Places that we have come to love over the years
Having arrived back in Provence a few of days ago I’ve been really surprised at how much things have changed in the last 5 weeks. First, and probably the biggest surprise, is that everything is looking incredibly lush and green. This a such a stark contrast to the bleached colours and dry fields and verges … More Poppies & Cherries – Provence has turned red.
Yesterday morning I cycled up to Roussillon for the weekly market and to sit on the wall enjoying the view and the vivid colours of the Ochre cliffs that define the village. When I arrived it was lovely & quiet and I popped into the Boulangerie to buy breakfast, where I ended up chatting to … More The Legend of Roussillon – a tale of illicit love and a tragic end!
Over the summer one of our favourite cycle rides took us to the delightful Boulangerie at Simiane-La-Rotonde, just across the border from us towards Banon in the neighbouring Department of Alpes de Haute Provence. The Boulangerie itself is worth the hour long uphill cycle, but it’s not the only attraction as the village itself … More Stepping back in time at Simiane La Rotonde
A few years ago now we headed across to Les Baux-de-Provence with our boys, after having seen the spectacular site in the helicopter footage during the coverage of the Tour de France, which unsurprisingly is essential viewing in our house! Les Baux-de-Provence sits atop a rocky promontory on the Southern side of Les Alpilles not … More Treading in ancient footsteps at Les Baux-de-Provence
It’s nearly 9pm and it’s still around 30 degrees on the terrace this evening. The weather over the last couple of weeks has been bizarre, ranging from the day I got in the car at Uzès to see the display reading 47 degrees to a week ago when the temperature dropped to an unseasonable low … More A Beach, a Gorge & Waterslides – 3 cool & wet places in Provence for the summer.
In the centre of the pretty village of Saint Saturnin les Apt is a peaceful square (home to the vibrant Tuesday morning market), and to one side is a small garden area that sits in front of a dramatic stone wall, which is a memorial to the dramatic and devastating events that happened there on … More In the Footsteps of the Resistance
There is something so wonderful about French buildings and all too often we miss seeing them as we hurry past or simply focus on everything at eye-level. In the past I’ve probably been one of the worst, focusing on just cramming as many of the things we love to do into a busy couple of … More Peeling Paint, Shabby Shutters & Intricate Ironwork – How wonderful
I make no bones about it – I love a good coffee stop and La Vie en Rose at Coustellet has to be one of my favourites. The tea shop isn’t exactly in a perfect location as it’s situated on the side of the road just behind Super U in the village, nor is it in a traditional … More A perfectly quirky coffee stop
The first snow fell in the Vaucluse yesterday and Mont Ventoux started its shift from being a summer cycling venue to a winter ski resort, bringing with it thoughts of long walks across the hills that are so often out of bounds during the summer due to the fire risk and evenings spent eating rich … More Provence in Autumn is just lovely!
I make no bones about it – I love chocolate & last night sat with a glass of wine & my latest purchase from the wonderful ‘Chocolatier’ La Cour aux Saveurs in L’Isle Sur La Sorgue. http://www.lacourauxsaveurs.fr/ Back in February I was staying there (in the town that is, not the chocolate shop) whilst house … More I’ve found my chocolate heaven in Provence!
