Take a November Break Sadly, the month of November does not have the relaxed feel of those long mid-July days, the stress of back-to-school (la rentrée) in September, or the anticipation of the December holidays. So, why not insert a bit of excitement into this dull month and gather some …

Provence Love Stories A budding romance, a Provencal setting and voila – a love story. The following list of books only begins to scratch the surface of the popular women’s fiction genre. However, we recommend these authors as they write beautifully, inviting you into the lifestyle in the South of …

Hungry during the afternoon when restaurants and grocery stores are closed in Provence? Then head up to Chez Auzet at the top of Ménerbes for the most delicious quiche for just five euros! If you want to splurge, you can spend seven euros and get a salad with your quiche. …

Contributor blog post by Paula Kane: My first week here has gone by in a flash. Perhaps because summer is always like that, or perhaps it was my fuzziness and lack of focus most of the week due to some lingering vertigo. Either way, it went by quickly with dinners and …

Contributor blog post by David Taylor: We enjoyed a superb meal at Le Fournil Restaurant in Bonnieux this week. Guy & Jean Christophe have been there for 22 years so have quite a reputation. Three courses with an amuse bouche are only 49€ and the extensive wine list includes pichet, Luberon …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: It’s well over 2 years now since we finally picked up the keys and opened the door to our little house in Provence after so many years of dreaming about it. We couldn’t afford a perfect house with elegant gardens and a pretty pool and …

For many, Peter Mayle’s best-selling novel A Year in Provence was their introduction to the Provencal countryside. Images of the Côte d’Azur have long covered the pages of travel magazines. Still, it was Mayle’s descriptions of bumbling through a home renovation in the arrière-pays (translation: backcountry or hinterland) that shifted our …

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 …

Writing a book is hard enough, but writing one with your spouse, well apparently that is a recipe for success. Death in Provence is Serena Kent’s first novel. The nom-de-plume is perfect for a couple who split time between the Luberon in Provence and Kent in the United Kingdom. After work …

Plenty of villages in the Luberon Valley lay claim to les plus beaux villages de France (the most beautiful villages in France), and many of those proudly display Villages Fleuris (flowering villages) emblems on local street signs. Enchanted by weather-worn scenes of charming hilltop hamlets and gently numbed by a glass of …