Cicadas, Cherries et Chaleur! It’s full summer here in Provence. The cigales are singing (quite loudly I must say!) and the sunflowers and lavender are in full bloom. The ballet (or science?) of knowing when to open and close your shutters has been mastered for all those without air conditioning. …

Family Vacation in Provence Those iconic images of rows of lavender, fields of sunflowers and bright red poppies, Roman ruins and cobblestone villages are actual landscapes of Provence, but unlikely to interest your children for an extended period. Whenever friends visit the Alpilles with their families, it has been our …

Contributor blog post by Caroline Longstaffe: Many people dream of owning a winery; a romantic illusion of strolling through carefully tended vines sharing your vintages within the shadows of a sprawling château, which for me would have to be in Provence. Of course, dreams like this seldom come true, such …

Ashley Tinker is the photographer behind the beautiful (and popular) Curious Provence Instagram feed, she is also the creator and writer of the blog by the same name. Originally from Montreal, Canada, Ashley headed to Florence, Italy for fine art school. You can probably guess that for someone who is …

When you leave a place for several months, however much you love it, even somewhere as special as Lourmarin, you wonder. Wondering if it is as magical as the images you have so firmly imprinted in your mind. Wondering whether you’ll feel the same when you return. And then you do …

Flamingos in Provence Did you know that we have a lot of pink flamingos in Provence? It’s not something that one would associate with the place of hilltop towns, olives, almonds, sunflowers, and lavender but that is my favourite thing about this region- it’s diversity. From our location in Provence, close to St …

Relocating to the South of France is often a lifestyle choice, for those seeking a milder climate and slower pace of life. However, it is not every couple who willingly choose to spend their semi-retirement years managing a boutique, 5-bedroom B&B in a new country. In December 2010, Jane and …

Surviving Provence is a humorous account of the people (and animals) who share author Barbara Farber’s daily life in the South of France. It is a far cry, she explains, from an ode to lavender and sunflowers. She writes: “Although my husband and I were both born in the United …

Contributor blog post by Caroline Longstaffe Don’t you ever wonder when you ask your friends how they are and they always say ‘wonderful’? Really, always wonderful, no-one’s life is wonderful all of the time, is it? I know I’m a sharer, I write a blog after all and admittedly I mostly write about …

Wishing you a Perfectly Provence Holiday The holidays are finally upon us with the stockings hung by the fire and another year of terrific Perfectly Provence content is behind us. It is time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and all the best for a joyful season. However, before we …