This guest post is by Susana Iwase Hanson, the founder of Provence Living.net.  Susana is multi-talented and tri-lingual. She lives with her family in the Var in the beautiful, rural village of Cotignac (read more about her interesting backstory here). But after living on many continents, big city living is …

By Jeany Cronk: Back in October, our lovely foodie friends Alexandra Dudley, Laura Jackson and Billy & Jack visited us (see Cooking up some serious sunshine in Cotignac) and stayed just outside Cotignac in a beautifully renovated farmhouse from the 17th and 18th centuries, the Domaine Saint Joseph. Its owner, Charlotte Baring, …

Sadly, restaurant meals do not always live up to our expectations for service, food quality, price and ambiance. We asked Susana Iwase Hanson the founder of Provence Living for her top picks for restaurants in the Haut-Var. Why Visit Haut-Var The Haut-Var is filled with striking scenery, hilltop villages and plenty …

Guest Post: by Susana Iwase Hanson of Provence-living.net the website and online community for sharing information about Cotignac and its nearby villages. Discover how this accomplished lady and her family ended up in the beautiful town of Cotignac. It’s summertime in Provence and are her suggestions for ten (10) things to do with …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: Here’s a suggestion for an interesting art lover’s outing, about an hour’s drive from Aix-en-Provence.  La Commanderie de Peyrassol is not only a successful Var vineyard producing 500,000 bottles of wine a year but is a fast-growing contemporary sculpture park. …Continue reading here for details from Lynne’s visit to …

Contributor blog post by Victoria Koning @ Mirabeau Wine: If you’re around in summer, enjoy this top travel tip that has something for everyone – from paddling about in Europe’s deepest canyon to enjoying a picturesque lunch and then finishing off in the fields of lavender. We recommend an early departure …

Contributor blog post by Victoria Koning @MirabeauWine: During our first visit to Cotignac in 2008, our aunty told us about this lovely open-air theatre and cinema in the village and invited us to watch “Slum Dog Millionaire” with them. With all the catching up and our enthusiastic introduction to Provence …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: Bargemon, located in the hinterland of the Var department was a pleasant weekend getaway for myself and my partner and a town that we will definitely return to as the area allowed a nice change of scenery away from the coast. Fortified in AD …

Just outside the village of Tourtour, in the Var, is an exquisite Sibuet Maison & Hotels property:  the Domaine de la Baume a Provencal Jewel. It is a secluded hideaway with 5-star service. In keeping with the classy style of Sibuet Maison & Hotels, this one time private home is …

This article was previously published on Ginger and Nutmeg. Cistercian Abbeys Classified as a French historic monument in 1840 L’Abbaye du Thoronet restoration work started the following year and continues today. The Cistercian Thoronet Abbey is the third “sister” to abbeys Silvacane and Sénanque in Provence. These religious structures are …