Book review of Patricia Wells’ The Provence Cookbook: 175 Recipes and a Select Guide to the Markets, Shops, & Restaurants of France’s Sunny South, Harper Collins Publishers, First Edition, New York, 2004. When I was a college professor, I used to tell my students that early on in their lives …

The spring at the Fontaine de Vaucluse is extremely low at the moment with a level of just 2.30m, no doubt as a result of the extremely dry summer followed by so little rainfall over the autumn. If you are new to Provence and haven’t visited, it’s a good time …

Christmas markets in France are becoming increasingly popular every year, yet when many people think of Christmas markets in Europe, France probably doesn’t even spring to mind. A quick internet search will throw up many suggestions for Germany and Austria, maybe Belgium too, but France doesn’t often feature. Continue reading …

Much has been written about Vincent Van Gogh’s life, the famous Dutch painter who led an expressive, tortured life. This statue le voleur de tournesol (the Sunflower Thief) by Gabriel Sterk may just capture the essence of Van Gogh’s work – as you never quite look at sunflowers, irises, olive trees …

My birthday falls on the same date every year, and I had certainly dropped enough hints that maybe my hubby should plan something to acknowledge the day. Instead, at 12:45 pm we were headed towards Arles without any sort of agenda other than I suggested a visit to Abbey de …

This article was previously published on Ginger and Nutmeg. Cistercian Abbeys Classified as a French historic monument in 1840 L’Abbaye du Thoronet restoration work started the following year and continues today. The Cistercian Thoronet Abbey is the third “sister” to abbeys Silvacane and Sénanque in Provence. These religious structures are …

Contributor blog post by Mirabeau Wine: Harvest was over in many parts of Provence by late September. The winemakers that I have talked to are optimistic that the fruit from 2015 will produce great wine.  Here is what the gang at Mirabeau Wine has to say: It’s not even the …

Another of our favourite cities in Aix-en-Provence is about an hour’s drive from Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt. It is a busy university town, like Marseille, with a certain chic feel. It has stunning buildings, much history, and plenty of fine shopping and eating. Continue reading here for the original article. Ideas for a …

Winter leeks have a blue tinge to their leaves. These are being sold at Vaison la Romaine market on Tuesday mornings. For those of you who aren’t kicking yourselves for enthusiastically sowing hundreds of seeds when the first spring blossom appeared (the sprouting weeds somehow not reminding you of …Continue …

Almost anywhere in Provence a casual glance around oneself will reveal a proliferation of Roman ruins, medieval hilltop fortresses, Renaissance châteaux and Romanesque cathedrals, for this is a  region steeped in history (not to mention myth, legend and folklore). Yet much of that history remains maddeningly elusive for the Anglo-Saxon …