The following guest post is by American-expat Emily Durand who runs a company called Your Private Provence a bi-lingual guide and travel planner. The following is her post on why Provence is the place to go to get re-energized. XXXXXXXX An outdoor café, a pastis, the sun on my face and a …

Lacoste is a well-preserved village that sits on a mountain ridge with great views to the east across a valley filled with vineyards and orchards to Bonnieux and the Grand Luberon Mountains. At the top of the village are the ruins of the castle of the Marquis de Sade now …

While I love the popular Luberon villages as much as the next person, I’m always on the hunt for the authentic, remote, captivating places that one just dreams about for years to come. I kept hearing mention of Maubec as a small, authentic French village and had it on my …

Let us share some ideas on how to keep busy in Provence. Read about how Sassafras and Nutmeg spent their week in Provence. They enjoyed vineyards, a stop at St. Remy’s market, a bike ride along the Gorges de la Nesque, lunch in the village of Monieux and a other memorable …

Château La Coste This vineyard is found just outside of Aix-en-Provence, near the town of Puy-Sainte-Réparade. It is not to be confused with the town of Lacoste (that will be another post). Paddy McKillen, a wealthy Irishman, purchased the old bastide and surrounding land in 2002. He is a man …

Blinded by the hues of lavender shutters. Gently numbed by a glass or two of chilled local rosé. It would be easy to overlook the hamlet of Mérindol during a visit to Provence. The Luberon region is brimming with villages laying claim to le plus beau village de France (the …

It was October, and we were back in Sablet with friends Steve and Mary from Michigan. One of our morning rituals is to sit around the kitchen table drinking petit cafes and reading our iPads and English language papers. Invariably the question is asked, usually by Mary, “Michel, what’s the …

I’m a real Francophile and have stayed in more than one hundred towns, cities, villages and hamlets in France. Twenty-two of these have been in Provence, the shortest for one night, the longest for four months. Every time I plan a trip to Provence, the dilemma is where to choose… …

Recently, we introduced you to Shutters and Sunflowers, a blog about the Provencal landscape and many other things that inspire Caroline Longstaffe to write. Please read the full story here. The Longstaffe family lived in Provence for about 18 months in 2012-13 and were smitten. We asked Caroline if she …

Jessica and Elodie are celebrating an anniversary. These tourism graduates launched their travel agency Provence Authentic one year ago, in January 2015. Originally from Lyon, Jessica has lived in Provence for a decade, and Elodie is local. She was born in Carpentras, only 15kms away from their headquarters in Vacqueyras. …