One Friday a few months back, we had a date for a rendezvous with cousins Jean-Marc and Christine for dinner. It was my responsibility to choose a restaurant somewhere between Montpellier and Sablet. After making some calls, I landed on Le Bistrot du Paradou. I was informed they had one …

Patience, vision and exquisite taste converted a run-down 250-acre agricultural property, outside of Maussane des Alpilles, into a luxury resort — Domaine de Manville. Edith and Patrick Saut purchased the land and associated ragtag collection of farm buildings in 2007. Seven years later and with a multi-million Euro budget, this …

Local photographer Jean François Galeron shared that taking photos for his book Lumières des Alpilles was not difficult. Completing a photo journal dedicated to his corner of Provence was a project he had contemplated for over 30 years. The hard part was culling thousands of images into a stunning 212-page collection. …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: As the current annual son-et-lumiere show at the Carrieres de Lumieres in Les Baux de Provence draws to a close, (Bosch, Breughel, Arcimboldo ends Jan 7th, it’s always interesting to see what is next on the agenda. And the theme for 2018 is…Picasso et les Maitres …

If you have the impression that finding affordable wine in France is hard – it is definitely time to revisit that stance. My husband and I have taken several road-trips through France, meeting winemakers and tasting wine – much of it high-quality, AOP wines with price-tags that need to be …

Many of us love the Alpilles, the “little Alps” that rise between the famous Provencal towns of St-Rémy-de-Provence and Les Baux. Their craggy beauty dominates the surrounding landscape. But outside of taking an airplane ride, it is impossible to appreciate them from the air. Until now. Gilles Lagnel’s new book, …

It took seven years, 50-million Euros and loads of patience before Domaine de Manville could achieve its 5-star rating. Edith and Patrick Saut are the visionary owners behind this new luxury “Palace Rural” situated in the heart of the Parc Naturel Regional des Alpilles.

Do particular foods make you think of the holiday season? For me, the appearance of cranberries in the supermarket is a sure sign that Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities are around the corner. The cranberry tart recipe below is from Moulin Castelas, a beautiful olive plantation and mill near Les Baux …

Winter Festivals and Events in Provence So many images of the Provence and the Côte d’Azur are summer scenes with ribbons of blooming lavender fields, glasses of rosé with beads of condensation, and beautiful people in straw hats enjoying their holidays. Perhaps wintertime in Provence garners less attention, but it’s …

In Provence, Christmas is a festive season lasting over two months with many holiday traditions. While there are commercial aspects to the holidays in Provence and the rest of France, many old customs continue today. At this time of year, there is vin chaud, little saints (santons), thirteen desserts, holiday …