Chateaux Guide the Alpilles Castles If you’ve spent time in the Alpilles, the small mountain range near St-Rémy-de-Provence, you’ve probably spotted a medieval chateau or two. Some are hard to miss, like the magnificent chateau and fortified city of Les Baux. Others are little more than piles of rubble. The …

Provence’s Plague Wall When most people hear of “the Plague,” they shudder and think of the Black Death that killed nearly a third of Europe’s population in the 1300’s. But did you know that as late as 1720 an outbreak in Provence took the lives over 100,000 people? And that …

Plenty of villages in the Luberon Valley lay claim to les plus beaux villages de France (the most beautiful villages in France), and many of those proudly display Villages Fleuris (flowering villages) emblems on local street signs. Enchanted by weather-worn scenes of charming hilltop hamlets and gently numbed by a glass of …

The following is my interpretation from the book “Legendes de Provence” by Eugene Bressy. This book is a series of short stories about the legends of Provence. I let you decide whether you choose to believe this fable or not. “There is no rampart against gossip.”—Molière Falling for Gossip One bright day …

During our last visit to Provence, I picked up a book called the “Legendes de Provence” by Eugene Bressy. This book is comprised of a series of short stories about the legends of Provence. In this series of posts, I will dive into some of these stories and let you decide …

Marseille is the oldest town in France, so when you walk along by the Vieux Port, you are following in the footsteps of Greek fishermen, shopkeepers, sailors and traders who established their colony in 600 BC.  They, and the Romans who arrived later have left traces that emerge so often …

Kneeling on a garde genoux (wooden knee protector) by the edge of the public wash basin, local peasant-class women exchanged tidbits of town gossip as they worked tirelessly to brighten their laundry. Their weathered hands vigorously scrubbed away at stubborn stains as water sloshed against the shallow stone sides of the village lavoir in …

Do you know about the sardine that blocked the port of Marseille? As I was perusing local postcards at a local flea market in Provence, I came across a curious image. The postcard depicts an enormous sardine blocking the port of Marseille. The seller, taking advantage of my ignorance and …

Candy might not be the reason you decide to visit Aix-en-Provence, but don’t leave town without sampling the famous Calisson d’Aix. These sweets, made with ground, local almonds (sweet and bitter) and a fruit paste blend of melon confit (preserved in sugar) and orange peel, were officially recognized as part …

Orgon is a Provencal town with a reputation problem. To appreciate the town’s history and its dramatic natural backdrop, on the edge of the Alpilles, you need to veer off the Route Nationale 7 (N7) and stroll through the old streets to discover the charms of Orgon. Steady vehicle traffic …