Travel Guides for Provence Remember when we carried around hefty paperbacks to guide our travels? In the 1980s, long before smartphones, tourists faithfully checked these guidebooks for reviews on hotels, restaurants and must-see sights. Backpackers conscious of space and weight often discarded the pages for a city or region once …

Soaring in the Alpilles In the idyllic playground of the Alpilles, my husband (aka M. Avion) stumbled upon utopia for those who like (or wish to try) soaring. In the heart of the Bouches du Rhone, is a location where the confluence of meteorological elements and geology create near perfect …

I don’t think there is a topic I’ve covered more than rosé. Part preference, part probability, it seems only natural that a Provence wine specialist would document the past, present and future of vin trois, the third colour of the wine trinity. Affiliations range from the “Hampton’s Water” lifestyle crowd to …

“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 …

Combining Passions into Work Born in Provence, Sophie Bergeron is bilingual (English and French) and fully conversant in the realm of local wines. Her technical studies at Université de Vin in Suze la Rousse and the WSET certification transitioned into work at several Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards, including Domaine de la Janasse. In 2016, …

This “faux” cassoulet recipe appeared in the February 2016 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. I have prepared it several times to rave reviews from family and friends. Like a traditional cassoulet, it is a meal-in-a-dish and requires only a side salad, a robust red wine and perhaps a fruit dessert to complete the meal. It is perfect for cold winter evenings.

That Provencal vacation that you have dreamed about is finally going to happen! You have tackled the family calendar, arm-twisted a friend into dog sitting and booked the flights to the South of France. Now what? With beautiful images of lavender fields, azure waters and chilled rosé floating through your …

Contributor blog post by Michel: Our favorite Roman ruin in the South of France is the Pont du Gard, the aqueduct bridge that crosses the Gardon River in the Gard Department of Languedoc-Roussillon about 60 km (37 miles) from our home in Sablet, between Remoulins and Uzès. The Pont du Gard …

If you have a chance to take a trip and don’t really care where you go, just put your finger on a spot on a map. Then go there. That’s pretty much how I decided to visit Sete (pronounced “set”). A little bit Venice, a little bit Riviera Sete is …