Provence is filled with dining possibilities from picnics to Michelin-starred tables. The good news is it is hard to get a bad meal if you follow your nose and a few ground rules. Cafés offer table service for coffee and other beverages (think rosé and pastis) throughout the day. Cafés are typically open …

Contributor blog post by  Vaucluse Dreamer: As a mother of 2 rugby-loving teenage boys I know that there is potentially a very short shelf-life for any nice pieces of pottery in our house, which is such a pity. I must admit that both my hubby and I look forward to …

Contributor blog post by Phoebe Thomas: Christmas markets in France are becoming more and more popular every year and yet when many people think of Christmas markets in Europe, France probably doesn’t even spring to mind. A quick internet search will throw up plenty of suggestions for Germany and Austria, …

Recently, author and Perfectly Provence contributor PJ Adams visited the Strasbourg Christmas Market. PJ wrote this article following her trip to France where she compares the seasonal holiday traditions between Alsace and Provence. Keep reading for PJ’s tasty Christmas post on sauerkraut, gingerbread, calissons and nougat. Strasbourg France, the “Capital …

Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: December is upon us! I haven’t even begun my Christmas shopping. Oh my… The Christmas markets have already started here in Provence but now it’s getting serious. Stacks of foie gras and artian chocolates are piled high in the grocery stores, the smell of …

November marks the start of the black diamond season in Provence (and other parts of France). Proof that good looks are not everything the Tuber Melanosporum or black truffle looks a bit like a lump of coal that sells for 1-2000 Euros/kilogram. Intensely pungent the ‘diamond of the kitchen’ has …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer I had to laugh this morning when my eldest asked what letter of the alphabet I’d reached in my A-Z – I replied M, he then started to ask what I was going to write about then checked himself by saying ‘Stupid Question….. It’s …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: Starting with Marseille shops, the opening of Les Docks has been announced: 10th October. This is the long line of historical docks buildings that are opposite the new Terrasses du Port shopping centre. It’s taken 30 months to renovate the buildings and also excavate down …

Endless shopping in Provence from traditional handicrafts to markets…

Winter Festivals and Events in Provence Winter in Provence. What are the colder months like in the South of France? Is it a good time to visit? So many images of the Provence and the Côte d’Azur are summer scenes with ribbons of blooming lavender fields, glasses of rosé with …