When we were first shown the ancient former farmhouse near Uzès (in the South of France) we now call home, I rejected it firmly with a resounding ‘No’. We had agreed that we didn’t want a third project in fifteen years: its desolate state, left for months forlornly empty, with dust …

Let’s just say it had been a few years since I had spent any time in Nice. My last visit was during an era when backpacks with external frames were acceptable, walkmans were hip, travel on $20 a day was possible and the Euro had not been invented. I was …

Sparkling azure waters, chilled pink wine, cicada-led symphonies and the market aromas of rotisserie chickens it is easy to see how one might get drunk on the sensory indulgence of Provence. Intoxicating PJ Adams grew up in California where she studied, before heading to the London School of Economics. Her …

Contributor blog post by Liz Gabay: The restaurant Bruno, familiarly known as Chez Bruno, is a Michelin starred restaurant, specialising in truffles, in the centre of Var department, just outside the old market town of Lorgues. I first went to Bruno’s  …Continue reading here Via:: Elizabeth Gabay         

We had barely walked 3km from our meeting point, but we were utterly lost in the architecture and history of Arles. My husband and I were in Arles for our annual trip to the sous-prefecture to request the forms for the renewal of our long-stay visas. This process involves getting …

Contributor blog post by Phoebe Thomas: Today’s beach in my series a-beach-a-week is one of the longest sandy beaches on the Côte d’Azur, situated just east of Fréjus at the edge of St Aygulf in the Var.  Esclamandes beach consists of 4 sections – family (regular), nudist, kitesurf and dogs …

The summer truffle-hunts have wound down, and it’s too early to look for the black diamond beauties, but the Pepins refuse to take a break! Instead, they invite you to come on over and get your feet dirty…or rather purple. For some background on this Franco-American truffle-hunting couple, please read …

Reading MFK Fisher’s Two Towns in Provence, you might be surprised that it was written so long ago. Cours Mirabeau, the cultural center of Aix, looks much like it did when Fisher and her two daughters sought solace at Les Deux Garçons or ambled down the boulevard so many decades …

This beautiful art book illustrates the many different ways people choose to live in Provence. It is part of a “Living in…” series of publications about living in different parts of the world including places like Tuscany or Bali. This particular volume was published in 2012 to celebrate the 25th …

Olive trees have grown in Provence since at least the time of the Greeks, roughly 600 BC. Olive oil was a prized commodity during the Roman era. At 4,500 tons per year, France is not considered a large global producer. However, the quality is considered to be excellent. The Provence …