
Garden Furniture Impulse buy or 3 year search
Perhaps it is the weather or the hunt for a bargain that drives literally thousands of people to visit a brocante (second-hand markets) especially in the summer. Well-known places such as Isle-sur-la Sorgue seamlessly blend antiques with second hand goods. I have never known what is a bargain and what …
Perhaps it is the weather or the hunt for a bargain that drives literally thousands of people to visit a brocante (second-hand markets) especially in the summer. Well-known places such as Isle-sur-la Sorgue seamlessly blend antiques with second hand goods. I have never known what is a bargain and what …

Savoury Recipe Duck Breasts with Figs
This main dish is a recipe from Hilda it is easy to prepare and a perfect savoury pairing with duck and figs.
This main dish is a recipe from Hilda it is easy to prepare and a perfect savoury pairing with duck and figs.

Art in Provence
I cannot claim to be an art critic however I know what I like and this summer I was invited to a vernissage (from the French verb to varnish which is an interesting choice!). This preview event is usually by invitation and what better setting than Crillon-le-Brave? Nestling into the …
I cannot claim to be an art critic however I know what I like and this summer I was invited to a vernissage (from the French verb to varnish which is an interesting choice!). This preview event is usually by invitation and what better setting than Crillon-le-Brave? Nestling into the …

Fig Recipes for all Seasons
My good friend Carola has the most amazing fig trees in her garden. Twice a year they are laden with fruit and she has become something of an expert in creating new ways of eating this healthy crop. No matter how much you like a fresh fig after a while …
My good friend Carola has the most amazing fig trees in her garden. Twice a year they are laden with fruit and she has become something of an expert in creating new ways of eating this healthy crop. No matter how much you like a fresh fig after a while …

A Fig Festival and a horse in a flat-cap
I can’t help it – I’m a sucker for a local Festival in France – so you can imagine I was delighted when, on a planned bike ride last week, we arrived in Saint Didier and noticed a sign for the Fig Festival taking place in Caromb that day. Continue …
I can’t help it – I’m a sucker for a local Festival in France – so you can imagine I was delighted when, on a planned bike ride last week, we arrived in Saint Didier and noticed a sign for the Fig Festival taking place in Caromb that day. Continue …

Would you like to try some Tomato Jam
Hilda visited Forcalquier with some friends in the fall and stayed at a charming B&B. The cool temperatures in Haute Provence allowed for some local exploring and a bit of eating. Keep reading to learn about tomato jam: Breakfast in France is so very different to home, and this was …
Hilda visited Forcalquier with some friends in the fall and stayed at a charming B&B. The cool temperatures in Haute Provence allowed for some local exploring and a bit of eating. Keep reading to learn about tomato jam: Breakfast in France is so very different to home, and this was …
Le Pre d’Islan an Oasis of Calm in Montfavet Avignon
Back in 2006, I got to know a family living on the outskirts of the village via my mum. The family were very kind to me during her short illness and made a special point of keeping in touch thereafter. In 2007, we received an invitation to a wedding in …
Back in 2006, I got to know a family living on the outskirts of the village via my mum. The family were very kind to me during her short illness and made a special point of keeping in touch thereafter. In 2007, we received an invitation to a wedding in …

Falling in Love with Fresh Figs for Dessert
“Would you like some figs for dessert?” I was asked following a lovely meal one summer’s evening in Caromb. For someone who had only ever eaten figs in yoghurt this was an opportunity not to be missed! My fellow diners rose from the table and headed outside. This intrigued me …
“Would you like some figs for dessert?” I was asked following a lovely meal one summer’s evening in Caromb. For someone who had only ever eaten figs in yoghurt this was an opportunity not to be missed! My fellow diners rose from the table and headed outside. This intrigued me …

The long road well travelled
Hilda Stearn entertains us with her story about how a made-in-Italy, Spanish-registered car from London meets Provence’s paperasse.
Hilda Stearn entertains us with her story about how a made-in-Italy, Spanish-registered car from London meets Provence’s paperasse.

Provence Lifestyle by accident or was it fate?
When my widowed mum announced that she was moving to France we all assumed that she would settle in Brittany or Normandy – places she had visited many times with my father. Within easy reach of the UK and her beloved granddaughter the north of France seemed sensible. My strong-willed …
When my widowed mum announced that she was moving to France we all assumed that she would settle in Brittany or Normandy – places she had visited many times with my father. Within easy reach of the UK and her beloved granddaughter the north of France seemed sensible. My strong-willed …