Mother Nature jumped the gun this year, often bringing brilliant azure skies and near-balmy weather well before spring officially arrived. The tantalizing temps make bundling up unnecessary when my husband and I head outside to elevate our heart rate with a nature walk. And with the expansive Parc Naturel Regional …

Discovering Bonnieux Our family first visited Bonnieux during a week in Provence in early June 2003. We stayed in a nearby village and spent a few hours in Bonnieux one afternoon. The Luberon truly captivated all three of us. The following year we returned for a longer stay—six-and-a-half months—renting a …

France Part-Time A summertime sabbatical from Colby College in 2013 led William D. Adams and his wife Lauren Sterling to Provence. After exploring the Aix region during that break, they decided to spend more time in Provence. The couple now split their time between Portland, Maine and their home in …

Raising sheep and goats has been part of the fabric of life in Provence for centuries. Before grocery stores, small animal husbandry was necessary for nutrition and is the basis for traditional recipes. We highlight eight (8) of these dishes further down in this article. Grazing Land In a landscape …

I find myself increasingly comfortable listening to conversations I don’t understand. Throaty vowels, rusty consonants, over half a dozen languages being spoken at once; French, Spanish, Catalan, American, Austrian, Italian, Romani during the Gypsy Festival, Pélerinage Gitan, in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. Listening with our minds instead of our hearts, language often limits …

Roman Provence Way back around 50 B.C., Julius Caesar conquered Gaul (now France), and the area remained part of the Roman Empire for centuries. As a result, Roman ruins are all over France, but the best ones are in and around Provence. In fact, ‘Provence’ comes from the Latin ‘Provincia …

Fortifications have long existed in the Alpilles because the cliffs and rocky outcroppings made for perfect defensive positions. Plus, the high places make it easy to spot signs of danger. Unfortunately, these fortifications were built of wood or earth for much of human history, so little or no trace remains …

Have you ever dreamed of painting in the place where Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and many others found inspiration? If so, join Jill Steenhuis, an American who has spent four decades studying the same landscapes as these masters, for a painting week in Provence. Provence …

Life here is never boring, and sometimes, even the simplest of things takes a twist, which leaves us wondering how we manage to get through a day without some disaster, or another. However, the sweet reward of a fig and almond cake makes everything better. On Saturday, we headed out …

Holiday Shopping Made Easy Browse this 2021 holiday gift guide for books from Provence for the people on your list who love reading, travelling and dreaming of France. These books are for anyone who wants a literary “dose” of Provence. Whether you have visited the region or always dreamed of …