Spring Events in Provence Spring in Provence is absolutely lovely. As is the case with most of the year, the sun shines brightly, but expect the odd rain storm. Moisture in this period is critical for the grapes, olives, and almonds to start their growing cycles. In March and April, …

Author, Mary Lou Longsworth writes: Toulon: Discovering Something New in Provence We’ve been living in the countryside south of Aix, close to the Mediterranean, for five years. We miss Aix and our friends, and the almost-twenty years of memories we had there, but have no regrets. Aix isn’t far, and …

Getaway to the Alps A road trip to the Alps delivers a combination of excitement, outdoor sports, beautiful vistas and alpine weather. Several mountain resorts are closer than you might think from Provence providing an excellent destination for travellers and sportspersons alike. The Alps stretch 1,200 km across Europe through …

“A Year to Savour” is the tag line for a year of culinary highlights cooking under the banner of Marseille Provence Gastronomy 2019 (#MGP2019). The Bouches du Rhône tourism group (Provence Tourism) together with a team of devoted food ambassadors in the region have crafted a program of events to …

Did Mary Magdalene Live in Provence? A crippled ship bobs helplessly on a storm-tossed sea and those on board face certain death…but then a miracle occurs. Guided by the hand of God, the ship arrives safely on the shores Provence. Out steps Mary Magdalene, ready to spread The Word throughout …

Spring is Upon us! Or, at least, it is here. The almonds are blooming and it’s about 20 degrees in the sun. I remember growing up in Montréal when you could smell the spring mud and ice thawing, there would always be one last snow generally right before my birthday …

Sometimes, a book’s title brings up old memories. Remember your first house? Sometime after college and into your career, all of a sudden you were no longer “playing house”. It was for real. The following is an excerpt from the book Playing House in Provence: How Two Americans Became a …

A Natural Grotto Between the busy urban centres of Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, at the heart of the Parc naturel régional de la Sainte-Baume, is a mountain that stretches 12km and a famous religious site. The Sainte Baume Grotto is a prominent destination for Christian pilgrimages and anyone interested in discovering …

What a terrific show at the Caumont Centre d’Art in Aix. It features the work of Marc Chagall, from his black and white gravures from the 1920s and 30s, via his white marble sculptures, to his joyously colourful gouaches and oil paintings. His small sculptures, featuring entwined couples or biblical …

In this guest post (below) by author Jane Dunning, she shares her thoughts on why winter is a great time to visit (and house sit) in Provence. Jane is the author of two novels Thirty-Five Minutes from St Tropez and its sequel Stolen Summer. Her experiences while house sitting in …