Blinded by the hues of lavender shutters. Gently numbed by a glass or two of chilled local rosé. It would be easy to overlook the hamlet of Mérindol during a visit to Provence. The Luberon region is brimming with villages laying claim to le plus beau village de France (the …

I’m a real Francophile and have stayed in more than one hundred towns, cities, villages and hamlets in France. Twenty-two of these have been in Provence, the shortest for one night, the longest for four months. Every time I plan a trip to Provence, the dilemma is where to choose… …

One of the main reasons I moved to France was to experience the French way of life. What I’ve learned so far has given me eco-friendly, economical and sure-fire ways to solve some vexing problems … like how to: 1. Treat cold sores …Continue reading here to learn about what …

Recently, we introduced you to Shutters and Sunflowers, a blog about the Provencal landscape and many other things that inspire Caroline Longstaffe to write. Please read the full story here. The Longstaffe family lived in Provence for about 18 months in 2012-13 and were smitten. We asked Caroline if she …

After several centuries, cascades of turquoise water carved a 20km limestone canyon known as the Gorges du Verdon, which became part of the protected Parc Naturel Régional du Verdon in 1997. The Verdon River flows 166km from its source in the Alps to Lac St Croix engraving the sheer rock …

Provence is not all about lavender and rosé. Learn about Provence’s mysterious side in a three-part iBook series by photographer Andrew Squires in this post. Provencal postcards are dominated by fields of purple-lavender rows, stoic sunflowers against cobalt-sky backdrops, gnarled grapevines burdened with ripening fruit and endless groves of olive …

French by birth, a traveller by nature, Martine Bertin-Peterson is a Marketing and Management Professor at the College of New Jersey. However, once classes wind down for the summer, Martine begins her bespoke Goût et Voyage tours in Provence.  “What more can a man ask of heaven? If I should happen to die …

Admittedly, it would be a tough choice for anyone to pick between, between the lush gardens of the UK, the sunny skies of California and postcard perfect Provence. Caroline Longstaffe’s solution was to start writing a blog Shutters and Sunflowers her artistic outlet for west coast beauty, British heritage and …

We are experiencing the most wonderful autumn in the South of France.  For several weeks now, the mercury has been hitting the 20s, with a high of 28°c last week!  November is often lovely on the French Riviera, but these temperatures are even higher than normal.  The garden is still …

Hiking in Provence The idea for this hike came from a friend at the International Hiking Group of Provence. The two needed to find a short hike not too far from the house so they would have enough time to get the car to the mechanic. Nutmeg consulted her “Must …