The Roman History of Arles What’s 2,000 years old, 100 feet long and used to float? If you guessed a Roman barge, you win!  And you can see one now in the Arles Museum of Antiquity. Arles was once an important Roman town, a trading center with a major port. …

Contributor blog post by Barefoot Blogger: There’s not much that I love more than hobnobbing with French royals. Even if it’s from a distance. Each year Uzes hosts a musical event during the summer that brings in famed artists from around the world.This year, the festival brought in French royalty …

Contributor blog post by Michel: As I have written previously, one of our favorite towns is Aix-en-Provence. The capital of Provence in the middle ages, it is located about one hour and 15 minutes from our home in Sablet.Cousin Annick lives in a nearby village. One morning a few months …

Contributor blog post by Margo Lestz: Many nations are represented by the symbol of an animal. Normally, they choose one whose characteristics reflect those of the country: The United Kingdom chose the brave lion and the United States claims the majestic bald eagle. What animal do you think represents France? … The barnyard rooster. …Continue reading …

Contributor blog post by Michel: Cassis is a picturesque town a little over 1 and 1/2 hours from Sablet, tucked into a curve along the Mediterranean Sea between the calanques (little coastal fjords with tall cliffs), about 20 km east of Marseille. It’s a fishing port on a steep hillside with …

Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: I came across this document in a pile of papers in a French flea market. It’s dated 1896. I find details like this really indicative of their time and culture. For example, the imagery of a military hat, canon, soldiers, rifle, and sword are most …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: The tourists sitting in the sun outside cafés in the Place aux Huiles and the Cours Estienne d’Orves probably don’t realise that they are perched above an ancient system of canals that dates back at least to Roman times. I am indebted to the website …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: In the centre of the pretty village of Saint Saturnin les Apt is a peaceful square (home to the vibrant Tuesday morning market), and to one side is a small garden area that sits in front of a dramatic stone wall, which is a memorial …

Contributor blog post by Jerry Clark @Modern Trobadors: It’s Academy Award season, and as it was with me a year ago when I wrote of Marcel Pagnol, I am drawn back to Provence, in fact to his hometown of Aubagne. On this occasion it began last fall when I was …

Contributor blog post by Margo Lestz: The French are a superstitious lot. They have many traditions that predict whether good or bad luck will follow a certain action. One such superstition states that you should never lay bread on the table upside down. It’s widely known that this action invites …