September is a spectacular month in Provence. Often it’s sunny and warm—without the scorching summer heat—with blue skies and nights that are cool and refreshing. The days are shorter and the leaves on the vines start to change. It’s also when most of my friends arrive back after avoiding the …

Our village, like many in southern France, has a semi-permanent population; one of the first questions asked on being introduced is whether or not we are here all year round. A fairly cosmopolitan atmosphere is enjoyed here, particularly throughout the summer months, evident at the annual 14th July celebrations opposite …

Inspired by the scenery to let out your inner artist the Ateliers Fourwinds Artist Retreat located just outside of Aureille it is a perfect venue for aspiring artists of all types. Or perhaps your inner artist could gain inspiration from American artist Jill Steenhuis who now paints Cezannes Provence. You can …

Author and possibilitarian Patricia Sands never ceases to amaze me. She is on the cusp of publishing the third book in her “Love In Provence” series I Promise You This ~ is available May 17th. Here, is a little temptation to order your copy. “With sunlit backdrops and plot twists as …

Provence’s pine forests, Mistral winds and the summer symphony of the cigales fuel Tracy Rawles’ creative writing. Rawles published her first book Charlie’s World of Glittering Powers, in November 2015. Charlie is a cigale, a cicada (or at least inspired by the cicadas), this is a description of the book’s central …

Domaine Dalmeran is nestled against the Alpilles a short distance from Saint Etienne du Grès and a few kilometres from St Remy de Provence. Despite its proximity to these villages the isolated vineyard, is an “island” of vines invisible from the road — the Via Domitia – an ancient Roman road …

Launched in 1995, Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) Les Baux de Provence was a bold step for a dozen winemakers. They joined forces in an attempt to carve out a unique identity in the ocean of mediocre (at the time) Provencal wine. These wineries had fallen under the umbrella of the …

Things are starting to feel decidedly spring-like here in Provence. There are orchids in the grass, the almond blossom has just waned in time for the pear trees to start budding. We’ve had, as seemingly everywhere, a mild winter. We haven’t had anywhere near as much Mistral wind (though I …

It was October, and we were back in Sablet with friends Steve and Mary from Michigan. One of our morning rituals is to sit around the kitchen table drinking petit cafes and reading our iPads and English language papers. Invariably the question is asked, usually by Mary, “Michel, what’s the …

Writer Alphonse Daudet described his affection for the town of Fontvieille and its windmills as follows: “Ce coin de roche qui m’etait une patrie et dont on retrouve la trace – êtres ou endroits – dans presque tous mes livres” The translation: This corner of rock was a homeland to …