The Top Ten Wine Drives in Provence

Bravo to Sheila Johnston and her website Marseille-Provence for yesterday’s post: The Top Ten Wine Drives in Provence. Sheila tells me it took the better part of a week for she and her husband, Robert, to produce…and I can see why. 
“Although there's a ton of info about wine on the net, it tends, I feel, to be very fragmented and confusing," she says. "We've tried here to consolidate and

After-Holiday Sale, New Years at Estoublon

Holiday decor is now 50% off and clothing is discounted 30% at the Christmas Market at the Chateau d’Estoublon, a magnificent 16th-century estate near Fontvieille where wines and olive oils are produced. This is the one market my friends and I never miss; each year the selection of food, decor, toys and tableware grows more elegant, eclectic and whimsical too. The items for sale come from all

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 Tours, Tailor-Made

Cecile Beillieu is the owner of Tours in Provence, a small company offering full and half-day tours for individuals and small groups. And since she recently decided to advertise on Provence Post (smart!), I'd like to introduce her to you. 


Cecile was born in Aix-en-Provence near the foot of the famous Mont St. Victoire. After earning a tourism degree from the University in Aix, she took off

Make Your Village A Star!

RendezVous Films  is producing a romantic comedy feature film called Kiss the Frog  in which an American businesswoman falls in love with a French farmer. Most of the story takes place in a tiny and remote village in the South of France and production will begin in April. Now they just need to find the village. Writer/director Kevin Dole describes Kiss the Frog as “my love letter to France.” He

Jon and Kelly's Excellent Wine & Truffle Adventure

When I have Provençale food or restaurant questions, I go to Jon Chiri, an American chef (from New Orleans) who has lived and worked in Provence for years. When I first met Jon he was the director of the Petit Marmiton cooking school at Hotel La Mirande in Avignon…and if you’ve been there you know that that’s kind of a big deal. These days, Jon is sort of a free-range chef, teaching cooking,

Provence in Focus

Lee Warren is a U.K.-based landscape and "natural world" photographer who shoots for magazines, books and ad campaigns. I came across some photos he took in the South of France late this summer and just had to share. Lee tells me: "The shots were taken August just gone. This was our first visit to Provence but we're already planning to return next year. It really is a stunning part of the

Today I Would Go to Provence, France...

"If I had no obligations and a private jet suddenly appeared at my front door...where would I go today? Today I would go to Provence, France, mais oui..."
Donna Mulholland is an artist and watercolor journalist who lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. This drawing, of her dream to fly to Provence, is part of an "in flight"- themed sketchbook that Donna is producing for the Brooklyn Art

Michelin Launches Food-Themed Vacations

Michelin has launched a new "experience" brand called Michelin Food & Travel, in conjunction with niche tour operator Roadtrips Inc. The idea is to give food lovers behind-the-scenes access to Michelin-starred restaurants; guests can enjoy cooking classes, guided excursions, food and wine tastings, truffle hunts and all sorts of other custom experiences that get them up close and personal with

Adventures in Provence Food and Wine

The "refined-rustic" Crillon Le Brave  is one of the loveliest hotels in Provence. It's also one of the foodiest, offering a number of culinary and wine-themed experiences throughout the year. Here are the next three, coming up soon. 


The Vendange Package will be offered two different weekends, Sept 16-19 and Sept 30-Oct 3. It lets you participate in the annual wine-grape harvest, with three

Screamin' Deals on Two St. Remy Rentals

GREAT DEAL #1
In St. Remy, Lorraine Boulogne has a few holes to fill in her summer rental schedule and she's offering the readers of Provence Post a great discount. Her house (two pictures above) has four double bedrooms, two large living rooms, a large kitchen/dining area, a long covered stone terrace for barbecues and outdoor dining, a large pool, a secure gated driveway and garage, and room

Where Would Patricia Wells Eat?

Where should we eat in Provence? As a food writer living in the South of France, it's the one question I'm asked more than any other. So this week I turned to none other than Patricia Wells for help. 


Patricia is a journalist, author and cooking teacher, an American who has lived in Paris since 1980. Her groundbreaking "Food Lover’s Guide to Paris," which debuted in 1984, was hailed as “

Using Your US Cell Phone in Europe

Something I'm asked almost as often as "where should we eat in Provence?" is "what should we do about a cell phone on our upcoming trip?" Obviously there's no simple answer but BudgetTravel.com has taken up the topic so you might be interested in what they have to say. Click here for the first story and comments; here for the follow up.


Photo by Andy Hebden via Flickr. To see more of his work,

Would You Fly Marseille to JFK?

If you travel between the U.S. and Provence, you know it can be quite the shlep. But things might get a bit easier in the next couple years.  


To promote the Marseille-Provence Capital of Culture events in 2013, The Mediterranean Anglo-American Business Network (MAABN) is helping the Marseille Provence Airport document demand for a direct airline link to New York. If this is an initiative you

The Stress-less Côte d’Azur

Everyone loves the idea of the South of France in summer. But the reality? The crowds, the traffic, the high prices, the attitude? Not so much.
But at Club Med Opio in Provence--which reopened three years ago after a $40 million renovation--it's possible to avoid every one of those height-of-the-season hassles. Within an hour of my arrival, I felt blessed rather than stressed. Call it the

Traveling by Train?

Okay, so the SNCF has been on strike for 10 days now. But here are some bits of news that might interest you anyway....
First, Expatica reported that the SNCF, the French rail operator, is planning to run some sleeper trains during the day, starting May 21st--so passengers can catch a nap while traveling. The new service, called Téoz Eco, will run for a six-month trial on the line from Paris to

The Cocktail Drinkers' Guide to Gardening: April

Born in Hampshire, England, James Clay is an artist and sculptor who has lived in St. Remy for almost 20 years. There he has created a gorgeous one-hectare garden, filled with fruit, palm, pine and olive trees (he has 60 olive trees, all of them transplanted), plus many varieties of bamboo, flowering plants and shrubs. James knows pretty much everything about gardening in Provence. Plus, he

Candy Land

With Valentines Day just around the corner, I've been thinking of chocolate, of course. And I remembered my chef friend Andy Floyd telling me about a chocolate maker he loved near Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Andy has a superb palate so when he likes something, I know it's gonna be good. Based near Boulder, Colorado, he's been a culinary instructor for 12 years. For ten years, he brought students to the

Air France to Take On Ryanair and EasyJet?

La Tribune reports this morning that Air France is planning to go head to head with EasyJet and Ryanair by launching a range of low-cost domestic flights linking French cities. The plan is to use Nice as a base for the operation. I checked in with my contact at Air France who said the company had no comment at this time.

The story says Air France will use its sister brand, Transavia, to offer

This Week on the Web...

There's lots of fun stuff online this week about our favorite place. Here are a few things you might enjoy...

The First Lady of France donned a blue jumpsuit and visited the aerobatic squadron Patrouille de France at an exhibition in Salon-de-Provence on Friday. Go here.
And here's the Daily Mail on those pesky Carla rumors. (Isn't the whole "is she or isn't she?" thing sort of like buying a