French Riviera Hikes Hikes near Saint-Raphael: There are many reasons why we love the Cote d’Azur. One of them is because of the hiking possibilities. Part of our family loves the mountains, and part of our family loves the sea. On the French Rivièra, and particularly near Saint-Raphael, these two are …

Eygalières is one of those rare places, in Provence, filled with stars, and nobody cares. So, why would Christopher Hache, with his Michelin star CV, open Maison Hache in this Alpilles village? New Eygalières Restaurant The attraction of the village with its 1,830 residents is frankly the down-to-earth lack of …

When is the last time you said to yourself, “I could really go for a gluten-free meal”? That would probably be…never.  Who wants bread with the consistency of a hockey puck?  Or pasta that needs a mountain of sauce to make it edible?  And as for cakes and pies – …

Fashion: The Provence Market Michele and Jean-Marie are a husband and wife team with a vision, complementary work experiences and a passion for Provence. So why not leverage that textbook combination and create a new fashion brand – The Provence Market? As a traveller, one cannot help but feel that …

While reading Gayle Smith Padgett’s book, Passion for Provence, 22 Keys to La Belle Vie, I kept thinking this lady is someone you would enjoy getting to know in person. The book (her first) is just over 260 pages long, after each of the 22 chapters she shares her “key” …

With over 30 published books, what more could award-winning cookbook author Georgeanne Brennan possibly write about culinary trends and the lifestyle in Provence? Then along comes Windows on Provence, Musings on the Food, Wine and Culture of the South of France, published on April 10, 2018, by Yellow Pear Press. …

The tinkling of bells was the musical clue. Our friend encouraged us to rush to their property’s perimeter wall to witness a shepherd (berger) moving his flock near Eguilles in Provence. The collection of sheep and herd dogs consumed the entire back lane as far as the eye could see, …

“The bull has escaped!” Cowboy Culture in Provence I looked up to see a thousand pounds of anger barreling down the street at me. Everyone scattered, frantically jumping over the metal barriers to safety. The bull thundered past, followed by closely by French cowboys on horseback. It was a terrifying …

Returning to Provence’s Art de Vivre Frédéric Fekkai and Shirin von Wulffen are a power couple with great hair! They are also breathing new life into a beauty and lifestyle brand that epitomises the best of Provence – Bastide. Born in Provence, Fekkai’s career took him to the United States. …

My books are called Curious Histories and my blog is called the Curious Rambler. I like the word curious because of its double meaning: On the one hand, it means eager to know or learn something – which definitely applies to me: I’ve always been a curious person. But on …