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...

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...

THERE’S MORE THAN ONE D-DAY

Posted on June 7, 2014December 30, 2015 by Susan Manfull

June 6th marked the 70th anniversary of the Allied landing on the beaches of Normandy. I got a message early in the morning from good friend and retired Marine Bob Finneran, reminding me what day it was. But, I didn’t need reminding. I, like many people of a certain age, tuned into the live broadcast of the international ceremony marking this occasion from Ouistreham beach—code named Sword beach—in Normandy. I watched the heads of state of the world's most prominent countries as they arrived an...

LOOKING FOR LAVENDER IN THE LUBERON

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

The Luberon’s lavender season usually begins around the end of June and extends into August when harvesting begins. I’ll be in Provence this year to see those gorgeous swaths of solid purple gracing the hillsides of my favorite region of France. I am excited! Lavender field outside of Sault. Photo by W.T. Manfull Many images come to mind when one mentions “Provence.” Rosé, bouillabaisse, truffles, sunflowers, colorful fabrics, hilltop villages, and the Côte d’Azur,...

BOUILLABAISSE, ROSÉ, AND RECIPES FOR THE ART OF LIVING IN PROVENCE

Posted on May 24, 2014December 30, 2015 by Susan Manfull

Today's post is coordinated with my friend David's current Cocoa & Lavender post. David and I each chose a recipe from Provence Food and Wine: The Art of Living, a new cookbook by François Millo and Viktorija Todorovska. I went with the main meal and David went with dessert, a Tarte au Citron. "Bouillabaisse is a party," said Viktorija Todorovska*. "It creates a party." Yes it does! This luscious "fish stew" may have come from humble origins--it was a "plat des pauvres," said François Mi...

OUR FORAY INTO PROVENCE REAL ESTATE CONTINUES WITH A SHEEPFOLD, A PARKING SPACE, A COURTYARD, AND A CAVE

Posted on May 18, 2014December 30, 2015 by Susan Manfull

This is the second in a series of posts about buying, renting, and selling our property in Provence. Please note that, our homes, christened La Bonbonnière and L’Oustaloun, were purchased by a lovely family who continues to rent them both—for more information about these vacation homes as well as others, visit www.RentOurHomeInProvence.com It was beginning to feel like Monopoly—do we buy Park Place so we can build on Boardwalk? I hoped one of us had a “GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD” card. ...

FALLING IN LOVE WITH A VILLAGE IN PROVENCE AND TAKING THE LEAP TO BUY A HOME

Posted on May 4, 2014November 27, 2015 by Susan Manfull

This is the first in a series of posts about buying, renting, and selling our property in Provence. It is an abbreviated version—really, Mom, it is—and a few of the names were changed. (If you want to hear the long version, you’ll have to invest in a gastronomic dinner and some very nice wine.) Please note that, our homes, christened La Bonbonnière and L’Oustaloun, were purchased by a lovely family who continues to rent them both—for more information about these vacation homes as well as ot...