WHILE WAITING FOR PROVENCE’S LAVENDER SEASON, ENJOY THOSE GORGEOUS POPPIES!

Posted on April 29, 2013January 23, 2016 by Susan Manfull

Lavender and Provence are inextricably tied together in the minds of almost everyone who yearns to visit—and revisit--Provence. What comes to your mind when you think of Provence? Someday I will survey people about the images “Provence” conjures up. But, in the meantime, I’ll put my euros on lavender as the first image that pops into the minds of most people. Rosé wine, pastis, truffles, bouillabaisse, markets, the slow pace of life, the mistral, and Cézanne—all certainly con...

LE PONT JULIEN: ANOTHER ROMAN BRIDGE TO ADMIRE

Posted on April 15, 2013January 2, 2016 by Susan Manfull

The Romans left a lot behind in Provence: temples, aqueducts, baths, theaters, forums, arches, and whole cities, to mention just a few of the larger structures we find in this region. Some of the best preserved Roman architecture in the world stands in Provence. Even the ruins left standing alone in desolate fields are pretty amazing. Arles and Vaison-la-Romaine are thriving cities today, whose residents indifferently file past Roman remains that are so interesting and beautiful, the ...

SAINT RÉMY’S WEDNESDAY MARKET IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITES

Posted on March 31, 2013December 29, 2015 by Susan Manfull

This article is part of a series about our ten favorite markets in Provence. Thus far, we have written about Aix-en-Provence, Apt, Cadenet, Cucuron, Gordes, Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, and Lourmarin. When we chose our top ten markets, we considered the quality and variety of the offerings, the friendliness of the vendors, and the ambience of the venue. Practical issues (e.g., traffic and parking) were also weighed, but, in the end, it was the market itself that mattered most. Get there early and avoid t...

YES, VIRGINIA, THERE ARE THIEVES IN PROVENCE

Posted on March 24, 2013January 23, 2016 by Susan Manfull

Yesterday I gave a talk to the International Women’s Club of New England. The subject was the Lubéron—not surprising, eh?—but what was surprising was which slide generated some of the most lively conversation, especially after the talk. This is a very sophisticated group of women (and yesterday there were two men in the audience) who have traveled widely and frequently. They are a savvy bunch. Many are from European countries, including France. And, yet, the thought that a paradise such as the ...

LE CHÂTEAU DE LOURMARIN TO HOST RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL IN APRIL

Posted on March 17, 2013January 3, 2016 by Susan Manfull

As we roll in to our favorite village in Provence, I always feel good when I see Lourmarin's charming profile--the one that graces the masthead of The Modern Trobadors--and I know that when we round a few more corners, we will see its majestic château. This (mainly) Renaissance château, the first of this period in Provence, sits atop a hill, dominating the western view of the village, as it has--more or less--for at least 600 years. Today, this majestic building draws visitors from around...

30 ROSÉ WINES TO TASTE: PROVENCE COMES TO NEW YORK CITY

Posted on March 10, 2013April 22, 2017 by Susan Manfull

The growing demand for excellent rosés—and Provence’s ability to meet that demand—was unmistakably clear at “Provence in the City 2013,” a tasting of rosé wines in New York City last Tuesday. With over 30 wineries from the heart of the world’s eminent rosé region, this tasting was the largest collection of pink wine producers that the United States will see this year, according to Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de Provence (CIVP), the French group that hosted the event. Brass...

ÉDITH PIAF DIED 50 YEARS AGO BUT HER ICONIC SONGS LIVE ON

Posted on March 3, 2013January 3, 2016 by Susan Manfull

Last weekend brought another snowy Sunday to New England….and to parts of Provence. It snowed unusually hard in the Var where Trobador reader Pamela O’Neill said she had to brush off several centimeters of snow from her car. But the roads were so icy she could not go anywhere. So, what to do? If she were on this side of the Atlantic, we would have asked her to join us…. And what does a small group of Francophiles do in New Hampshire? Ah, mais bien sur, they gather ‘round the piano to listen t...

AMOUR’S JEAN-LOUIS TRINTIGNANT HAILS FROM PROVENCE… AND OTHER AMOUR TIDBITS TO DROP AT TONIGHT’S OSCAR PARTY

Posted on February 24, 2013December 21, 2015 by Susan Manfull

Amour has captured the hearts of movie-buffs, critics, and those that bestow those coveted awards every year. The Austrian film—I know, you thought it was French!—swept France’s César Awards this past Friday evening: Best Film, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. It also received the Palme d’Or award at Cannes this past spring. At tonight’s Academy Awards, this wonderful movie is in contention for five Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role...

FRENCH POSTCARDS FROM THE PAST: BEYOND PROVENCE

Posted on February 17, 2013December 29, 2015 by Susan Manfull

Part Two of Two Parts This is the second of two posts inspired by Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts exhibition entitled “The Postcard Age: Selections from the Leonard A. Lauder Collection,” on view through April 14, 2013. Showcasing around 700 postcards from Mr. Lauder’s massive collection—which he recently gifted to the MFA—it is an immensely interesting and fun exhibition. The first post, last week, entitled “Postcards from France: Provence and the Côte d’Azur,” focused on the postcard craze tha...

POSTCARDS FROM FRANCE: PROVENCE AND THE CÔTE D’AZUR

Posted on February 10, 2013January 8, 2020 by Susan Manfull

Today's Café Gaby lies where rue de Henri Savournin appears to end, on the left.

Part One of Two Parts “Postcards from France” was inspired by the current exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston entitled “The Postcard Age: Selections from the Leonard A. Lauder Collection,” featuring over 700 miniature pieces of art from his very sizable collection of postcards. Today’s post focuses on postcards of Provence and the Côte d’Azur and what I learned from the curator of this MFA exhibit about the history of postcards. Next week’s post will feature postcards f...