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 roads that traverse this area of the Vaucluse—west of Orange, between Vaison-la-Romaine to the north and Carpentras to the south—on one…

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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 loud and gives no hint that it will be stopping anytime soon. It’s…

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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 and were escorted along the red carpet to exchange greetings with President Hollande and shake hands with a small group of…

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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, for example. But none is more firmly entwined with Provence than lavender. The most famous lavender field in Provence lies in front of l’Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque, otherwise known as the…

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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 Millo**. But, today, the very word is much more likely to conjure up festivity, celebration, and fun. It certainly did for…

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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. We spent a lot of time in our courtyard.  Photo by W.T. Manfull In this case, do we buy a bergerie…

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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 others, visit www.RentOurHomeInProvence.com I had a home in Provence at the foot of the Luberon Mountains.  The mountain range…

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Enjoying an aperitif before dinner is a distinctly European tradition, especially popular in Provence and Italy (where it is called an aperitivo). Americans have been reluctant to embrace this practice, but this is changing in our country: bartenders are serving up the classic aperitifs to enthusiastic customers and stateside winemakers and distillers are producing the stuff that define these drinks, namely fortified wines and spirits imbued with herbs and botanicals. So, what is an aperitif? Literally, the word comes from the Latin aperire which means “to open.” It is served prior to a meal (usually dinner) and its role is to “open the appetite.” It…

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Look up at the sky. Ask yourself, “Has the sheep eaten the flower or not?” And you’ll see how everything changes. And no grown-up will ever understand how such a thing could be so important. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry The Little Prince   If you are a regular reader of The Modern Trobadors, I suspect that you know “the little prince.” It’s likely that you know him well. People who travel, like the little prince, open their eyes, their ears, and their hearts to the adventures the world has to offer and to the lessons introspection provides. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in Alghero, Sardinia, May 1944 Collection…

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What does a town do with a vast web of stone quarries with a “Closed” sign on every door? The folks in Les Baux-de-Provence turned theirs into the largest permanent multimedia show in France. Carrières de Lumières (formerly called Cathédral d’Images) is a smashing success. Close to 400,000 visitors attended last year’s show. For over 2000 years, the quarries in Les Baux-de-Provence were a primary source of limestone for this area. The Romans exploited the quarries for material to rebuild the nearby Celto-Liguirian town of Glanum back in 200 BC and later the Municipal Arch and the Mausoleum that still stand across from Glanum. The…

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