a Curious Canadian in Provence : photography, art & renovation!
Menton is a colourful town on the French Riviera, very close to the Italian border. This town has been under the rule of Genoa, Sardinia, Monaco and finally France since 1861 (except the blip that was the Italian occupation of the area during WWII). Menton enjoys a special microclimate compared to the rest of the Côte d’Azur that is particularly favourable to citrus fruits. The lemon is the symbol of Menton and it’s said that the lemons here are so delicious that they can be eaten raw!
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Sanary sur Mer is a colourful town on the mediterranean coast, 35 minutes east of it’s more famous neighbour Cassis. We recently visited this region and here’s some tips for visiting Sanary sur Mer in 72 hours, or whatever time frame you like! We also explored the smaller villages inland, as well as an island just off the coast.
Originally a fishing village, Sanary sur Mer is full of charm. Colourful traditional fishing boats line the harbour and boutiques populate the winding streets. This town has a less-touristy feel than Cassis. It can brag that it’s one of the sunniest places in France though the Mistral wind is often here was well.
…Last month I was invited to attend a day out that was held by the LuberonCoeurduProvence Tourism office. The day was a discovery of well known as well as lesser-known gems of the Luberon. Although the schedule was a secret (I’m not keen on surprises!) I accepted and so glad that I did. If you’re curious, scroll on to see the places we explored.
Our first stop was in Mérindol, a village right on the eastern edge of the Luberon. It’s a village that I have to admit I’ve often passed but never stopped. Although, I had read about it’s history…
…Recently, we spent a long weekend in a stunning village house in Bonnieux. Maison Vue Provence is owned by an Australian couple, Jenny and Jonathan. Fellow foodies and curious travellers, the first thing that I noticed when we walked into their house was the astoundingly gorgeous view that you can glimpse as soon as you walk in and secondly was the piles and piles of books. I thought I was in Luberon heaven!
In addition to the many mysterious aperitifs we have in Provence such as Rinquinquin, Pastis and Vin de Noix (walnut wine), we also have a mysterious elixer or digestif. Frigolet is the Provençal answer to the more famous Chartreuse, a liqueur invented by Carthusian monks three hundred years ago. Frigolet is a secret recipe, as is Chartreuse which is only known by two monks at any time. Despite the secret recipe, we learned a lot about this delicious elixir when we visited the Frigolet liqueur distillery.
The Marché Flottant, or floating market, is an annual market in Isle sur la Sorgue. It’s every first Sunday of August. Locals in traditional dress load up their “Nègo Chin” (traditional Provençal boats) with olives, lavender, truffle products and all sorts of provençal specialties. You can stand on the side of the river or docks and buy directly from the boats. The small floating market is visually stunning; it transports you to another time. See pictures below.
…Recently, I spent a day out in Sete with Nancy McGee of Absolutely Southern France. She was excited to show me around her adopted home and I, ever curious, was happy to come along a day with her. We actually found that that we have common very close family friends, but that’s another story!
Lous XIV chose Sète as the place that the Canal du Midi would join the Mediterranean. In addition to the important port, Sète is also known for the jousting tournament that takes place every July since 1666. The town has always piqued my interest because of this special tournament.
I’ve been to about six local cooking classes offered by cooking schools in the Luberon, Alpilles and the Languedoc. I have to say, Le Pistou Cooking School, owned by Petra, is one of my favourite cookery schools in Uzès.
Petra’s kitchen is located down a little road in the centre of the medieval streets of Uzès, which is in Occitanie, just west of Provence. Uzès is a great stop if you’re visiting the amazing Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct or pottery town of Saint Quentin la Poterie. As cooking classes are held in the mornings, you can visit these places after lunch… that’s if you aren’t too in need of a sieste after all that delicious food and wine…
Petra is an experienced chef informed by her experiences living all around the world including Nairobi, the Netherlands, Ireland and France. That’s quite the mix! A woman of many talents, she has re-invented herself numerous times. After running gourmet retreats in the B&B that she renovated herself in Narbonne, she has now moved to Uzès where she specialises in cooking classes.
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Evening at Fort Buoux.
Fort Buoux, in the Luberon, is an ancient site that is definitely worth a visit. Close to Bonnieux and lesser known than some of the main attractions of the Luberon, you’ll find yourself on a winding road, at this time of year in the fog, that feels a little like the middle of nowhere. But this site was inhabited by pre-neathderthals, then Celtic peoples and the the persecuted Vaudois from Piemonte. The site hasn’t been inhabited for about 300 years. The layers of history are fascinating even though all you can see now are remnants.
Located in the Aiguebrun valley, the fortress remains were built in the early middle ages on top of a Ligurian-Celtic oppidum (fortified Iron Age settlement). You’ll find the ruins on top of a plateau high in the Luberon mountains about 10km south of Apt. Follow the signs for Fort Buoux that will take you to a parking lot, and from there it’s a 15 minute walk to the house where you can buy a ticket.
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A couple months ago we were invited on a hot air balloon ride with AeroProvence. I think Tom, the owner, felt obligated with my enthusiastic likes and comments on all his Instagram posts of fields and fields of lavender. His little hot air balloon business has become quite well known now from all of his Instagram posts, he told me he’s had to get an instagram manager now so they can manage his account whilst he takes people on trips. That’s the thing about social media, it can transform businesses by giving them so many more clients. This just proves that social media marketing can work for any business. If you’re dreaming of being as busy with your business as Tom is, it might be worth creating an Instagram account for your business. When creating an Instagram account, it’s important to grow your followers. This is often one of the most difficult parts, which is why so many other businesses look for the best instagram growth service to help them start building an online presence. With a growing audience, more people should be able to find your page and view your products. Maybe your business will need an Instagram manager soon after. For Tom, it’s fair to say that social media marketing has changed his business for the better.
Due to how much I commented on his posts, he invited us for a hot air balloon ride. We slept for about 3 hours after a crazy week before driving the 1.5 hours to our liftoff spot. We arrived, amazingly early, and ate croissants in the car in the pitch black parking lot while watching the others arrive, equally a little confused in the darkness.
The experience is only possible if you leave very early in the morning. This is to take advantage of the best meteorological conditions. I can say it doesn’t hurt either that as soon as you’re in the sky you’re treated to the sunrise from behind the mountains. If you are interested in taking balloon rides, you might be interested in trying something like Napa Valley Balloons as the ultimate day out.
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