Jen and Chris Mallon are British transplants. They sold everything in 2018 and moved from England to Apt in the South of France. It was a quick move they decided to relocate in June and arrived in France at the end of September. They left their jobs, sold a house, …

Spring Events in Provence Spring in Provence is adorable. As with most of the year, the sun shines brightly, but expect the odd rainstorm. Moisture in this period is critical for the grapes, olives, and almonds to start their growing cycles. Expect to see the apple, pear, apricot, cherry, and …

An Address in Provence Michel and Shirley live in California’s wine country north of San Francisco but even surrounded by those beautiful vineyards they felt a tug to Provence. The couple searched for several years before buying a house in Sablet, a village in the Vaucluse. Perhaps it was Michel’s …

My French TV Debut When a producer from the France Canal 3 called me up to ask if I would participate—as the expat writer—in a segment of the travel show Chroniques Méditerranéennes (show details below) with Nathalie Simon, I was ecstatic. A French TV show planning to feature St. Rémy …

Buying Property anywhere should cause one to pause and reflect on the investment. However, in France, there are some nuances to the way the residential real estate market operates. In addition, there is associated terminology that is specific to the real estate transaction process that you should know before buying …

By Vaucluse Dreamer: Yesterday Andy and I sat in the Artisan Bakery on The Quay in Exeter, raising a cup of coffee to celebrate the 3 years since we signed the papers and picked up the keys to our long-dreamed-for house in Provence. Of course we would have rather been …

Memoirs Inspired by Provence For many, Peter Mayle’s best-selling novel A Year in Provence was their introduction to the Provencal countryside. Images of the Côte d’Azur have long covered the pages of travel magazines. Still, Mayle’s descriptions of bumbling through a home renovation in the arrière-pays (translation: backcountry or hinterland) shifted …

By Jemma: It’s all about the ants. I’ve never forgotten the advice from one of my earliest writing teachers. You can go on a glorious picnic – the food, conversation, and the weather all perfection – but you have no story until the ants arrive. They invade your blanket and …

Eygalières is one of those rare places, in Provence, filled with stars, and nobody cares. So, why would Christopher Hache, with his Michelin star CV, open Maison Hache in this Alpilles village? New Eygalières Restaurant The attraction of the village with its 1,830 residents is frankly the down-to-earth lack of …

By Vaucluse Dreamer: By the start of November, our little place was in a state of chaos in readiness for the work to start. The rooms were piled high with relocated furniture & building supplies and Andy had laid new Travertine floors throughout the 2 main spaces upstairs that would …