SLEEPY ANSOUIS: ONE OF “LES PLUS BEAUX VILLAGES DE FRANCE”

Posted on February 9, 2015November 27, 2015 by Susan Manfull

In most tourist books about Provence, rarely is more than a small paragraph devoted to the charming village of Ansouis. In some popular books—notably Rick Steves’ Provence and The French Riviera—the village is not even mentioned although, remarkably, the old standard Michelin Guide: Provence includes a full page about Ansouis.It’s no wonder this beautiful village is also referred to as “sleepy and “quiet.” (Read: surprisingly few tourists.) Selfishly, I would like to keep it that way, but having...

TO MARKET, TO MARKET… WHAT TO BUY WHEN YOU DON’T WANT TO BUY A FAT PIG?

Posted on September 20, 2014December 29, 2015 by Susan Manfull

The long lazy days of summer in this part of the world officially come to an end this weekend. Already the days are abbreviated. After all the summers I’ve visited Provence, I have never lost my amazement at how long the days linger in the months of June, July, and August and how soon night begins to fall when September arrives! By now, the last of the summer transplants has battened down the hatches of their country homes and returned north to places like Paris and Brussels. In their pla...

THE PERTUIS MARKET

Posted on August 23, 2014January 24, 2016 by Susan Manfull

Conversations in Provence inevitably turn to local markets (and food and wine, of course). Did you see the plump figs at the small stand at the far end of the bassin? Who is your favorite cheese man? Which Tuesday market do you favor? Where can I get a good head of lettuce? Which market has the best espadrilles? Where do you park at L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue?This summer, markets still dominated many of my exchanges, but a question surfaced that I had never been asked: have you ever been to the ma...

CHÂTEAU LA COSTE: THERE’S SOMETHING FOR ALL AGES

Posted on August 17, 2014December 30, 2015 by Susan Manfull

There is no shortage of places to go, people to see, or things to do in Provence, especially in August when festivals of every sort abound. But many of these events, understandably, are not geared to include children.Let’s agree that children typically sit too much nine months out of the year, generally don’t like to sit, and are better off reaping the benefits of moving about in the fresh air and sunshine, particularly on vacation. (Ahem, perhaps this rings even more true for adults.) Our da...

TWO NEW PUBLIC TOILETTES IN LOURMARIN: UN GRAND SOULAGEMENT

Posted on August 11, 2014November 27, 2015 by Susan Manfull

It’s August and, as tourist season moves into full throttle in little Lourmarin—crowds bulging at the seams by mid-morning in the Friday market and bonnes tables harder and harder to snag—it’s good to know there is relief in one area. Lourmarin has some new public bathrooms and, all snickering aside, this is un grand soulagement! (That is, a big relief!) Two free public toilets with automatic cleaning—one with handicap accessibility—opened in May. They are conveniently located near the main pa...

LOU PÉBRE D’AÏ IS A GREAT REASON TO MAKE A DETOUR TO LAURIS

Posted on August 2, 2014December 30, 2015 by Susan Manfull

Aside from watching my daughter play soccer in Lauris, I never had a reason to get out of my car in this rather drab looking town, just a few kilometers south of Lourmarin. I hasten to add that the people at the soccer field were friendly without exception and took an especially warm interest in my daughter, the sole female player on the field, but for ten years, I drove straight through their little town without so much as a stop at the Petit Casino for a liter of milk.That is, until I hear...

LA TOUR-D’AIGUES’ MARKET: A SMALL MARKET WITH A BIG BACKDROP

Posted on July 27, 2014January 23, 2016 by Susan Manfull

For a small market, La Tour-d’Aigues’ market certainly has a dramatic backdrop. Every Tuesday, the open square in front of the towering façade of the town’s 16th-century château is filled with vendors selling mostly food and practical wares. Essentially, it’s a local market—when I was last there in June, most people seemed to be filling their baskets with fresh produce and other edible goodies. It’s a lovely spot to do just that. La Tour-d’Aigues is located in the...

EYGALIÉRES IS AMONG MY TEN FAVORITE PROVENCE MARKETS

Posted on July 13, 2014December 28, 2015 by Susan Manfull

The sleepy village of Eygalières awakes with a roar on Friday mornings in the summer. Trucks, vans, station wagons, and deux-chevaux make their way into the town’s main street where the vendors hop out to unfold their tables, open their umbrellas, arrange their wares, and set up shop for about four hours, transforming Rue de la République into a vibrant market. Soon familiar scents of lavender, spices, herbs of Provence, and paella waft through the air, invitin...

SAFFRON: THE OTHER FIELD OF PURPLE IN PROVENCE

Posted on July 7, 2014November 27, 2015 by Susan Manfull

Deep in the heart of the pine, oak, and garrigue covered forests that lie between Mont Ventoux and Les Dentelles de Montmirail, grows a little over 1000 square meters of Crocus sativus. There, around 200,000 flowers are harvested every fall, from which 1000 grams of the most expensive spice in the world is produced. A tube of 0.3 grams of saffron (9 euros). Photo: Pamela J. O'Neill It was the allure of saffron that drove Pamela O’Neill and me to ascend the narrow ...

LA FÊTE DE LA MUSIQUE IN LOURMARIN

Posted on June 22, 2014November 27, 2015 by Susan Manfull

The great part of staying in a maison village--home in the village--is that you are in the thick of things. The downside is that you are in the thick of things. Such is the case for good friend Pamela and me tonight, the first day of summer, June 21. In France--and in over 100 other countries around the world--the summer solstice is celebrated with a Fête de la Musique. We can hear the music from our living room in Lourmarin, as if the band were practicing in the neighboring home. It's pretty...