provence wildlife Archives - Curious Provence

Flamingoes in the Camargue, Provence

March 23, 2018 by ashleyt 2 Comments

Look at these lovelies.

Flamingoes in Provence

Did you know that we have a lot of flamingoes in Provence? It’s not something that one would associate with the place of hilltop towns, olives, almonds, sunflowers, and lavender but that is my favourite thing about this region- it’s diversity.

From our location in Provence, close to St Remy, we can drive an hour in any direction and reach the sea, mountains, or lakes. Or, in this case, the salty marshlands of the Camargue known for their bulls, horseback riding prowess, and diverse bird wildlife.

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Wild Orchids in Provence

April 10, 2015 by ashleyt Leave a Comment

La Barlie de Robert

At this time of year in Provence, along the roadsides and dotting abandoned orchards, are wild orchids. The last thing I expected whilst foraging in early spring was to find myself hopping and gyrating in an effort not to trod on the abundance of flowers sprouting above the grass. Last year, after witnessing the relay of different varieties turn up in between the weeds; I can say that wild orchids are quite common in Provence.
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Foraging Wild Asparagus in Provence

April 5, 2015 by ashleyt 13 Comments

Foraging for wild asparagus has become one of my favourite springtime activities.

The first time I learned of wild asparagus was one morning during my first year in Provence when I noticed a couple women on the roadside slyly carrying small green bundles. They were peering into the tangle of weeds in the nearby ditch. I knew instantly that there was something I was missing out on.

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