Greetings dear readers and friends. Well, it’s not every day that I get to review such a delightful book as Keith Van Sickle’s latest foray into the ups and downs of expat life in Provence: Are We French Yet? Keith and Val’s Adventures in Provence. And I say “latest” as this is indeed the second […]
Read more
Greetings dear readers and friends. First of all, I’d like to wish you a very Happy New Year – plein de belles choses – all kinds of lovely things for 2019 as they say in French. We had a very nice Christmas and New Year in the northeast of France (the Lorraine) – huddling together […]
Read more
Greetings dear readers and friends. Christmas is just around the corner and we’ve been enjoying all of the holiday decorations in the local towns and villages. Today I wanted to share with you a lovely walk we had through the village of Le Castellet during a “bloggers’ weekend” organized by hotel Mas du Brulat. Along […]
Read more
Greetings dear readers and friends. Well, it’s certainly starting to look a lot like Christmas around here and I’d like to share with you today what’s happening around the region during the holiday season. I’ve particularly got my sights on an overnight trip to Isle-sur-la-Sorgue to visit their Christmas market and perhaps stay for the Festival […]
Read more
Greetings dear readers and friends. Well, here we are… another Olive Festival come and gone. As I mentioned in a post a few weeks back, this festival is one of the most anticipated events of the fall season and something we look forward to all year long. And this year did not […]
Read more
Greeting dear readers and friends. I hope you’ve enjoyed these last few weeks of summer, and I’m delighted to be able to present to you a book review and giveaway on the blog today. I was very pleased to be asked to review Martin Bailey’s follow-up to Studio of the South: Van Gogh in […]
Read more
Greetings dear readers and friends. Well, if you ever wanted a great summer read to get “lost in Provence” this is it. I’ve been following author Deborah Lawrenson’s blog and novels over the years and was delighted to learn that she’d written – in collaboration with her husband – a murder mystery under the nom de […]
Read more
Greetings dear readers and friends. I’m very excited to have a book giveaway for on the blog today. And what a book it is! Renoir’s Dancer, by Catherine Hewitt, transported me clear across France – from a small village in Limoges to the bohemian streets of Montemartre in Paris; and from the circus to the […]
Read more
If you spend enough time in Provence you’ll begin to see how invested people are in continuing the local traditions. This is perhaps most evident at village festivals where celebrants dress in period costume, bring out their finest musical instruments, and hold processions in the center of town – venerating everything from saints to local […]
Read more
Greetings dear readers and friends! Well, we are enjoying lovely, sunny weather after an unseasonably cold start to fall. The leaves are starting to change colors (so pretty!) but it’s still a great time to be outdoors – as witnessed by all the hikers, bikers, and beach fans roaming around town. And what a nice […]
Read more
Hello from a sunny South of France! Like every year, summer in Provence is a very busy period and it’s hard to even keep track of all the festivals and events that take place. We try to take advantage of local events happening in our town (Toulon), but there are some “must-do” favorites that really […]
Read more
Greetings dear readers and friends! Well, it’s turning into a season of book giveaways and I couldn’t be happier. Especially having just zipped through the altogether charming, and downright hilarious, book: One Sip at a Time: Learning to Live in Provence. Keith Van Sickle, who makes his home-base in Silicon Valley, California, takes us […]
Read more