MacaRONS versus MacaROONS First, let’s establish that I am referring the famous Parisian macaron that, in recent years, has become trendy on this side of the big pond: the colorful meringue-based cookie that forms a sandwich around ganache, buttercream, or jam filling. The other cookie, the macaroon, is an American creation: the dense, thick single cookie made with coconut. Macaroons are delicious but they are no macarons. There is some confusion here because the English translation of “macaron” is “macaroon.” Most French words that end in “-on” become “-oon” in the English language. Think balloon (French: ballon) and festoon (French: feston). By the 1500s, the…

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At the height of lavender season in Provence—the largest lavender- producing region in the world—the industry is worried. The iconic flower is in trouble and the culprit is the cicadelle, a tiny insect with a voracious appetite. Production has plummeted in the last decade, dropping to as little as one third of what it was in 2000. Although lavender grows wild in many areas of the world and is cultivated in many countries (notably England, Spain, Bulgaria and the three west coast states of the United States), French lavender is considered to be the finest. Provence sets the standard—its lavandula angustifolia (synonym, Lavandula officinalis and…

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Serendipity, according to the Oxford Dictionary on my iPhone, refers to “the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.”   The French don’t have a direct translation; but “un heureux hazard nous a réunis” or “a happy chance has brought us together” works just fine. It was pure serendipity—un heureux hasard—that landed us in Mille-feuille, a bakery in New York’s Greenwich Village, last Sunday morning.  We were early for a rendezvous with our daughter and decided to have a couple of lattes with our New York Times.  It was already very hot and, as we walked toward an espresso…

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Lunch at Le Chateau in Sormiou When the summer temperatures begin to rise in Provence, one of our favorite destinations for lunch is Le Château, perfectly placed atop Sormiou, one of the region’s best known calanques. Located just 15 minutes from the Old Port in Marseille, you will find dramatic views of aqua-colored water dotted with sail boats next to towering white cliffs as well as cool breezes and terrific food. It is just an hour and a half from our beloved Lourmarin, so it can be a quick jaunt or the focal point of a wonderful day trip.  Calanque de Sormiou Calanque means “inlet”…

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Entrance to Carrières de Lumières  © Culturespaces The Carrières du Val d’Enfer–the quarries in the Valley of Hell–have provided limestone for over 2000 years. The Romans exploited the quarries for material to rebuild the nearby Celto-Liguirian town of Glanum back in 200 BC and later to create the Roman city of Arles. In the 11th century, the notorious Lords of les Baux built their formidable chateau out of limestone from these neighboring quarries. (Now referred to as the Chateau des Baux, it is a “must see” on our list of tourist destinations in Provence.) The quarries continued to provide limestone until they were closed in 1935.…

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If you love markets, now there is one more reason to love Tuesdays in the Luberon. I have already written about Tuesday markets in Aix-en-Provence, Cucuron, and Gordes and haven’t even had the chance to cover two other favorite markets that take place on Tuesdays in Tour d’Aigues and Vaison-la-Romaine. And now, I just found out about another Tuesday market—at least this new addition won’t put pressure on the vacationer to decide which one to visit! The latest addition to the Tuesday line up is an evening market: On May 1, Lourmarin inaugurated an evening farmers’ market. My mouth waters when I picture the beautiful…

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Gordes, the village, has never been one of my favorite places. Just a little too trendy for my tastes. From a distance, it is a picturesque hilltop village. It is a simply stunning sight as the sun sets and a golden hue is cast on the ancient stone dwellings that climb the hill. (As you approach the village on D15, pull over and get your camera out—it is a picture perfect shot of Provence.) So quintessential, it beckons you to visit. My visits, however, have always been disappointing. Even though it is listed as “One of the Most Beautiful Villages of Provence,” Gordes has always…

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While we are in Provence, we spend a lot of time around the table, thoroughly enjoying the food before us. Most of the time that table is our own (although we are also fortunate to often find ourselves around the table in Pierre and Muriel’s home!). Readers of The Modern Trobadors know that we love to go to local markets and fill our baskets with goodies to take back to our own kitchen to cook. But, we also love to eat out. Several people with whom I correspond are each planning a trip to Lourmarin in the very near future—Kirsten in California and Sharon in…

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This post coincides with David Scott Allen’s current Cocoa & Lavender post entitled “The Other French Laundry” French laundry conjures up all sorts of images. For my friend and fellow-blogger, David Scott Allen, visions of delectable meals from Thomas Keller’s famous restaurant surface…things like Creamy Maine Lobster Broth and English Pea Soup with White Truffle Oil and Parmesan Crisps. For my friend, Betsy Tabor with whom I have been exchanging gifts, poems, and postcards about laundry for years now —both French and American and, come to think of it, Burkina Fasoian, too—I thought she would say it’s about that crisp fresh smell that emanates from clothes left…

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Lavender is a magnet for tourists to Provence. Our post, “Lavender: A Flower Rooted in Sun-Drenched Provence,” remains our most read article and questions about lavender season dominate our inquiries. That a factory tour in sunny Provence is a popular tourist destination may not be such a surprise, then, when the company is L’Occitane, manufacturer of lavender-infused lotions, soaps, bath and shower gels, essential oils and much, much more. L’Occitane–pronounced “lox-ee-tan”—stores have popped up all over the States and around the world in recent years. Surely you know the ochre-colored boutiques with the peculiar word inscribed across the top. L’Occitane boutiques in Annapolis, Maryland and…

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