Living in France – Postcards from Provence and beyond

Only Because We Were Here: A Cancelled Trip, a Château Auction, and A Prized Purchase

June 11, 2026

What began as a disappointment, when our train was cancelled, became an unexpected auction adventure that saw us buying a piece by a favourite artist ( Peter Joyce )in an auction at the nearby Château de la Verdière. With a trip home across the Valensole Plateau, it turns out that this week has been rather better than we imagined

… More Only Because We Were Here: A Cancelled Trip, a Château Auction, and A Prized Purchase

From Travel Chaos to Rugby Magic: The ProD2 Final in Toulouse

June 7, 2026

Join us for an incredible day experiencing the ProD2 rugby final in Toulouse. There really is nothing like French rugby for its passion and atmosphere. What an amazing day! … More From Travel Chaos to Rugby Magic: The ProD2 Final in Toulouse

10 years of Spring in Provence

April 26, 2026

Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve happily noticed a decided shift towards the settling down of spring, in Provence. Arriving back, after watching the Paris-Roubaix, we stepped off the TGV at Avignon into a bitterly cold, and fierce Mistral, which stripped the warmth from our bodies and left us shivering, as we waited for … More 10 years of Spring in Provence

Hello 2026, what do you hold?

January 3, 2026

I should start by saying Happy New Year, and wishing you a gentle, healthy and enjoyable next 12 months. I don’t know about you, but I really can’t get my head around the fact that we are already a few days into 2026. They say that the older you get, the quicker the time passes … More Hello 2026, what do you hold?

When french lessons are fun

July 17, 2025

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

The weather Saints and their icy fingers

April 7, 2025

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

Beautiful Sunrise Adventures for the New Year

January 6, 2025

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

Is it Christmas already?

December 23, 2024

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?

A morning at a French Auction

October 28, 2024

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 good to be home

August 15, 2024

I know we’re only in mid-August, so it’s still the height of summer and it feels as if we should be throwing ourselves into all the events and activities that are planned in the surrounding area, over the next few days. But after a busy last 6 weeks back in Devon, all I want to … More It’s good to be home