Jewish Food in France

A couple years ago, my friend Joan Nathan, a Washington, D.C.-based food writer and author, called and said she was coming to France, doing research for a new book. I snapped to attention, not just because I love Joan but also because I loved the topic: Jewish food in France. Joan was looking for cooks, stories, recipes, family lore, historical documents--anything that would help her piece

Kit Golson’s Design Tour de France

One of the many super-cool people I've met in the blogosphere is Kit Golson, a California-based interior designer who's crazy passionate about Provence. And now Kit tells me she's leading a Design Tour of Provence over Easter: April 22 to 27. If I didn't already live here, I'd sign up for this trip for sure. And I'm totally planning to schlep along one day if the gorgeous-and-talented Kit lets me

Provence All Over the Web...

I've seen lots of great Provence and France articles online during the last month or so. And because I live to please you, dear reader, I've collected some of the best.  Here you go...enjoy!


In the New York Times, Eric Asimov rated 20 rosé wines from Provence. Read all about it here.


The Times also featured a great piece about the Luburon.


Have any of you tasted Andrea Calek's wines?

Saturday in Avignon

If you'll be in Avignon Saturday Dec. 5th--perhaps to visit the charming Christmas market on the Place Horloge--you might want to check out one or both of these English-speaking events.

The first is the monthly BookShare rendezvous, when members lend and discuss current English-language books. It's 4 to 5:30 pm and visitors are welcomed. It happens at the Zeste Cafe, 62 Place des Corps Saints,

Man Shops Globe, Starting With France

Keith Johnson has the job everyone wants. He travels the world for the American retailer Anthropologie, buying beautiful antiques, art, decor and textiles for the stores to sell or use as display. He also commissions original pieces or finds the perfect one-of-a-kind for the company to knock off. Keith travels half the year, scouring antique fairs, flea markets, artists' ateliers, tiny shops,

Provence in the Press

Summer always brings more Provence in the media than usual, it seems. Here are a few articles I noticed in the last week or so.

A tour of the Luberon in the L.A. Times.
From The Independent: the joy of a visit to Aix.

In his syndicated column, Rick Steves wrote about outdoor markets. Here it is in the Chicago Tribune.
Brad and Angelina give their kids a "normal life" in a £45million Provencal

Unusual Avignon Apartment Available

My friend Kate writes..."After 5 years, I'm leaving my beautiful apartment in Avignon.It's an exceptional place for which I searched six months. Located on the third floor of a former religious building of the late 18th century (above), the apartment (about 1200 sq ft) has beams in its high ceilings, stonework and a large terrace that gives onto a huge court, yet has all the modern conveniences

Rare Photos for Sale

An exhibition and sale of exceptionally rare and beautiful photographs taken by the Lumière brothers and a signed collection of photographs by Robert Doisneau is on view at Mondrian's Room Gallery in Avignon until Friday July 24th. The gallery is owned by Aebhric Coleman and Fiona Bailey, who have a gallery of the same name in Dublin.

Born in Besançon, France and raised there and in Lyon, the

Where to Stay in Avignon

My dear friend Kate Schertz, an American living in Avignon, just toured this new apartment hotel" and thought we'd all like to know about it. She writes:

"Today I went to visit Autour du Petit Paradis, located inside the city walls just two minutes from Les Halles. The renovation of the 17th-century, three-story building had been blocking the street for months so I was curious to see what all

Major Orchestra Event Tomorrow

Sorry for the late notice on this but I just got word: Jonathan Schiffman, the acclaimed American director and conductor of OLRAP, the Avignon Orchestra, has planned an extraordinary concert for tomorrow, Thursday June 11, at 8:30 p.m. in the Opera-Theatre in Avignon.  It will include a huge choral group with the orchestra, presenting Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Bernstein's Chichester

Where to Eat in Avignon

Originally from Illinois, Kate Schertz has eaten her way around the world, a task facilitated by her former profession as an American diplomat. She studied cooking in France, Tuscany and Sicily and counts Turkish cuisine among her star feats. For the past 4.5 years, Kate has been living in Avignon, where she dines out frequently. We asked her to pass along some of her favorite addresses. Bon