Welcome to belle Provence…
I’m an American woman in my early 50s, born & raised in Southern California, and I’ve been living in Provence since 2010. My father is from Finland, the home of my first name.
In 2007, I took a break from my much-loved career in higher education to experience a *mid-life* adventure in Rome, Italy. After a few years of English teaching (and living the dolce vita on a very slim budget) I met my French husband-to-be at a Christmas party.
I didn’t speak a word of French and never imagined getting to know the French people and their culture… let alone falling in love with the place I now call home. It was a long personal journey moving from Italy to France, and it took me about 4 years to speak decent French – one of the biggest challenges I faced moving here. In fact, one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever faced – it’s one tough language. I’m still learning every day, but my life has become a lot fuller since I crossed that bridge and I’m very thankful for the kind French people who helped me along the way.
After 7 years of living in the coastal city of Toulon, we moved about 10 minutes away to a local village / town. We live in the Var department and much of this site is dedicated to places we visit in the region – like our favorites Bandol, Sanary-sur-Mer, and Le Castellet village. We’ve also fallen in love with Cassis, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Saint Rémy de Provence, and Isle-sur-la-Sorgue – just to name a few. Provence is a big and beautiful place, there’s a lot to love.
Thanks for stopping by, bonne journée!
Tuula
Belle Provence Travels 