Provencal Getaway With long weekends on the horizon, why not plan a short break in Provence? Gather some friends or family and head south for some warm weather, blue skies, gourmet food and sightseeing. Touring Ideas in Provence Late June through August, Provence treats her visitors to flowering lavender and …

Cassoulet is a traditional recipe from the Languedoc-Roussillon (now the administrative region of Occitanie, France). Some cooks shy away from making this cannellini bean and meat (pork, duck) casserole because it takes a bit of time if you decide to make the duck confit yourself.

An Artist in Provence Born in London, Tessa Baker’s spent her early years in the English countryside. Her creative education included Chelsea School of Art and later at Slade School of Fine Arts. Baker also studied culinary arts in Switzerland. Fast forward, she has painted for over 30 years, and …

Discover why I think you will love Pézenas. Pezenas is a small town in l’Occitanie that reminds many people of Uzès. In fact, when some expats choose a place to locate, it seems to be a toss-up between the two cities. Read on for the six (6) reasons you’ll fall in …

Les Vacances! Holidays in Provence en Famille The trip is booked, finally a chance to spend some time in Provence with the family. However, you want this experience to be one that everyone (and every age) will remember with equal amounts of joy. Touring old Provencal villages in a hot …

“The Allure of Provence and its Wines” was previously published in Culinaire Magazine (June 2016). This updated article includes additional reading, travel tips, and details on wine colour production and terminology. Mention Provence to a friend and they likely have a mental image that involves cobalt skies, cicadas and lavender …

Dancing Under the Stars On a warm July evening, the setting sun kisses the Rhone Valley grapevines good-night as dancers perform in a 7000-seat Roman theatre. No, you are not dreaming. For 22 years, the Vaison Danses festival brings together international dancers to perform for audiences in the Vaucluse. This …

Mention Provence as a destination to your friends, and most people have either been and want to return or are dreaming of their first visit. Gayle Padgett and her husband “flirted” with Provence for two decades, often travelling during their vacation time from US government jobs in Germany. As their …

Sometimes you wake up suddenly from a dream only for it to disappear from grasp, but in other cases, that vision becomes clearer with time. What if your dream was to live in Provence? Over 25 years ago, Julie Whitmarsh and her husband Andy visited the Vaucluse for the first …

Jane Dunning is addicted to France. “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.” The Dunnings’ four-month stay was as acting caretakers …