Explore · Julie Whitmarsh · Villages Towns and Cities Exploring Provence the Luberon Villages and Beyond May 12, 2021I thought it was time to revisit something I did soon after starting this blog to do an A-Z of the Luberon and Vaucluse. I started it all those years ago, before we had bought the house, and with much less knowledge than we have now. Also, I never actually got past P, and as …Continue Reading
Explore · Provencal History & Traditions Église Saint-Jean-de-Malte: A Church of Firsts June 17, 2015It’s a pretty big honor to be the first Roman Catholic church in a region where around half of the population is Catholic. Back in the 12th century, Église Saint-Jean-de-Malte served as a hospice and chapel for the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem of the Order of Malta. This group was formed in Jerusalem in the 11th …Continue Reading
Inspire · Margo Lestz · Provencal History & Traditions French National Anthem La Marseillaise the History of the Song July 12, 2019Contributor blog post by Margo Lestz: It took a Revolution France’s rousing national anthem, the Marseillaise, was written during the French Revolution. In 1792 the Revolution was in full swing, and all the monarchies of Europe were nervous. It made them uneasy to see people rise up against a king, and it was in their best interest to …Continue Reading
Inspire · Margo Lestz · Provencal History & Traditions Good King René and His Fountain December 7, 2016Aix-en-Provence, the City of a Thousand Fountains Aix-en-Provence is known as the city of 1,000 fountains. However, since the folks of this area have a reputation for exaggeration, we should probably take that with a grain of salt. The real number might be closer to 107… but still, they do have a lot of fountains. One …Continue Reading