One of the things we love about Provence is its wonderful wildlife and recently we’ve been lucky enough to watch ‘Sangliers’ foraging at the side of the road…….. Please excuse my photography! And have seen Vultures flying off the Petit Luberon and near Sault, but when it was suggested that …

Picasso’s work has been chosen to be the co-subject of the summer show at Aix’s Musée Granet. ‘Picasso/Picabia’ begins on at the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence on June 9th and runs through to 23rd September.  It promises to be an intriguing juxtaposition of two very different artists working in the south of France. …

As most of you living in and around Aix will know, the region has long been associated with Mary Magdalene, the companion of Jesus who, according to legend, was driven out of Palestine during early Christian persecutions. She was expelled together with other saints in a boat without sails, which …

Mimosa and Sea Urchins Despite it being February, the coast of France, which borders the Mediterranean, becomes bright yellow during this time of year. Synonymous with the Mediterranean, I’ll never forget when I was in Italy during International Women’s Day. It’s the custom there to hand out Mimosa to every …

Arts de la Table, Bastide We are blessed here in Provence to have the best ingredients when it comes to producing scents (and eating!). Grasse is the perfume capital of the world; not surprising considering the endless fields of lavender, roses, fruit blossom and wild scented herbs that create the …

Pass the Pastis Once you get past its slightly unappealing milky yellow colour and mild anise flavour you are either a pastis fan or vow never to drink the stuff again. However, pastis drinkers don’t care what you think about their beverage of choice. As you sip your glass of …

As we plan trips to the South of France, I look for good fares from San Francisco to Geneva, Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and Nice. Recently, it seems Geneva and Lyon have offered the best fares on our favourite airline. The first couple of times we flew into Lyon, we went …

Wishing you a Perfectly Provence Holiday The holidays are finally upon us with the stockings hung by the fire and another year of terrific Perfectly Provence content is behind us. It is time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and all the best for a joyful season. However, before we …

Any easy variation on hummus with chickpeas and shallots

The Heart of Darkness or Niger Focus (later Nerluc) might have been an appropriate name for the hamlet located on the shores of a murky, swampy river. The muddy, opaque waters fueled rumours cultivating the nightmares of residents who asked was the beast: A huge serpent? A dragon? A fierce …