Admittedly, it would be a tough choice for anyone to pick between, between the lush gardens of the UK, the sunny skies of California and postcard perfect Provence. Caroline Longstaffe’s solution was to start writing a blog Shutters and Sunflowers her artistic outlet for west coast beauty, British heritage and …

We are experiencing the most wonderful autumn in the South of France.  For several weeks now, the mercury has been hitting the 20s, with a high of 28°c last week!  November is often lovely on the French Riviera, but these temperatures are even higher than normal.  The garden is still …

Grape harvest season may be well and truly over, but the shorter days and cooler nights of November can only mean one thing – the turn of the olives on the French Riviera. The harvest season officially kicked off on October 27th. There are some 300,000 olive trees in the …

Hiking in Provence The idea for this hike came from a friend at the International Hiking Group of Provence. The two needed to find a short hike not too far from the house so they would have enough time to get the car to the mechanic. Nutmeg consulted her “Must …

Need some ideas for souvenirs and presents to take home? Check out Christmas Presents from Provence and kitchen essentials for an aspiring Provencal cook. Speaking of Christmas the “marchés de noël” starts up in every town and village in late November. Of course there is food, that pretty much goes …

The Provence Gourmet shares his recipe for a traditional vegetable tian, baked in the oven in a casserole dish (oven to table). He serves this tian with fresh, simply prepared Mediterranean fish. If you are interested in cooking classes and learning some traditional Provencal meals, contact Gilles (Provence Gourmet) to …

Trailing her degrees from Yale and the University of New York, former actress Heather Robinson changed careers to become a travel writer. She has been living in France for over 14 years with her photographer companion. You can read more about Heather’s favourite spots in Arles and her “Lost in …

Olive groves are found in abundance in Provence, as the climate is similar to other growing areas around the Mediterranean (Greece, Spain, Israel, Syria, Italy etc..). Records confirm that olives have been produced in several middle east countries since prehistoric times. By 2000 BC, there are references to a form …

Late fall is typically when the olive harvest takes place in Provence. The fruit is left on the trees as long as possible to maximize production of the golden nectar, but not long enough to risk a frost. Read more about “Extra Virgin Oil an Olive Legend” here. The Provence …

Rebecca Ronane was born in the United Kingdom, but she tells me that she embarked on a career of travelling after the age of 19. Rebecca and her husband Alain (also a travel bug) met while working as tour directors. As a guide, Rebecca has journeyed throughout Europe, the United …