It’s 8:30 am and I’m walking west on the Cours Mirabeau toward the Fontaine de la Rotonde. The Cours is temporarily lined with wooden stalls for vendors working the holiday market — santoniers with their clay nativity figures, clothiers, toymakers, specialty food vendors, artists. The stalls are beginning to open, …

Mountains, Old Abbeys, Pretty Villages and a Roman Bridge The Luberon in the Vaucluse boasts many charming villages, four of which are classified as Plus Beaux Villages. Moreover, there are wooded hills with plenty of good walking, great markets, excellent restaurants and a producer of quality wines—all in this relatively unspoiled …

“Creating beautiful and personalized memories of Provence.” ~ Raina Stinson Private Photo Workshop One of the many joys of returning to Provence last year was meeting Raina Stinson and participating in a photo workshop. We arrived at Raina’s home studio on a crisp fall morning to discuss our goals for …

From time to time, you see something that makes you reconsider some of the decisions you’ve made in life, and a recent visit to the SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) campus at Lacoste, was one of those moments. It was the first stop on our day with the …

I’m up early, driving to l’Estaque. Heavy traffic along the Autoroute to Marseille, but not nearly what it will be during rush hour. I arrive around 7:45, with the sun just above the horizon. Visiting Cézanne’s L’Estaque I head first to Corbières at the eastern edge of the village. Cézanne …

Within the Parc Naturel Régional des Alpilles are several villages, each with a distinctive character. Authentic Alpilles Villages Below, we highlight a few towns that are not typically on visitors’ itineraries. These villages have as much history and charm as their popular neighbours. But perhaps with some additional authenticity as …

The 2021 weather disadvantaged winegrowers in France and Provence. Frost, fire, hail and even turtles made it worse. So how will the wine vintage 2021 be after all these worries? 2021 Provence Vintage After a tough 2020, the new year began in the same way. The Covid-19 restrictions continued, as …

Winter Festivals and Events in Provence What is winter like in Provence? It’s a good question. So, many images of the South of France are summer scenes; ribbons of blooming lavender fields, glasses of rosé with beads of condensation and beautiful people in enjoying their holidays. Perhaps wintertime in Provence garners less …

The Stunning Alpilles The landscape of the Alpilles is not exactly the land of milk and honey but rather a harsh alpine climate that supports the growth of grapes and olives. Known as the Alpilles (small Alps), this 30km band of jagged limestone cliffs and scrub brush is a protected …

Beautiful Alpilles Established in 2007, the Parc Naturel Régional des Alpilles covers the mountain range and its flanks. As a protected natural area, there are restrictions on construction and park usage. However, the artifacts from human settlements discovered in these hills date back to the Neolithic era, and the range …