Peppered with gorgeous towns, lush vineyards and sweeping rural scenes, Provence remains one of France’s most sought after getaways. While soaking it all up through the window of a romantic TGV train remains an alluring option, we decided to hit the road and satiate our wanderlust in a hired black Volvo. While it wasn’t quite a DeLorean, it took us through Provence, and six centuries back in time ... Read Full Article
Favorite Villages in Provence: Eygalières and Mausanne-les-Alpilles
Dozens of inviting villages are scattered throughout sun-drenched Provence, in southern France. Two of my favorites, perhaps because they're lesser known and have such unpretentious charm, are Eygalières and Mausanne-les-Alpilles, in the Bouches-de-Rhone region.Both lie near the Chaine des Alpilles, a low east-west range of limestone peaks that rise steeply from the Rhone River valley. ... Read Full Article
Bouillabaisse in Marseille: The Real Thing
Bouillabaisse is serious business in southern France, especially in the seaside town of Marseille . The delectable fish soup originated here, and every chef and fisherman claims to have the best recipe. The art of cooking bouillabaisse began on the Mediterranean coast centuries ago, probably by sailors thriftily turning unsold fish into a spicy stew. It soon became the signature dish for ... Read Full Article
Where to Stay in Nice, France: Editor’s Picks
Nice is an amazing city and most hotels are within walking distance of both the Old Town and the sea. When choosing where to stay, remember that most of Nice’s hotels are older. Most all have been recently renovated, but the style could be a bit out-dated. Our ‘where to stay’ options are organized by star ranking, beginning with 5-star hotels and ending with featured budget hotels. Special ... Read Full Article
Market Day in Saint-Remy-de-Provence
We drove to St-Remy-de-Provence, 20 km from Avignon, bright and early to make sure we missed nothing of the famous St. Remy Market. After parking on the edge of town, we followed the fast-paced, empty-basket toting crowds, to centre ville, while taking in the colors and fragrances of this wonderful Provencal tradition.We passed olive sellers, each sporting at least a dozen varieties of ... Read Full Article
Nice, France – a City for Wanderers
When I worked as an English teacher in a French lycée (high school), I lived in a small town near Saint Tropez called Gassin. Gassin was incredibly lovely, and its 3,000 inhabitants were absolutely charming and more than hospitable to this obviously américaine outsider. I spent my first few weekends there perusing the goods at the local market, strolling through the vineyard near the guesthouse I ... Read Full Article
Exploring Provence for the First Time
Follow Linda and Dave Beach's story about their first trip to Provence:While we have been to France several times, neither my husband Dave, nor I had been to Provence, so it was new territory for both of us. We decided to rent a house for a week in the small village of Bonnieux and our subsequent explorations from there covered only approximately 50 kilometers and only included small ... Read Full Article
Arles: a Must-See in Provence
When in Provence, be sure to spend at least a day or two in Arles and save a day for the Camargue. This small city, half the population of what it was in Roman times, is just teeming with Roman ruins and culture and the Camargue is a natural wonderland.Any visit to Arles should start with the Arènes (Roman Amphitheatre). It has one of the most well preserved Roman amphitheaters (1st ... Read Full Article
Enjoy Charming Cassis and Visit the Calanques
"Qui a vist Paris se noun a vist Cassis, a ren vist" (He who has seen Paris and not Cassis has seen nothing). This quote by Frédéric Mistral is probably a bit exaggerated, but you may want to check it out for yourself.When staying in Provence, we love to spend a day in Cassis. A small fishing town on the Mediterranean, Cassis is extremely charming and friendly. You can have a delicious ... Read Full Article