Category Archives: travel
(Inter)National Gravy Day
Babe stole the show – again! In a crowded field of festive co-stars, the rabbits, geese, lambs and goats were upstaged even before the main event. Rehearsals for the Christmas crèche vivante were cast aside, as angelic poses gave way … Continue reading
Les 13 Desserts
Tasting no less than 13 special desserts on Christmas eve to ensure good luck for the new year is my kind of pressure. Having been introduced to this ritual by a sweet-toothed Provence-residing Swede, I immediately imagined French favourites jostling … Continue reading
Cheeky little Saints
The French Revolution set in motion a lot more than a few heads. When the ancien régime was abolished, the turbulence of the new order saw churches closed and the Christmas crib become nativity non-grata. So the religious and resourceful … Continue reading
First Impressions
Aix-en-Provence is a place made famous by friendship. And not just once. The first time was when two young boys were challenged by a bully in the schoolyard. The bigger boy defended the smaller, who the next day bought a … Continue reading
Water to wine
Provence is a wash out! Eau, oh, and more eau. The vineyards have become waterways. The river rose and the markets stood down. The weekend quince festival became a squelchfest. The Mysteries of Mycology workshop did not so much reveal … Continue reading
Le Fascinant Week-end
The deer that play hide and seek in the surrounding vineyards always win. Their enviable agility bounces them out of frame just as I focus in, the only proof of sighting being the footprints they leave behind. But this weekend, … Continue reading
A cordial syrup for Posterity
Cordial is cool in French cafes. The more flavours you have the greater your cafe cred, and the more fun you can have with cocktails. A beer with grenadine will become a ‘tango’ because that’s what you’ll feel like doing, … Continue reading
The fête of farmers
No wonder the spirit of resistance is forever linked to France. At the Fête de l’agriculture Paysanne this weekend the verve of underground activity was alive and well, manifesting in much more than the delicious produce ‘peasant’ farmers were united … Continue reading
Sunday in the sun
Troglodytes and a holy trinity of visions may translate to extraordinary hotel tariffs, but nothing, it seems, is ordinary in Cotignac. This medieval town, voted one of the prettiest in France, boasts picturesque cobblestone paths climbing to cliff-face fortifications, fabulous … Continue reading
To market, to market…
Small village, big heart. It’s been beating for 4,500 years, welcoming galant knights and devout pilgrims with hospitality that anticipated the ages. The surviving chapels and medieval wash rooms bear witness to their passing, a situation these souls must eternally … Continue reading
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