While in Provence last fall, I began reading L’appart: The Delights and Disasters of Making My Paris Home. Why read about Paris ex-pat experiences while living in the South of France? I wanted to read this book for several reasons, starting with the fact that I love David Lebovitz’s culinary …

Make this your year to visit Provence’s celebrated lavender fields! The earthy fragrance fills the air as rows of deep purple flowers dance in the summer breeze towards the horizon. Experience the region’s famous lavender plateaus and visit many remarkable sites in the South of France on a TripUSAFrance nine …

Les Baux de Provence is a picturesque village about 46 miles southwest of our house in Sablet in the Vaucluse. The town sits on an elevated site with ancient dwellings and ruins of a castle perched on top overlooking plains to the south. The village is classified as one of …

Spring Events in Provence Springtime in Provence is lovely. As is the case with most of the year, the sun shines brightly, but expect the odd rainstorm. Moisture in this period is critical for the grapes, olives, and almonds to start their growing cycles. Expect to see the apple, pear, …

Salty food and oily fish is a wine pairing challenge. However, nothing that Cocoa & Lavender wasn’t willing to try. Taking inspiration from southern France, this delicious warm platter of feta and sardines paired beautifully with two Acquiesce wines. Producing only Rhône-style white and rosé wines, Acquiesce Winery is a …

We love our little house and the garden we’ve made here. I have a fig tree, a little cherry tree and even an apricot sapling, all in large tubs on the terrace, but the one thing that we don’t have is an olive tree. We planted one many years ago …

While this recipe is not typically Provencal, aubergine (eggplant) and tomatoes are plentiful in the region, and we highly recommend trying this vegetarian dish. While we will always love a variety of meats, poultry, and seafood, we add more vegetarian options for our health! Melanzane a’Scarpone is one of our favourite …

Holidays in Provence Tree branches drip with sparkling white lights and the spicy fragrances of clove, cinnamon and star anise scent the air. Laughter bubbles from the market stall selling vin chaud. “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” ~Alice in Wonderland No indeed. Provence is magical during …

Antiques, art, waterwheels, and shopping are among the many reasons to visit the “Venice of Provence” – L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. The busy town on the Sorgue River was at one time a fishing village. Below are some ideas on spending a day in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue exploring the boutiques, galleries and taking in the …

Jewel of the Alpilles Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (often written as St Rémy) is perhaps the ideal-sized town in the Alpilles. Plenty of tempting boutiques, chic hotels, a charming pedestrian-friendly centre and many restaurants exist. The largest city in the Alpilles, St Rémy, has roughly 9,800 people. Popular all year, St Rémy can …