Perfectly Provence
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Perfectly Provence brings together inspired articles by these knowledgeable writers in one place. Your South of France resource for food, wine, travel, real estate, and ex-pat living.
Perfectly Provence
2y ago
The artists and artisans of Forcalquier open their doors for the ninth edition of Ateliers Ouverts from July 29th through August 1st, 2022.
Les Ateliers Ouverts
Truly a celebration of creativity, the event takes place throughout the town with street entertainment, outdoor photo displays and art shown in galleries, shop windows and artist’s studios. Visitors can consult a guided map or wander at their leisure, following painted markings on the streets to discover the workshops and galleries.
Rue Marius Debout, Forcalquier ©Yves Riché
The Association Ateliers Forcalquier organises the festiva ..read more
Perfectly Provence
2y ago
Göran Boman, the author of The Wines of Provence – Tricolour, wrote the article below. Based in Sweden, far from Provence’s vineyards, he has visited many times, and his knowledge of the vineyards and wines of the region is impressive. Below is an excerpt from an article he wrote earlier this year about the dry conditions, unseasonable hot temperatures and how the French vineyards are coping.
Almost all of France has experienced severe drought conditions in 2022. Before the official start of summer, 25% of the departments are experiencing different degrees of irrigation restrictions! The winte ..read more
Perfectly Provence
2y ago
Visit the lavender fields near Aix-en-Provence!
Terre Ugo is a 7-hectare family farm located on the outskirts of Aix in Puyricard. In 2017, the family planted 30,000 organic Lavandin Grosso plants on a portion of the property. Now, during the peak of the flowering season, you can visit Terre Ugo to walk through the fields, take a workshop, have a meal, or shop in the boutique.
Terre Ugo ©Nicolas Elsen
Who was Ugo?
Flowers were perhaps destiny for Ugo (Hugo in English), who was born in Grasse, Provence’s perfume capital, in 1924. Shortly afterwards, the toddler and his parents moved to Piedmo ..read more
Perfectly Provence
2y ago
If you are here because you have already read about my brief visit to Avignon, you probably recall that I spent a few days there last fall – my first trip back to France after 22 months of absence and my first visit to this wonderful city. Picking up the story from where I left it a few months ago, I am taking you back to Provence on a photo tour of several other places that have left an unforgettable impression and a strong desire to return. They are all within a 2-hour drive from Avignon.
Nîmes (Bar de la Bourse)
After becoming acquainted with the charming Avignon landmarks and spending a ..read more
Perfectly Provence
2y ago
Our 2022 summer menu comes from Emma Kershaw, who lives in the South of France near the Spanish border. Start the evening with a savoury octopus pie from Sète, followed by a chilled soup, then the Catalan variation of fish stew and a sweet fruit finish.
In June 2016, several French administrative regions amalgamated to achieve service and staffing efficiencies. One such change was Languedoc-Roussillon, the area that shares borders with Provence and Spain. It is now part of Occitanie. Incorporating the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean coastline, it is one of France’s major wine-producing areas. T ..read more
Perfectly Provence
2y ago
Diehard fan or not, you are likely aware of Bob Dylan’s success as a singer-songwriter and musician. However, it might have surprised others (besides me) when he won the 2016 Nobel Prize for literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” But, on the other hand, perhaps those who were paying attention also knew of Dylan’s talents as an artist. Indeed, this was the case at Château la Coste, the vineyard with a renowned contemporary sculpture collection, top-notch restaurants, and wine. Unveiled in May 2022, Bob Dylan’s Rail Car sculpture is now a ..read more
Perfectly Provence
2y ago
While in Mougins to give a talk on my latest book, The Birdwatcher’s Wife, I was delighted to reacquaint myself with the enchanting area. My previous visit had been three years ago when I made a presentation on my first book, Passion for Provence: 22 Keys to La Belle Vie. Happily, I found the region as compelling as ever!
A Visit to Mougins
Mougins, a tiny jewel of a hilltop village —where Picasso lived his last twelve years—is located on the Côte d’Azur, just under seven kilometres inland from the Mediterranean Sea. The views of the lush countryside are magnificent, as are its fascinating Gre ..read more
Perfectly Provence
2y ago
Steve Wilkison is a web designer, writer and photographer who lives in Vence, France, with his wife Carole Richmond and their dog Myla. Originally from southern California, he first became enchanted with France when he backpacked throughout Europe at the age of 18. He fell in love with Vence the first time he saw it in 2007 while passing through one day on his bike. It only took him 12 years to talk Carole into moving there! He loves to explore France, especially Vence, the Alpes-Maritimes and the Côte d’Azur, be it by car, bike, or foot. On any given day, you might find him exploring a mediev ..read more
Perfectly Provence
2y ago
Smoke, blush or rosé? We are not debating the colour of the Provencal sky at sunset in the Alpilles but rather trying to choose between Blackbird and Vanilla Sky cocktails. And we haven’t even looked at the Ambar Sunset Lounge tapas menu. L’Ambar is an open-air cocktail lounge and the latest addition to the food and drinks offerings at Domaine la Pierre Blanche, a boutique hotel property outside of Eygalières.
While the Domaine is a work environment for Ana-Luisa Negreiros, she says it feels like being on holiday when she’s there. She shared these thoughts about the new lounge bar.
“At L’Amb ..read more
Perfectly Provence
2y ago
Since 2010, the Kershaw family, Emma, her husband Chris and their son Louis have lived in the Languedoc-Roussillon. The family settled in the Corbières wine region, one of the largest AOCs in this part of France. Passionate about gastronomy and terroir they chose the foothills of the Pyrenees to establish La Maison du Rire (The House of Laughter) a wine school in an old, now renovated, winery. Emma Kershaw works with winemakers, industry professionals and anyone who wants to learn about the wines and the foods of the Languedoc-Roussillon. Enjoy this recipe from Emma’s kitchen for Chilled Tomat ..read more