Tag Archives: #Provence

New and Improved!

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I’ve written two guidebooks about Provence, sharing my insights after nearly 20 years of living here part of the year. I update them regularly because things change–restaurants close, new ones open, and I’m always discovering interesting things to include.

The 2026 versions are now available! I even updated the cover on the St-Rémy guide.

Please let your friends know about my books if they are coming to this lovely corner of France.

There is a nice review / interview about the Provence guide that you can read in Perfectly Provence.

Here are the links to An Insider’s Guide to Provence and An Insider’s Guide to St-Rémy-de-Provence.

 

How to Sound Like You are From Provence

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It’s a new year and in Provence people are telling each otherl Diéu nous fague la gràci de vèire l’an que vèn, e se noun sian pas mai, que noun fugen pas mens ! 

This is in the Provençal language and translates as “May God grant us the grace to see the new year, and if there are not more, let there be not be less!” In other words, even if no babies are born, let’s hope nobody dies!

I’ve always liked this expression and have learned a few more in my time in Provence. Most are in French, and some are pretty funny.

Read about 15 fun Provençal expressions in Frenchly!

Living Part-Time in Provence

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I was asked recently to write about the part-time life that Val and I are lucky enough to enjoy in Provence. With pleasure, I said, and away I went.

I wrote about what it’s like to learn a new language and how it has changed my life, as well as some of the French mistakes I’ve made (oops, that marijuana thing.) And I wrote about  the grenade that Val once launched into the middle of a dinner conversation with French friends. And then there’s the question I’ve recently had as to whether French people love each other.

You can read all about it at Ohlala!

 

 

Art Meets Wine in Les Baux-de-Provence

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Jill Barth is a wonderful wine writer with a particular fondness for Provence…which is not hard to understand! She recently wrote a very interesting article for Wine Enthusiast magazine about art and wine in the area around Les Baux-de-Provence, the stunning hilltop village that is classified as one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France. It’s just a few minutes from where Val and I live in St-Rémy.

Jill needed background information about the region so she asked me for a few quotes, which you’ll find in her article.

Read all about it in Wine Enthusiast!

Provence: Insider Tips

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This past spring I was the guest speaker at a meeting of the Alliance Française of Pasadena, one of the most active groups in the US. I gave a Zoom presentation about Provence and answered questions about the life that Val and I live there.

It was a fun session, with lots of good back and forth, and you can watch the recording if you’d like. There are a few minutes of club business at the start that you can skip if you want; I come on at about the four-and-a-half minute mark.

Here’s the link!

Provence, the First Wine Region of France

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Wine has been made in France for a very long time, and names like Burgundy and Champagne put stars in the eyes of wine lovers everywhere. But did you know that French winemaking first began in Provence, thanks to the Greeks? Or that more rosé wine is produced there than any other kind? Or that Italian winemakers won’t let the French use the name of one of their grapes–they have to call it something else?

Learn all about the wonderful wines of Provence in The Good Life France!

See the Best of Provence in One Week!

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Provence is one of the most popular regions of France, and for good reason—think fields of golden sunflowers and lazy afternoons sipping rosé. Visitors flock to two main areas, the glamorous Côte d’Azur in the east, and the lavender-scented western part made famous by A Year in Provence.

These are so far apart that it’s hard to cover both in a week, so I’ve written a guide to the western part, home to famous towns like Avignon and Aix-en-Provence. It provides you with an itinerary with a mix of historical sites, charming hilltop villages, and some of the best restaurants in Provence. The stops are in no particular order, so you can mix and match as you please.

Read all about it in Frenchly!

See the Dutch Masters in Provence

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One of the highlights of any trip to Provence is visiting the fabulous Carrières des Lumières. This former stone quarry now hosts an immersive sound and light show…inside a mountain! It is so popular that other sites have been created in many countries, and recently the Immersive Van Gogh program was shown around the world.

But the best place to see it is still where it started, in that enormous cavern. This year’s program is all about the Dutch Masters, from Vermeer to Van Gogh. It’s fitting that the program finishes with ol’ Vincent, as many of his greatest works were painted in nearby St-Rémy and Arles.

Read all about it in Perfectly Provence!

Great Olive Oil in Les Baux-de-Provence

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If you’d like to taste some of the best olive oil in Provence, look no further than the Moulin Castelas, situated just below the famous fortress of Les Baux-de-Provence.

Castelas is owned by Catherine and Jean-Benoît Hugues, a French couple who lived in Arizona before returning to their native country when they “fell in love with some old olive trees.” The Hugues make their olive oil much like a winemaker makes wine, with great care at each step of the process. And the results are spectacular: Moulin Castelas has won top awards in national and international competitions.

In addition to pure olive oils, Castelas produces oils infused with different flavors, like rosemary, basil, and citrus. And unlike some producers, they don’t just add chemical flavorings to their oils. Instead, they macerate them with ingredients, for example adding fresh rosemary to their olives before milling them together.

The Castelas staff is friendly and English-speaking, and welcomes you to taste all the olive oils you like. You can also tour the olive mill itself if they are not too busy.

Read all about it in Perfectly Provence!