I offer my thoughts about taking the kids to the Luberon area of Provence, where we have many years of vacation-with-kids experience, but I do so with the caveat that what worked for us—a family of three with many child guests–may not match the temperament and spirit of your family. Chart your own course—and let us know about your adventures. It’s nearing that time of year again: the annual family vacation. For us, summers have long been associated with packing up the family and heading to Provence. This summer, however, will herald a change in this long tradition of annual family vacations. Years of cramming…

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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 Lubéron might have a few thieves in the mix was, well, inconceivable. Preposterous. And I understand why. How do you reconcile two such…

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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 the world–tourists who simply want to see this lovely castle as well as young artists, writers, and researchers who are invited…

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What is the Lubéron? It is a range of mountains called the Grand and the Petit Luberon divided by a valley called the Combe de Lourmarin; a regional park called Parc naturel régional du Luberon; a cultural region that has long drawn an eclectic mix of writers, hikers, and well-heeled Parisians; and, as of 1988, an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC), meaning its wines achieved a high enough level of quality to merit their inclusion in the government system that protects the integrity of French wine by governing its production and origin, among other factors. With so many reasons to visit Provence’s Lubéron, it’s hard to…

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It is 12 degrees outside as I write this post. The wind is howling and the ground is covered with several inches of snow. Portsmouth, New Hampshire is not in the Alps, the place from which this Swiss dish hails, but the blustery weather makes me long for a roaring fire and one of Switzerland’s storied and traditional meals. Hint: it has a French name. Not fondue…the other Swiss meal with the French name—raclette. In the United States, nearly everyone is familiar with cheese fondue, but very few people know about raclette. And yet, it is said to be more popular in its native country…

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In: Culture, Food, Restaurants

It doesn’t matter where you were when 2012 rolled into 2013 or how you welcomed the New Year–quietly or with great fanfare—if you are lucky enough to be alive as another year begins, embrace it. It is a gift. I prefer a quiet New Year’s Eve. Even a little solitude. It gives me a chance to reflect on the past year and plan for another. What worked well? What do I wish I had done differently? How shall I approach the New Year to make the most of it? Inevitably, I put pen to paper and record my New Year’s resolutions, thereby breathing life into…

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Family and friends be forewarned: I am planning a big rendezvous in Provence Fall, for me, always marks the beginning of a new year in an evocative way that January never has.  I suppose I never outgrew that heady feeling I got as I set my binders, lined paper, and new pens and pencils next to the door and eagerly anticipated the first day of school.  In college, the stack got taller with all the new books for classes, instilling an even greater sense of possibility.  (Maybe that’s the reason I kept on going, completed the doctoral degree, and became a university professor although being…

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If you have not yet received your invitation to the wedding of the year—Brad and Angelina, of course, who are rumored to be tying the knot in their French country home, Château Miraval, near Brignoles—and you still plan to be in Provence in September, drop by Jacqueline Bricard’s La Galerie d’Art Naïf  in Lourmarin.  On September 22—this date is for sure—Madame Bricard will open her gallery and welcome naïf painter Alain Donnat and photographer Yann Werdefroy who have teamed up to produce some of the most original artwork to be seen in some time.    George Clooney won’t be there and Madame Bricard will not…

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A glass of Pastis next to a scoring tool for pétanque We played pétanque, drank pastis, and spoke a little French last weekend. The only sign that we were in Portsmouth, New Hampshire was the Norwegian Maple tree—a poor substitute for the stately Plane tree that is rarely far from any game of pétanque in Provence—but, it didn’t matter. Palm trees could have framed the terrain where the games took place. All eyes were on the players and their boules….well, unless they were on the pastis. C’etait formidable! Portsmouth, New Hampshire I have watched the game for many years in France, but I’ve never had 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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In: Lavender, Places