One of my summer highlights is the chance to catch up with author Patricia Sands during her annual visit to Provence. Sands is a remarkable person. She is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, photographer and a possiblitarian. Yes, for Patricia Sands, it is possible to achieve anything in life if …

Swirl-sniff-see-sip. And, sigh. There was a lot of that going on last Friday night in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence—it was the opening of the annual Fête du Vin. Fête du Vin – More than Wine The bussed-in tourists had left, leaving lucky locals and overnight visitors all to themselves to spend a leisurely …

Building on a classic Italian salad this variation combines heirloom tomatoes, white nectarines, mozzarella and fresh basil on a plate. Serve as a starter course or a lunchtime salad along with crusty baguette.

There is nothing better than the tantalising aroma of roast chicken, well except for chocolate cake. As for savoury dishes, roast chicken is a winner for a family, it requires very little supervision, there are often leftovers for sandwiches and bones for soup or stock.  The credit for this recipe goes to Denise, my belle mere, she uses local, seasonal and when practical organic products for her creations. Enjoy Denise’s Poulet Provençal au citron de Menton, it’s a simple roast chicken dish with local lemons.

Contributor blog post by Jemma: Let summer begin! It’s not just that the calendar has sailed past June 21, varyingly known as the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and France’s Fête de la Musique, when entire cities put on their dancing shoes. Non, another sign of summer – at …

Here’s a suggestion for an interesting art lover’s outing, about an hour’s drive from Aix-en-Provence.  La Commanderie de Peyrassol is not only a successful Var vineyard producing 500,000 bottles of wine a year but is a fast-growing contemporary sculpture park. Continue reading here for details from Lynne’s visit to this vineyard’s modern …

I have always loved gardens, although I have to admit to not being a great gardener myself. A summer garden with deep herbaceous borders, filled with the scent and colour of roses is always a delight and we have some delightful ones around us in the UK, such as this …

Curious Provence is the name of Ashley Tinker’s blog. It’s a great name as it combines her interests, she is naturally curious about her surroundings, and she lives in Provence. Ashley studied fine art, is a talented photographer, loves to cook and she still (more below) loves the markets in …

This recipe for Madeleines Salées uses ingredients more typical of Provence – olive oil, tomatoes, cheese, basil and thyme. These little bites are perfect with some chilled Provencal rosé.

Where Passions Meet Wine and words. The idea for Olive and Sweetpea (Olive + Sweetpea), a new e-magazine, was hatched over a few glasses of wine. When Paula Kane and I scheduled a springtime lunch, we half-heartedly joked about the possibility of enjoying a meal on a sunny patio. After …