At first glance, one might think nothing much has changed at Ateliers Fourwinds since my last visit four years ago. Which, is exactly what the new partners want for this artistic workshop (atelier) space with its natural vistas of the Alpilles. Their desire was to breathe new artistic energy into this …

Contributor blog post by Jill Barth: The Southern French port city of Marseille has been the entry point for the world since the Greeks settled there around 600 BC. The second largest city in France is home to people of scoping nationalities and this diversity makes Marseille the world’s kitchen. …

Christian Detaux always wanted to be an artist.  For as long as he can remember, he’s been drawing and painting and shaping forms. At the age of 16, Detaux applied to the prestigious “Ecole des Beaux Arts” in Paris, ready to embark on a career as an artist.  But then he …

Contributor blog post by Jill Barth: Last fall during a visit to Gigondas, I had lunch with Thierry Faravel, proprietor and winemaker at Domaine le Bouïssière. Thierry and his brother Gilles are second generation vignerons, tending vines planted by their father Antonin, who grew grapes for the co-op for 41 …

Most foreigners moving here love the fact that life in beautiful Aix-en-Provence is lived at a slower pace. However, the daily business of living doesn’t always go slowly here because of a conscious lifestyle choice. Instead, it often is a consequence of this medieval capital of Provence having expanded over …

While most tourists visiting the Luberon head right for the spectacular villages of Gordes and Roussillon, there lies tucked away in a world all its own, the quiet, refined, and classy town of Goult. Classy is the word to describe this quaint little village with its photogenic little square of …

It never gets easier to leave Provence, in fact, it might get harder each time. After several years of spending time in the region, it seems like my list of “must see and should do” just gets longer. Maybe it is because most days are highlighted by an endless sky. …

Occasionally, you catch a flash of the sun on the windows, a fleeting hint that something magical is taking place on the North side of the Alpilles. Initially, the meandering road that leads to Château Romanin parallels the Aéro-Club de Saint-Rémy les Alpilles glider runway. The striking backdrop of limestone fingers, the …

The Christmas Kalends of Provence, by Thomas Allibone Janvier, was first published in 1902 and republished many times since. The edition I am using is a facsimile published by Bibliobazaar, 2007, Charleston, South Carolina. Reviewed by Mary-Jane Deeb A few years ago my publisher, Paraclete Press, gave me a small …

Running mostly from east to west Provence’s small Alps – les Alpilles – are a small mountain chain, approximately 30km in length. The highest peak is not quite 500m above sea level, yet this outcropping holds almost mythical status in the region. These jagged limestone spires protected our ancient ancestors …