Before we bought the house here, I used to get my ‘fix’ of Provence and The Luberon, reading Peter Mayle’s ‘A Year in Provence’ and watching the film ‘A Good Year’, based on one of his books, and set all around the area that we love so much. Directed by Ridley Scott, it’s a step … More A Good Year … Ridley Scott’s Domaine in Provence
We love our little house and the garden we’ve made here. I have a fig tree, a little cherry tree and even an apricot sapling, all in large tubs on the terrace, but the one thing that we don’t have is an olive tree. We planted one many years ago in the UK, when I … More Our First Olive Harvest
From time to time, you see something that makes you reconsider some of the decisions you’ve made in life, and a recent visit to the SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) Campus at Lacoste, was one of those moments. It was the first stop on our day with the local Tourist Board, and although … More La Maison Basse, Art and Design in Lacoste
After a busy week back in the UK, when we fitted so much in, that it felt as if we kept meeting ourselves coming back in the opposite direction, we are finally back home in Provence, and starting to plan for the next stage of work on the house, finally decorating the living room. It … More Bikes, Fifi and a smile on our faces
It’s now nearly 2 weeks, since Andy’s little ‘finger’ incident happened and we’ve been settling into life without cycling, as riding with a heavy duty bandage protecting the stitches, doesn’t really make gear-changing particularly easy. I know I can go out on my own, but somehow, it just doesn’t seem right, so the bikes have … More Autumn walks in Provence
It would probably be right to say that we have had more than our fair share of accidents and incidents over the years, from falling off bikes (me), suffering torn Achilles whilst doing a spoof ‘Riverdance’ routine (me again) and breaking bones windsurfing (yes – that’ll be me again). We’ve certainly been regular visitors to … More French Healthcare – Here we go again
Over the last few weeks, we have got a little bit further under the skin ofthe local area, and it’s taken us to some very different places, most recentlyon a guided tour of the Cathédrale Sainte Anne, in the heart of Apt, focusing on its medieval history. Each year the weekend of the ‘Journées du … More The incredible story of Apt, a Queen and the birth of The Sun King
Life here is never boring, and sometimes, even the simplest of things takes a twist, which leaves us wondering how we manage to get through a day without some disaster, or another. Take this weekend as an example. On Saturday, we headed out on the bikes, on one of our favourite little rides, that takes … More Figs, a lost phone and cake
A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to do a pop-up event with my jewellery, in the cellar of our friends’ newly restored town house and apartments in the centre of Apt Cent Cinq . I say cellar, but this was the most beautiful, vaulted stone room, set below the house on the … More Apta Julia – The hidden history of Apt
This time last week, Andy was back in Exeter, making sure that everything was ready for his return back to France. He had his sheaf of paperwork ready, his European vaccine passport on his phone, and his rucksack packed for the train journey home to Provence. After trying just about every possible way to travel … More Making the most of life in Provence
Vaucluse Dreamer 