Provence is too perfect. Immaculate fields of lavender undulate with swathes of pastel around medieval villages. Cottages feature bluish-purple shutters that hang like proud flags on white walls, draped with wrap-around wisteria above perfumed yellow roses. Cherry trees, bejewelled with plump rubies sparkle between horse trails and vineyards. Red poppies turn fields and roadsides into magic. Church bells strike the hour from steeples towering above the village chateau from which vantage point there can be no modern distractions. No wonder the Impressionists found such inspiration here, no wonder Van Gogh went mad with the spectacle, no wonder Nostradamus could see into the future.
Actually these days Nostradamus is remembered not so much for his prophesies as for his recipes. In France anyway. From the heart of his alchemy he devised processes for replacing liquid with sugar in fruit, creating spectacular confiture, marzipan and nougat. What a genius! He paid for his wizardry by being expelled from university, but Provence has collected the royalties on his cookbook (Traité des fardements et confitures) these past few hundred years, and everyone claims to make their jellies and sweets from his original recipes.
Perfection is a beautiful thing, which on the one hand can require bureaucratic manicuring (regulations on becoming part of a medieval village in Provence can be as complicated as the etiquette of playing petanque) but can also happen perfectly naturally. One evening we rode to a spectacular field of red poppies to capture the vibrant silhouette of the setting sun when Sean was disturbed by a man from the local farm. Thinking he was upset about our presence, Sean spoke with his eyes and hands about the beauty of the moment. Without a word the man disappeared, then came back a few moments later extending his cupped hands, full of big luscious strawberries. Then he disappeared again, just like magic.
To visit Provence is to be invited for a picnic on Claude Monet’s bridge. Make sure you take the scenic route to get there, so you catch the best at the local markets and the early rising nougat makers, just as they stir the honey into the almonds. The smell will take you to heaven, where you will find an old wizard working on a new book, this time with copyright, and called Nostradelicious.
TheFitzyreport 
how wonderful to wake up in early am moment to hear you sharing your stories of France with Rod & his music! On nougat, flowers, food in markets brought back pictures of previous visit, heritage buildings, beautiful private gardens… wonderful! Glad I woke up! Any time you are back in Adelaide wld love you to speak at Rotary Club of Adelaide & National Trust / Aust Garden History/ Adelaide Botanic Gardens; people wld love to hear your stories & yr partners photos…. Just fabulous description! Thank you, Di in Adelaide!!
Thank you Di, it would be my pleasure. Sharing stories is so heartwarming, and I look forward to hearing yours in Adelaide whenever that can happen. Also glad you woke up early – as I did here, racing to get to the ripened figs before the birds, and then to the Saturday markets. Those incredibly luscious green gage plums that this region is famous for were still in abundance, so I am sending you some now to taste…
Thanks for a beautiful snapshot of Provence and lovely photos
Thanks Amanda – lovely to hear from you. I’m just deciding which goat’s cheese farms to visit for my next story & found one that also makes ice cream. Hmmmmm….!
Yummm
Much the same as your strawberry experience, we were on a 10 day hike in Provence, and walked off with too many beautiful cherries. No payment would be accepted.
Ah Wilma, what a great memory – such generosity from strangers. And aren’t those trees laden with cherries an amazing sight…?
Yes, the cherryvtrees, lavender fields and millions of poppies will be in my mind forever.
love getting your great travel stories in my Inbox. Provence sounds so amazing. Love the pics. Thanks again.
Bernadette Cook 🙏☀️🌸
Lovely to hear from you Bernadette. Yes, Provence is certainly amazing, it is an absolute joy to be here & I’m glad to be able to share the stories. We are off to the local wine coop in the morning as they have just started picking grapes for the current vintage. They said to come any time from 3am….!