By Vaucluse Dreamer: Yesterday Andy and I sat in the Artisan Bakery on The Quay in Exeter, raising a cup of coffee to celebrate the 3 years since we signed the papers and picked up the keys to our long-dreamed-for house in Provence. Of course we would have rather been …

Memoirs Inspired by Provence For many, Peter Mayle’s best-selling novel A Year in Provence was their introduction to the Provencal countryside. Images of the Côte d’Azur have long covered the pages of travel magazines. Still, Mayle’s descriptions of bumbling through a home renovation in the arrière-pays (translation: backcountry or hinterland) shifted …

By Jemma: It’s all about the ants. I’ve never forgotten the advice from one of my earliest writing teachers. You can go on a glorious picnic – the food, conversation, and the weather all perfection – but you have no story until the ants arrive. They invade your blanket and …

Eygalières is one of those rare places, in Provence, filled with stars, and nobody cares. So, why would Christopher Hache, with his Michelin star CV, open Maison Hache in this Alpilles village? New Eygalières Restaurant The attraction of the village with its 1,830 residents is frankly the down-to-earth lack of …

By Vaucluse Dreamer: By the start of November, our little place was in a state of chaos in readiness for the work to start. The rooms were piled high with relocated furniture & building supplies and Andy had laid new Travertine floors throughout the 2 main spaces upstairs that would …

House Search in the Alpilles Not everyone would have the vision and know how to transform a tiny 17th-century farm building into a bright, inviting pied-à-terre. The house was in poor condition, its last renovation dated from the 1970s as evidenced by the orange and brown colour palette. However, it …

Valentine’s Day Menu Chef Eric Fraudeau created this special menu for February 14th for our Perfectly Provence followers. The chef and his wife Yetunde are the power couple behind Cook’n with Class with cooking school locations in Paris and Uzès. The team has developed a wide variety of cooking classes, hands-on …

Exploring Brocantes As you have probably gathered by now we tend to enjoy spending our time in France cycling, visiting brocante markets, vide greniers and drinking coffee, with the days passing by in a blur and us inevitably falling into bed each evening tired and satisfied after the day’s activities. …

French Riviera an Artistic Book Whether you have been to the French Riviera countless times or have always dreamed of the place, Virginia Johnson’s “Travels Through the French Riviera” is an insider’s guide from an artist’s perspective. Johnson is a Canadian designer and illustrator, and her book is a compilation …

A Guest Post: Janice Chung is a retired school Principal from Toronto, Canada who travels to France frequently to discover new sights and experiences. Her blog, Francetraveltips.com shares all types of unique experiences not always found in travel guides. She often writes about active activities in France and has participated in …