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, …

Head to the South of France After years of the same old holiday routines, the Christmas stockings are looking a bit ragged and plum pudding it still not your favourite dessert. Why not change it up this year and spend a week in Provence? Domaine de Palerme is available for a …

A Long Olive Story It has been almost 100-years since Jean Martin founded his company in the village of Maussane. In 1920, this town on the southern flank of the Alpilles range had a population of just over 1200 people. When M. Martin senior launched his business of preserving and …

On a hot July afternoon, Girl Gone Gallic and I set out to discover Provence’s pathways of abundance. The inspiration for the name of this property came from a book by French author and garden lover Adrienne Cazeilles. Les Sentiers de L’Abondance is the name of a unique garden located …

“He who has seen Paris and not Cassis has seen nothing.”—Frédéric Mistral; Provençal writer and poet and 1904 Nobel Prize winner in literature. In just under two hours from our peaceful Vaucluse department in Provence, we arrive at the top of Cassis. Upon exiting our car and breathing in the …

Charming Provence Jolie vintage might be a good description for Goult. This village is one of a few in the Luberon that is not teeming with tourists, during the high season. In September 2015, Mimi and Michael Pillsbury purchased an old village house, as their new home and the base …

It rains a lot in Normandy. So, two residents of northern France to deciding to spend their retirement years in Provence would hardly be considered unusual. Sylvie and Pascal Verger were searching for a village house with a garden for their relocation from Honfleur. However, the trigger for their real …

Of all the British women writers of the mid-20th century, perhaps cookery author Elizabeth David brought the most colour and sensuousness to the page – and the table. When she wrote about aubergines, courgettes, garlic and aromatic herbs, these were exotic rarities in the grey of Britain’s post-war rationing, and …

According to my phone, “You have arrived.” Good thing for the warning, as I might have missed the small entry sign for le Domaine de Palerme. Discrete might be a good descriptor for this property located only a couple kilometres from the heart of lively L’Isle sur la Sorgue. The …

At first glance, one might think nothing much has changed at Ateliers Fourwinds since my last visit four years ago. Which, is exactly what the new partners want for this artistic workshop (atelier) space with its natural vistas of the Alpilles. Their desire was to breathe new artistic energy into this …