“C’est la sardine qui a bouché le port de Marseille!” (A sardine blocked Marseille’s port!) This local saying is famous throughout France. Another that is less well-known is “Chercher Molinari” (look for Molinari). Both expressions, curiously, come from the same famous disaster that took place in the 18th century. The …

World War II France Jean Moulin is not a familiar name to those, like myself, who only took basic history courses in school. Our overview of World War II never mentioned this wartime hero. Once we began spending time in the Alpilles and noticed the Route Jean Moulin road signs, …

Fountains and Roman Baths Aix-en-Provence is known as the City of Water. Settled in 122 BC by the Romans who found natural springs, they called the city Aquae Sextiae after one of their important consuls Sextius Calvinus. The “Waters of Sextius” provided the population with water (both hot and cold) …

Luxury Travel French Riviera During the height of the Jazz Age, the wealthy and affluent made the French Riviera their playground along with resort towns on the Mediterranean coastline. Their sojourn would begin at Paris’s Gare de Lyon train station, where the luxury night train, Le Train Bleu, wound its …

The following is a chapter on the stone Bories of Provence is adapted from Mary-Lou Weisman’s book, Playing House in Provence: How Two Americans Became a Little Bit French. The Weismans arrived in Provence in September 2003 for the first of many visits to the South of France. The couple …

Fêtes de la Tarasque Don’t miss this quirky Provencal festival. There are dragons in the streets and much more to entertain all ages. We were preparing to leave Nice and fly back to London. And, just out of curiosity, I had a peek at what was going on in Provence. …

My French TV Debut When a producer from the France Canal 3 called me up to ask if I would participate—as the expat writer—in a segment of the travel show Chroniques Méditerranéennes (show details below) with Nathalie Simon, I was ecstatic. A French TV show planning to feature St. Rémy …

A Visit to Carpentras It is not unusual to find us headed to Carpentras on Friday mornings for the weekly market or shopping for kid’s clothes. Carpentras is a 25-minute ride down the D-7 from the village of Sablet. As we get near, we see Notre Dame de l’Observance Church …

Mercantour Merveilles Valley History It’s hard to imagine even today what drew early Man to this remote valley in the Mercantour. The Merveilles Valley is the Alpes-Maritimes’ natural treasure trove. The area inspired Bronze Age Man to create tens of thousands of carvings on the creamy coloured rocks. They leave …

Martine Bertin-Peterson, the founder of Goût et Voyage, focuses on small group travel to Provence, Italy, and now Paris. After every tour, Martine reviews the itineraries, tweaking the programs to ensure her guests enjoy flawless travel experiences. Jewish Heritage Tours in 2020 In 2020, she is joining forces with Paris-based …