It’s Academy Award season, and as it was with me a year ago when I wrote of Marcel Pagnol, I am drawn back to Provence, in fact to his hometown of Aubagne. On this occasion it began last fall when I was discussing with my wife Benedicte, who is French, …

Provence Gourmet This autumn, I was lucky to be able to participate in one of Gilles Conchy’s cooking classes in Aix en Provence. Gilles leads English cooking classes in Aix en Provence, Eygalières, and Marseille. Each class focuses on Provençal cooking, with particular regard for the different traditions of the …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: There is something about arriving in the Vaucluse that just makes the stress slip from our shoulders and today’s arrival in the depths of winter was no different. Travelling at this time of year is a little bit more complicated than during the summer …

Jean Leclerq and his partner Sabine are a dedicated couple who own a special place hidden in the hills behind our little village of Cotignac.  They have started our first “Safranière,” a small Saffron farm growing the most valuable spice on earth.  We were lucky enough to join them one …

Car companies and investors are spending billions in their attempts to place first in the electric vehicle battle – Elon Musk’s race is on. Maybe that was on his mind when entrepreneur David Lainé exited from Marseille’s St. Charles station one morning back in the summer of 2011 and noticed …

When the lavender is harvested in Provence at the end of July, a heavenly scent is carried on warm evening breezes. Alerted by the first wafts of perfumed air, from our terrace we can sometimes see the smoke rising from the other side of a small ridge. The distillation has …

The Christmas Kalends of Provence, by Thomas Allibone Janvier, was first published in 1902 and republished many times since. The edition I am using is a facsimile published by Bibliobazaar, 2007, Charleston, South Carolina. Reviewed by Mary-Jane Deeb A few years ago my publisher, Paraclete Press, gave me a small …

A satisfying and delicious bowl of comfort while at the same time not being heavy. The refreshing tomato and fish broth highlight the delicious levels of flavour from the capers, olives, fresh spinach and chile flakes with the seafood taking center stage.

Contributor blog post by Michel: If you have been to Cassis, you won’t be surprised to know that it’s one of our favorite towns in Provence. Happily, it only takes 1 hour and half to drive from Sablet to Cassis. The picturesque town is tucked into a stunning location along …

In October, the Provencal sun takes its time rising above the horizon, like an old dog mentally weighing the effort of its next move. In the Jabron Valley, at 600 meters, about 10 kilometres from Sisteron, autumn mornings can be particularly frosty with single-digit temperatures. However, the saffron harvest at …