After nearly 30 years of dreaming we've finally bought our own bit of Provence and spend as much time there as possible. A lover of everything about the area especially the markets, the Brocante hunting & cycling the quiet lanes. Blogging about my favourite things in the area from places to visit, shopping and cycle trips
Sometimes a french lesson just hits the spot, and the latest ‘atelier’, organised by Marina, our lovely and very patient teacher and friend was about as good as a lesson can get We were introduced to Marina, who runs the french language school Ecole Franci Discendum, based in nearby Viens, by a neighbour, just after … More When french lessons are fun
It would be fair to say that 2025 has been a bit of a ‘hurry up and wait’ year. We have so much planned, but in many ways it feels as if it has really only just started. After our wonderful trip to Venice and Nice in the depths of winter, we have spent the … More Life is about to move up a gear
After what was possibly the slowest January on record, the time now seems to be slipping past so quickly that I hardly have time to mark each day passing. The start of the year has been a whirl of trips back and forth to the UK for us both, which has left us feeling like … More Saddlebag of Memories #2 planning has started
As a child I was brought up knowing a lot of the folklore around weather patterns. We always had a barometer at the bottom of our stairs and I would tap it as I passed, to see if the ‘glass’ had gone up or down, watching the elaborate needles moving around the dial, with the … More The weather Saints and their icy fingers
I can hardly believe that I am writing this post from Venice, after our long-planned, anniversary trip nearly came off the rails a few weeks ago, when life threw another (rather large and totally unexpected) rock across our path. Over the last few years, life seems to have formed a nasty little habit of throwing … More Exploring Venice
It’s hard to believe that we’ve rolled into yet another year, and once again it’s been a very gentle start for us. Our youngest son stayed over Christmas and we spent a delightful time together, watching the rugby at Toulon And having a final night together in Antibes, before dropping him back at the airport … More Beautiful Sunrise Adventures for the New Year
It’s hard to believe that over 2 months have passed since we arrived home following our bike ride through Spain, and that this is only my second post since. We normally take a week or so to muse over our little cycling adventures, re-visiting the route, sorting out what went well, and more importantly what … More Is it Christmas already?
When we lived in the UK, I used to love spending a morning at one of the local auctions. It didn’t really matter if I wanted to bid for something or not, as it was always a fascinating way to pass a few hours. There were so many options for us, from the slick auction … More A morning at a French Auction
It’s hard to believe that today was effectively the last day of the ride, even though we still have to pedal home from the train station in Avignon, tomorrow. Finishing a ride is always sad and it tends to affect our mood and if we’re honest, we really aren’t that keen on the piece of … More Saddlebag of Memories Madrid to Sète Day 17, Peyriac de Mer to Sète
Today felt very strange, as it felt as if we had really started the ride home and if we’re honest, we aren’t really ready for this little adventure to end. Of course, it can’t go on forever and the house-sitters leave on Sunday, so we can’t simply keep cycling, however tempting that may be! We … More Saddlebag of Memories Madrid to Sète. Day 16 Collioure to Peyriac de Mer
Postcards from Provence and beyond 