Soaring in the Alpilles In the idyllic playground of the Alpilles, my husband (aka M. Avion) stumbled upon utopia for those who like (or wish to try) soaring. In the heart of the Bouches du Rhone, is a location where the confluence of meteorological elements and geology create near perfect …

Unlike the abundant shopping in the heart of Saint Remy de Provence, the village of Eygalieres has only a handful of boutiques. However, what this town lacks in retail opportunities it makes up for in the options for places to eat and drink. The following list of cafés and restaurants …

Eygalières Alpilles Village Present Day Located on the northeastern edge of the Parc Naturel Régional des Alpilles, the hamlet of Eygalières has an official population of about 1,900 residents. However, in the summertime when second homeowners and short-stay visitors descend upon the village, the population swells well beyond the formal …

“Every Day My Cooking Has to be Great”  Bon rapport qualité-prix. It means “good value for money” and it’s one of my favorite French expressions because…who doesn’t love a great value? So I was delighted to learn that Emmanuel Billaud, the chef at Le Clos Saint Roch in Maussane-les-Alpilles, was …

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 Keith Van Sickle: St-Rémy-de-Provence, where my wife Val and I live part of the year, is a beautiful Provençal town. It has a long history, starting with the original Roman city of Glanum—you can still see its ruins on the edge of town. St-Rémy is the …

Inscribed in the stone and fixed to one side of the St. Pierre windmill is a quote by French writer Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897). Although, he was born in Nîmes and spent time in both Lyon and Paris, it was here in the Alpilles were he described his affection for the town of Fontvieille …

The Olive Culture of Les Alpilles One of the ladies on our street gave Robin this as a gift when he came to the rescue and changed her gas bottle. She even put the olive branch on. It was so delicious I could have drunk the stuff, I practically did… …

The area around St-Rémy-de-Provence is wonderful for hiking. The Alpilles Mountains are crisscrossed with well-marked trails that offer fabulous views. But let’s face it, who wants to schlep through the mountains on a hot summer day? Isn’t there a better way to stretch your legs and see the beautiful countryside? …

One Friday a few months back, we had a date for a rendezvous with cousins Jean-Marc and Christine for dinner. It was my responsibility to choose a restaurant somewhere between Montpellier and Sablet. After making some calls, I landed on Le Bistrot du Paradou. I was informed they had one …