Art and Travel I have always looked at my travels and lifetime of memories as the basis for artistic expression. Travel is similar to the process of creating a work of art with layers of imagery and experiences. My travel excursions have inspired me to create a new life or …

Magical Lavender Spotting a lavender field in flower for the first time is magical, but it’s the fragrance that is heavenly. The tiny plants stretch towards the horizon, like small purple streams. It’s little wonder why you see so many images of people posing against this stunning backdrop. Lavender fields, …

Art Lover’s Tour During my fall 2019 art tour “Provence From an Artist’s Point of View,” I discovered a gem, Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie, which is an old village with colourful Provençal houses and medieval history. Clay has shaped the history of Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie since the middle ages. Come and join me this spring …

Take the girl out of France, but the country remains in her soul. Julia Girard-Gervois is the Owner and Tour Director of TripUSAFrance, a boutique travel agency based in Arlington, Virginia. In 2015, she and her husband launched the company along with her parents, who live in France. They want …

Creative Retreat to Provence Tessa Baker of Painting Provence with Tess invited me to join her painting group for dinner on their last night together. The retreat location in the Vaucluse, a restored farmhouse with a driveway lined with cypress trees, offered the group the benefits of privacy, quiet and …

As we exited the heavy wooden door of the hamman, my eyes smarted in the sun. How could it possibly still be daylight in the Medina? In two hours, we had been lathered, scrubbed, and massaged. It was blissful. This experience might best describe a Pitcher and Powell culinary-yoga escape …

Active Provence Winter Holiday It’s never too early to start thinking about your winter getaway. Perhaps the warm winter sunshine along the French Riviera coast in Provence is tempting. Maybe you are drawn to traditional skiing and snowboarding in France’s Savoie region or in Liguria’s Piedmont. We are truly blessed …

Who is the Provence Guru? During their honeymoon, Jamie Ivey announced to his bride that it was time for a career change. Thankless legal deals and long hours related to corporate mergers were not how he envisioned spending his life. He wanted to become a writer. Ivey proposed a somewhat …

Wine Trip You like LOVE French wine and want to increase your understanding of wines of Provence and the Rhône Valley. If so, then Ken Jourdan has the answer, book his Romancing the Rhône Wine Tour. This trip provides a comprehensive wine tour of the Côtes du Rhône wine region …

Discover Arles Arles is an excellent example of the adaptation of an ancient city to medieval European civilization. It has some impressive Roman monuments dating back to the 1st century BC. These include the arena, the Roman theatre and the cryptoporticus (subterranean galleries). During the 4th century, Arles experienced a …