This article was previously published on Ginger and Nutmeg. Cistercian Abbeys Classified as a French historic monument in 1840 L’Abbaye du Thoronet restoration work started the following year and continues today. The Cistercian Thoronet Abbey is the third “sister” to abbeys Silvacane and Sénanque in Provence. These religious structures are …

Attracted to Provence by the sun, Elke Walter is clear that the weather is better than in her birthplace Hamburg, Germany. Elke began designing clothing in the 1990s in France, and her business Elke Walter Design was officially launched in 2002 when she opened her atelier in Hamburg. Elke describes …

Cassis is located just east of Marseille and is very famous for the adjacent large towering white cliffs.  The cliffs are equally stunning as those found along the English Chanel in Normandy. There are beautiful inlets called les Calanques that are accessible mostly by boat, or in some cases by …

Contributor blog post by David Taylor: Another of our favourite cities is Aix en Provence, about an hours drive from Saint Saturnin Les Apt, it is a busy university town with a certain chic feel to it, like Marseille stunning buildings, much history and of course plenty of fine shopping …

Two years ago, I published ‘Aix-en-Provence The Inside Story’.  I embarked on it because there is so little in English on the history of this fascinating town. Guide books are very big on facades and columns but don’t say much about the people who lived in the buildings. I wanted …

Tasha Powell says she reinvented herself after a corporate career in product development for sporting goods. That might not be entirely accurate. It could be that Tasha is finally allowing her Francophile foodie to rule the day. From Allentown, Pennsylvania and Penn State University to living in Provence while she …

Before my recent trip to Provence, I didn’t know much about the area other than it was known for its lavender and pastis. It’s only 3.5 hours from Marseille to Nice, so I figured it couldn’t be that hard to find a place to stay. Despite its relatively small size …

Contributor blog post by David Taylor: France is of course renowned for its gastronomy and in Provence one of the most famous dishes is the Bouillabaisse, originating from Marseille. We ate at one of our favourite restaurants (in the world!) this week , which specialises in this great dish. A …

Before we moved to France I had read Peter Mayle’s account of his idyllic year in the Luberon region of Provence, and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, when planning our great escape from the grey-skied rat-race that is the City of London we never contemplated moving to the Luberon. Somehow it …

When we travel, we usually shun hotels. Sure, there’s a lot to be said about room service and having someone make your bed every day, but with the advent of Airbnb, HomeAway, and other vacation rental websites, we’ve opened our eyes to a new way to live like locals.  Why …