Our village, like many in southern France, has a semi-permanent population; one of the first questions asked on being introduced is whether or not we are here all year round. A fairly cosmopolitan atmosphere is enjoyed here, particularly throughout the summer months, evident at the annual 14th July celebrations opposite …

Martine Bertin-Peterson is intrepid; she had a window of 90 minutes of “downtime” between her back-to-back tour groups, yet she agreed to meet me for a glass of rosé. Beneath the walls of the immense Palais des Papes in Avignon, we chatted about her food and wine excursions in Provence. …

Contributor blog post by Caroline Longstaffe: What is it that consistently draws people to Provence and to the Luberon in particular, that special ‘je ne sais quoi’ which make this region so utterly captivating? Aside from its natural beauty, perhaps its enduring appeal is, that it remains one of the …

Culinary Tours Pitcher and Powell is an international travel concept that combines the creative talents and cooking passions of two accomplished ladies. Even their last names work well together! Barbara Pitcher is a Canadian by birth, with an international spirit, she is a painter who lives in Provence with her …

My favourite painter that sells in Provençal markets is undoubtedly Grigore Dontu. This handsome Moldovian is a little camera shy (the mysterious silent type); however, since I see him so often (as I wander the markets so often) we’ve come to know each other. Last year, when my mum visited …

Velleron night market is one of the best producer’s markets in Southern France. It has been continually included within the 100 “marchés d’exception” in France by the Conseil National des Arts Culinaires. The market is open daily, except Sunday of course, in the hot summer months and is very popular …

The tourist office in Aix has come up with a very good 32-page digital magazine ‘Le Mag’ to help visitors this coming summer: there are details of events, music, markets, lavender fields tours, where to play golf, the Cézanne map, where to picnic and key products to try.

Bilingual guide Chiara Orlandi grew up in the heart of Italy, in Umbertide, a place that she still holds dear in her heart even after several years away in the United Kingdom and Edinburgh, Scotland. Orlandi studied event management at Edinburgh’s Napier University, her second Masters (her previous degrees are …

In 1999, a decade after the publication of Peter Mayle’s “A Year in Provence”, Georgina Causton and her partner decided to take a sabbatical year. Smitten by the South of France, they never returned to live in London. Instead, they bought a house and three mortgages later ended up with …

Lavender is the purple beauty of Provence; it is a big industry in France and the key to essential oil production. Tourists and locals flock to see the fields in full blooming glory. The timeframe changes annually depending on weather, but typically some fields are ready by late June, and …