Ready for that Summer holiday in Europe? With second home ownership soaring, owning holiday homes abroad can seem like a stretch but what if we told you there’s a better way? In fact, you won’t have to settle on just…
No matter if there’s rain, shine, you’re indoors or out, owning holiday homes is easy and still very possible. Whether it’s the picturesque South of France, rolling hills of Tuscany, sunny Mallorca, snow capped Chamonix or quintessentially English countryside of…
Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur At first glance, the perched village of Flayosc appears to be extremely remote. For starters, there are hills, vineyards and olive groves as far as the eye can see. Then there’s the fact that no major road…
When artist David Napp first came to Provence 30 years ago, he fell for its wonderful light. Since then, his work has seen him mixing with the rich and famous, says Jeannine Williamson. Much has been written about the Provençale…
Thinking of buying a property in Provence? This guide provides you with useful information on the region covering climate, landscape, access, property styles and price guidelines.
In Provence, on Christmas Eve the family gathers for the traditional Christmas meal known as le Gros Souper (the big supper). This meal begins with seven meatless dishes, ending with the ritual number of 13 desserts…
L’Institut de Français is proud of its French heritage and culture, arranging a number of optional excursions to enhance the language-learning experience outside of the classroom setting. It is a win-win situation, set in the jewel that is Villefranche-sur-Mer quieter…
In her latest book “The Lazy Cook” Susie weaves stories from her travels and childhood together with easy and accessible recipes including this one for pissaladière, the French answer to pizza.
Immersion in la langue française began from birth. Mother intended to name me Chérie, spelt the French way, but instead went with Sheree penned the Irish way. It means darling, in both. Couple that with Charles Trenet singing ‘La Mer’,…
My cousin and I exited the A51 shortly after Manosque onto the D82, faithfully following the GPS mounted on my windshield. We were excited to be on the last leg to our vacation rental, chattering like magpies, wondering if we’d…
Head to the heart of the Loire, where a château visit rewards you not with one garden but 12. La Chatonnière in Azay-le Rideau has an ecelectic range of beautiful jardins, including the Garden of Fragrance and the intriguing Theatre of Impertinence.
Pétanque is one of the most popular pastimes in France and can trace its origins to Provence, where it goes hand in had with animated conversation and an apéritif. The goal is to throw steel balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called the cochonnet in an attempt to knock the opponent’s boules out of the way.
Meet Stephen and Jeany, a couple who traded their former lives for a fresh start in Provence, where their wine is making waves.
According to French tradition, a proper réveillon will bring prosperity to the household. A réveillon is a long dinner, and possibly party, held on the evenings preceding Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
We had over 70 entries to our photography competition and the standard, as you will see, has been very high. But now it’s decision time! We’ve deliberated to reduce this number to a final 10 and the winner will be…
A combination of one too many pains au chocolat and a desire to explore the countryside around Aix en Provence led me to agree to join a superb group of hardy walkers based out of Aix called the International Hiking…
Wine is a complex beverage, or at least it should be, and to understand a wine’s complexity and depth you need to analyze it.
First dates can be nerve-wracking enough, but cooking a three-course French dinner for a Frenchman can turn into a downright disaster – as Cathe learnt the hard way!
France has the magic. The proof is in the gatêaux. Once again, according to a study released yesterday, France came up in first place as the world’s most visited country. And the French are delighted with the news. So why…
The abundant and popular vegetable makes its way to many a french menu in the summer. Here’s our recipe suggestion…
Vines existed in Provence before the Greeks arrived in 600 B.C.; however it was first the Greeks, followed by the Romans, who introduced systematic growing and pruning techniques to Provence. The region has 3,000 hours of sunshine a year and very little rain – the classic Mediterranean climate …
The evenings for never-ending lazy summer dinners are here. There is a very French way of pairing wine with food, and summer calls for quality fresh ingredients simply cooked and a refreshing rosé from Provence.
Using seasonal ingredients, Chris Lacey, a British chef in France, rustles up a quick Menu Rapide and a slower A La Carte dish with pigeon – perfect for February.
A French style bedroom evokes thoughts of love and romance and with good reason. Colors and textures balance each other in a sumptuous invitation to the senses.
If you are lucky to be in the area this weekend January 12th-13th you’ll witness the launch of Marseille-Provence 2013 Capital Européene de la Culture. The grand opening ushers in the exciting program of events, music, dance, theatre, visual arts,…
According to French tradition, a proper meal on New Year’s Eve will bring prosperity to the house–in which case all the effort that you put in to making it a success will definitely be worth it.
My French Life and French Essence are two books that tell the story of how life changed after Vicki – who was living in Sydney – bought a farmhouse in Provence and moved the family to France.
We all look forward to trying the local delicacies when on holiday in France and Nice on the French Riviera has plenty for foodies to get their teeth into!
Terracotta is an attractive, rustic material for both old and new houses. If you’re not careful however, it can be very easy to become a slave to your terracotta floor. Here are some tips on how to avoid potential pitfalls when sealing, protecting and maintaining terracotta tiles.
A list of music and dance groups throughout France Association Azoukah Based in Ruffec. This local association organises oriental dancing classes (Ruffec, Sauze V etc), mostly in the evening. They also have a dance company who perform across the region…
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Al fresco lunches in the summer sunshine – Provencal omlete cake is a delicious and unusual dish created by Mary Cadogan. It can be prepared the day before; serve with green salad and a sharp white wine.
The days are getting longer and the woods are full of catkins and lime-green hellebores. The breezes are softer and the sun warms your soul. Spring is in the air. The soups and casseroles of winter are banished for another eight months. Or are they? How can you construct a decent salad with the sort of half-ripe, totally flavourless tomatoes available at this time of year…
The depiction of nativity scenes, or crèches as they are called, dates back as early as the 17th century in France. In many aristocratic and middle class homes, the predecessor of today’s crèche appeared in the form of decorated glass-fronted boxes called grottoes or rockeries …
Every region of France has it’s own classic stew or casserole. The most famous, and certainly the most abused beef stew must be Boeuf Bourguignon, closely followed now by the increasingly popular Provencal Daube…
Attracted by the character, charm and in most cases the price of old stone houses and barns in Provence, the Brits and Americans have been busy buying them up for the purpose of complete renovation, or at best modernization. This is in complete bewilderment to their French neighbors …
For those that think Marseille is a somewhat scruffy, unpleasant place, just sit down in one of the restaurants along the Vieux Port and order a bouillabaisse – the most famous local seafood dish in town. It will soon change your mind about Marseille.
One would be hard pressed to find a kitchen in Provence that did not have a stash of Herbes de Provence by the stove. Native to Provence, this mixture of aromatic plants contain rosemary, marjoram, basil, savory and thyme. Many of these plants grow so abundantly in Provence …
Mother Nature is abundantly generous in this part of the world, and Provençal cooking is naturally tasty and flavorsome due to the sun-kissed produce that is readily available in this region. Vegetables, sardines, anchovies, meat casseroles, ratatouille and pesto …
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“Olive tapenade on sale”This olive tapenade recipe is a local olive tapenade recipe from the Gard, Languedoc, hence it is an authentic recipe and exactly how one makes the real thing. You don’t need to go to an American website to see tapenade imitations, you can get the real thing here from the south of France itself!
Peter Mayle described Provence as a cold country with a high rate of sunshine and a place where the summers are consistently hot. Both of these comments are also said to be true elsewhere in the South of France – the Lot and Quercy region, but let’s look at some actual figures…
