Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: The only people that don’t tip in French restaurants are tourists that read english language guides about France that tell them they don’t need to tip. It’s true that there isn’t much of a tipping culture here in France; thank goodness! I find the …

Contributor blog post by Caroline Longstaffe: Dining under the golden arches in Place aux Herbes, shaded by the broad sycamore branches in the square. Enjoying ‘feu de bois’ pizzas on a cobbled streets or a pretty terrace. Savouring French cuisine at its best in an elegant dining room or exquisite garden; just a …

The enchanting medieval bastide city of Uzès, just outside of Provence, in Languedoc Roussillon. Come and wander its cobbled streets, and admire its gently worn, shuttered buildings. Discover the Ducal château, its Medieval Garden and the iconic Fenestrelle tower. Continue reading here for the rest of Caroline’s post and why …

Mathieu Schillinger hails from France’s Alsace region with its fabulous white wines. However, he tells me that it was only when he moved to England that he gained an appreciation for food and wine. An Epicurean paradox? In 2007, Mathieu and his wife returned to France to open a B&B …

Last spring, I spent five glorious weeks in Provence, first in the not-so-interesting town of Pignans, then in Saorge, the fairytale village we fell in love with. Whenever I see one of the hundreds of photos I took on that trip, I remember it fondly, though it still feels like …

While I love the popular Luberon villages as much as the next person, I’m always on the hunt for the authentic, remote, captivating places that one just dreams about for years to come. I kept hearing mention of Maubec as a small, authentic French village and had it on my …

Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: Things are starting to feel decidedly spring-like here in Provence. There are orchids in the grass, the almond blossom has just waned in time for the pear trees to start budding. We’ve had, as seemingly everywhere, a mild winter. We haven’t had anywhere near as …

Contributor blog post by Michel: There are towns and villages we happily visit time and again which is good because our friends are getting to know the Vaucluse and surrounding area almost as well as we do. So it was an easy decision last fall to drive to Uzès; we love …

Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: Walking Tour of Marseille Offered by a Local Greeter Robin and I have been living in Provence for 2 years and can you believe it- we’ve never visited Marseille except for getting lost in the city on our way to the Calanques which was slightly …

As France’s second-largest city after Paris, Marseille appears overwhelming with well over 1 million people in the greater metropolitan area (1,831,500 January 2011 census). Marseille has been a port city since 600BC when the Greeks established a trading base in this location. Positioned on the Mediterranean Marseille has long been …