My wife Val and I live part of the year in St-Rémy-de-Provence, a town just south of Avignon. There are lots of fun things to do in St-Rémy and one of our favorites is to go to the Wednesday morning market. What’s it like to go to one of the …

There’s a new obsession running around in my head: “visit as many of France’s ‘Les Plus Beaux Villages‘ as I possibly can.”  So far, I’ve seen only 10 out of some 156 “authentic” Les Plus Beaux Villages. I have a lot of travelling to do. Les Plus Beaux Villages There …

A visit to beautiful Aix-en-Provence – the city of art and water – should be on every visitor’s agenda. Founded by the Romans, this city has a remarkable history in the region. Only traces remain of this once crucial Roman settlement remain, but if you know where to look, there …

What’s On? During the summer in Provence and the Côte d’Azur, daytime temperatures range from warm to hot. So, you don’t need an excuse to laze by the pool. At this time of year, the lavender is in bloom and the sunflowers put on a spectacular floral show. From music …

Chateaux Guide the Alpilles Castles If you’ve spent time in the Alpilles, the small mountain range near St-Rémy-de-Provence, you’ve probably spotted a medieval chateau or two. Some are hard to miss, like the magnificent chateau and fortified city of Les Baux. Others are little more than piles of rubble. The …

Provence’s Plague Wall When most people hear of “the Plague,” they shudder and think of the Black Death that killed nearly a third of Europe’s population in the 1300’s. But did you know that as late as 1720 an outbreak in Provence took the lives over 100,000 people? And that …

They prepared several delicious dishes for the evening, but these Eggplant Cakes in a Tomato Pesto Sauce were my favourite. You can serve this recipe as an appetizer, the first course for a dinner party or even at lunchtime with a green salad. Think of this as a savoury cake. Once the eggplant is cooked, simply combine with the rest of the ingredients and bake. The dish can be served with the pesto sauce (below), a tomato sauce or combine the two for a rich flavour experience.

Author, Mary Lou Longsworth writes: Toulon: Discovering Something New in Provence We’ve been living in the countryside south of Aix, close to the Mediterranean, for five years. We miss Aix and our friends, and the almost-twenty years of memories we had there, but have no regrets. Aix isn’t far, and …

Provencal Getaway With long weekends on the horizon, why not plan a short break in Provence? Gather some friends or family and head south for some warm weather, blue skies, gourmet food and sightseeing. Touring Ideas in Provence Late June through August, Provence treats her visitors to flowering lavender and …

In keeping with our yearly tradition and being a supportive wife while my husband does the challenging cycle up Mont Ventoux, I needed to find a place to pass the time. Thus the Spa des Écuries at Hotel Crillon le Brave was my “sacrifice” for a few hours. Well, what choice …