Born in Kiel, Germany, a meandering path led Miriam Hartmann to her artist’s atelier in the village of Ménerbes. Why Provence? Over 15 years ago, Miriam Hartmann stood on the terrace of a modest studio in the Provencal village of Maubec. Gazing at Mont Ventoux, she had an overwhelming feeling …

I’m often asked why I set my stories in this part of France and there are many reasons. Here I’ve picked out just a few for you: A Sensual Place Well firstly, it’s a stunning part of the world, as anyone who’s visited will know. The colours are intense, the …

Enamoured with Provence, Caroline Longstaffe is one of our regular contributors. Her blog, Shutters and Sunflowers, is about passion, living the journey and not waiting to get to the destination. A traveller at heart, Caroline says she was most probably born under a wandering star. Born in England, she lives …

Lavender Fields Forever Many of us would love to spend days in Provence, luxuriating amidst fields of this alluring purple flower. This article is all about ‘lavande rapide’ – how to see lavender in Provence when you don’t have much time or have a long list of things you want …

A Week in Provence Key to a great holiday in Provence (or anywhere) is striking a balance between activity and downtime. We have been fortunate to have many friends visit the region. Of course, we like to think it all about us, but the reality is Provence is magnetic. After …

Last week Andy and I were sitting at Menerbes overlooking the view when two people on electric bikes pulled up beside us and were trying to identify the villages on the hills opposite. We got chatting, and they explained that they had just hired the bikes and one said how …

It’s been a long time since I last posted about a cycle ride in the area, that’s not because we haven’t been cycling, in fact, the opposite is true. This area is so good for cycling, and even though we thought we had been along most of the main routes, …

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 …

Just a skip down the road from our holiday rental in Ménerbes, we returned to la Bastide de Marie for the final evening of our yearly trip to Provence. And the meal won for best of the trip, though a couscous and garbanzo dish from an auberge in Brantes was …

Fashion: The Provence Market Michele and Jean-Marie are a husband and wife team with a vision, complementary work experiences and a passion for Provence. So why not leverage that textbook combination and create a new fashion brand – The Provence Market? As a traveller, one cannot help but feel that …