Travel Guides for Provence Remember when we carried around hefty paperbacks to guide our travels? In the 1980s, long before smartphones, tourists faithfully checked these guidebooks for reviews on hotels, restaurants and must-see sights. Backpackers conscious of space and weight often discarded the pages for a city or region once …

Contributor blog post by Caroline Longstaffe: Recently someone who only had four days to spend in Provence asked me if I had to choose between a visit to Aix-en-Provence or Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, which would it be. Preferably I’d find the time for both but as stunning a city as Aix is, …

The Gorges de la Nesque is the most spectacular gorge in Provence after the Gorges du Verdon. Whether you are a hiker or cyclist it offers breathtaking views and even in the height of summer is not overrun with either so you can still enjoy its beauty in peace. If …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: Summer school holidays are over but you still need to keep the kids entertained until September rolls around and schools go back. Here are some of my budget-friendly suggestions for families to stay entertained through summer and beyond. Parc Phoenix is one of our favourite family …

Diving into Provence Ten years after Peter Mayle’s book “A Year in Provence” was published, Georgina Causton and her partner decided to spend a sabbatical year (1999) in Provence. Completely enchanted by the lifestyle in the South of France they never returned to live in London. Suddenly, they found themselves …

It’s this time of year that Provence turns purple when the Lavender fields start to explode with colour and the air fills with scent as the flowerheads gently brush against each other in the breeze. The air above them seems to shimmer with the colour and the constant buzz of bees …

The Foundation Carmignac opened to the public on June 1st. This display of modern art is in a vast (1500 sqm) gallery inside a Provencal villa on the beautiful island of Porquerolles. Financier Edouard Carmignac has put the collection together. It includes works from the American Pop Art School, including …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: This time last year I was writing about our first year in Provence, borrowing the title from Peter Mayle, who so sadly died earlier this year, having fuelled the dreams of so many people over the years (ourselves included) with his wonderful stories of life …

Born in the United Kingdom (UK) to parents who worked in the diplomatic service, Deborah Lawrenson spent much of her childhood moving around the world to China, Kuwait, Europe (Belgium and Luxembourg) and Singapore. After completing English studies at Cambridge University, Lawrenson worked as a journalist in London. Today, she …

My wife and I were on vacation in Italy, zooming along the autostrada near Florence when she suddenly started shouting and waving. “Pull over!” she yelled. “Right now! There’s a Decathlon!” That got my attention. I spun the wheels to the right and barely made it onto the off-ramp in …