of October were like a dose of harsh reality just before Paula’s departure.

Another contributor blog post by A Table en Provence.

Fall Weather in Provence

The change of seasons from what seems like endless hot summer days to autumn in Provence can be subtle. Not long after the grape harvest, the vines start changing colour turning shades of golden-yellow and deep-red signalling that the rootstock is ready for a rest. The Plane trees (Platanes) that provided welcome summer shade drop their large brown leaves in noisy, crunchy piles. Along the roadsides, Pyracantha bushes step forward on the natural stage showing-off their bright berries in tones of orange, red and yellow.

Fall can also arrive with a bang. The first sound of a hunter’s shotgun, in mid-September, spirals our dog onto an emotional rollercoaster that ranges from minor trembling to pure terror. The approved hunting days are established for wild boar in each village, typically one weekday and one day on the weekend. However, the days for shooting bird, rabbit and seemingly anything else that moves appears to be dawn and dusk – every day!

Enjoy the weather but wear bright clothing.

Paula Kane

From a background in advertising and design, Paula Kane has forged a career that combines her love of good food and wine with her expertise in marketing to produce highly successful culinary events across Canada. Paula first travelled to France 20 years ago and has been returning ever since. She received a scholarship from the James Beard Foundation to attend Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, from which she was graduated in 2009. She has completed the International Sommelier Guild Wine Fundamentals and recently, the Hautes Etudes du Goût program in gastronomy from which she was awarded a Masters degree from the University of Reims in Champagne, France. For the past ten years, Paula has spent part of her year in the Vaucluse where she cycles, cooks, drinks wine, explores and shares her discoveries with others on her website A Table en Provence. Recently she launched an online magazine —Olive + Sweetpea— dedicated to all things she is passionate about: food, wine, travel, home and women trailblazers.