Festivals and Fall Events in Provence Fall in Provence directs you towards a heartier menu. Enjoy meat (lamb, wild boar, taureaux, rabbit, fowl) roasted with herbes de Provence, root vegetables and delicious red wine blends. At this time of year, the hiking is fabulous, biking is possible, and golfers might …

It’s someone’s job to clamber up narrow staircases and reach across the void inside the Tour de l’Horloge to manoeuvre the four (4) statues around every 3 months when the season changes. It’s down to (or should we say up to) the Mairie concierge, who says he didn’t realize this …

Perched on a craggy outcrop with its back to the Mistral wind, Ansouis is a gem of a village in Provence’s Vaucluse that deserves its status as one of les Plus Beaux Villages de France. Ansouis sits in the heart of the Luberon, surrounded by vineyards and endless olive trees. …

Arles Worth the Wait Eleven years.  That’s how long the Muséon Arlaten has been closed for renovation, but with the input of a leading architectural agency and the fabulous Arlesien designer Christian Lacroix, it certainly has style – see the staircase. Founded by the poet Frédéric Mistral in 1896, it …

Surrounded by olive trees, grapevines and backing onto a private woodland Les Vallons has jaw-dropping views in every direction. Once part of a hamlet, the home was fully restored by the British owners to create a holiday rental home that can sleep 12 comfortably. Les Vallons was constructed in traditional …

The label Jardin remarquable (Remarkable Garden) started in 2004 to celebrate and document France’s magnificent gardens. A Jardin Remarquable must meet the established criteria. The requirements include integration in the site, an interesting blend of vegetation, quality of the location, engaging use of plants and, where applicable, provide historical interest. …

France’s second-largest city – Marseille – had an image problem, not helped by its setting for gangster and crime movies. But ask any local this city is pure magic. Situated on the Mediterranean, Marseille residents can swim at their favourite beach before work and watch the sunset at another with …

France is full of enchanting villages, and among the approximately 30,000 communes, there are undoubtedly thousands of beautiful ones. However, officially there are exactly 159 Plus Beaux Villages de France – 159 most beautiful villages of all. But how can there be such a precise figure? Easy! This is not …

There is a series of crime novels set in Aix-en-Provence and beyond.  She had spent time in town recently on holiday and loved reading fiction set in places newly familiar. For all those who aren’t in Provence right now but would like to immerse themselves in the unique ambiance of Aix, …

Church Bells of Bonnieux Recently, we stayed in the hilltop village of Bonnieux in Provence’s Luberon where we were treated to a singular sensory experience. We reached out to Vincent Gils, the only carillonneur (bell-ringer) left in the Vaucluse area and one of few left in France. Vincent’s father, Bernard, …