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 Joan was looking for cooks, stories, recipes, family lore, historical documents--anything that would help her piece

Moroccan Hotel Fit for Royalty

When the King—any King--opens a hotel, you don’t exactly expect a Travelodge, Days Inn or Formule 1. Yet even by royal standards, the Royal Mansour is a beauty.

The King in this case is His Majesty the King Mohamed VI of Morocco and the hotel, the Royal Mansour in Marakech, was developed to be one of the world’s finest. It opened in July, with 53 individual riads, three restaurants and a 27,000-

Shangri-Ooh-La-La!

The Shangri-La Hotel Paris opens today, marking the Hong Kong-based hotelier’s European debut. As elegant as one would expect, the 16th-arrondissement hotel sits between the Place des Etats-Unis, the Place d’Iéna and the Trocadero--in the 110-year-old palais of Prince Roland Bonaparte, grand nephew of Napoleon. It’s walking distance from the Arc de Triomphe, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower

From a Star Chef: Where to Go in Bordeaux

When I'm about to travel, I check in with industry friends to get advice. When it comes to food, for example, who better than a local chef to recommend the best markets, bistros, wine bars and restaurants in town? Often, these are places I'd never find on my own. So planning a little jaunt to Bordeaux (where the 2009 vintages are being called some of the best in the region's history),  I rang

Foodie Fantasy Trip to Lyon and Beyond

I've known Arlene Feltman for 20 or so years, from back when she owned and ran Degustibus Cooking School at Macy's in New York. All the top chefs taught there--it was foodie central. Arlene sold the school a few years ago and then quickly hung out her new shingle, leading food and wine trips to some the best culinary destinations in the world. Traveling with Arlene you get the benefit not only

The Cocktail Drinkers' Guide to Gardening: May

Originally from Hampshire, England, James Clay is an artist and sculptor who has lived in St. Remy for almost 20 years. He knows pretty much everything about gardening in Provence. Plus, he likes to drink...and write. (Often at the same time, of course.) Each month here on ProvencePost.com, James serves up gardening tips and ideas...with appropriate drink suggestions. This month, he's just back

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,

Screamin' Ski Deals in the Southern Alps

The Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur Regional Tourist Office has published a terrific list of 10 ski resorts in the Southern French Alps where a lift ticket costs less €20 a day. To compile the list they chose smaller, traditional ski resorts where you'll find charming, authentic and reasonably priced places to stay. You can see the list by clicking HERE or just read on: I've pasted it below.

So how

SWF Seeks Date for El Bulli

So is this the next big foodie romantic comedy waiting to happen or what?

Jules Clancy is a cookbook author and food blogger in Sydney, Australia and the type of girl who plans her holidays around restaurant reservations. "I'm always thinking about my next meal and have excellent table manners!" she says.
More than a year ago, Jules and her boyfriend somehow got themselves a reservation at

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

Want to Help Make the 2010 Vintage?

Vignerons usually shut their doors to visitors once the heat is on with the annual vendange (grape harvest). But La Madelene Rhone Wine Holidays, based 45 minutes from Avignon in Malaucene, has teamed up with the Northern Wine Academy in York, UK and persuaded two top vineyards to let guests roll up their sleeves and help with the harvest. This unique "study tour" runs October 7th to 11th and

You've Got a (Foodie) Friend

Drawing on her extensive contacts in the French food and wine world, Wendy Lyn helps foodies and other travelers maximize their time in Paris by organizing custom itineraries and experiences.
Want to rent the perfect apartment, visit the coolest wine bars or shop where the chefs do? Searching for the hottest new bistros, the flea markets with the best prices, the most serious cooking classes or

Starry Nights

If you've ever been confused by the French hotel rating system, you're not alone. In yesterday's Telegraph, Nick Trend tells of booking three Provence hotels on a four-night trip to examine the star system firsthand. What he found? A system that's "opaque and unhelpful" with stars awarded based on requirements often "arbitrary and probably irrelevant." The bottom line: stars don't tell you much.

When Life Imitates Art...

Check out this fabulous suite at the Amsterdam Hilton: it's a real-life replica of Van Gogh’s painting The Bedroom. (Actually, the artist did three versions of The Bedroom, which hang in three different museums, but never mind.) The idea came from hotel director Roberto Payer, who was inspired by the ongoing "Van Gogh and the Colours of the Night" exhibit at Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum. Payer

Life in the Slow Lane

Hazel Young, the owner of two luxury French canal barges, is offering a substantial discount on a private Burgundy Canal charter for four people on Fandango. Normally she gets $19,980 for an all-inclusive six-night charter; she’s now asking $15,000 for the same package throughout the 2009 season. The price includes all meals, either on shore or on board. (Hazel shops en route and serves