Curious Provence

a Curious Canadian in Provence : photography, art & renovation!

Cooking Holiday with Cook’n with Class Uzès

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A Culinary School in Uzès

2025 update* Today, the Uzès school has closed, but its spirit lives on in Let’s Eat The World, offering chef‑led culinary holidays in Uzès and around the globe.

cooking class uzes

Recently I attended a Provençal desserts class at the Cook’n with Class Uzès school.

Cook’n with Class Uzès is a culinary school specialising in day classes of Provencal and Mediterranean cuisine. It is the sister culinary school to Cook’n with Class Paris.

Eric from cook'n with class

Chef Eric Fraudeau has 30 years experience working as a chef all over the world. He returned to the south of France with his wife Yetunde for the sun and delicious food. In these English culinary courses you’ll learn things such as fish preparation, shopping at the market, as well as learning how to make provencal desserts. You can also ask Eric if he’ll create a personalised menu if there’s a specific dish/technique you’d like to learn.

menu cook n with class Uzès

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Cyanotype Workshop at NG Art Creative Residency

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Learn How to Make a Cyanotype Image in Eygalières

Participate in an Art in Action Workshop hosted by the NG Art Creative Residency in Eygalières and led by award winning international artist Paul Davies. Davis uses a mixture of mediums and techniques in his work. During the workshop, you’ll learn about his recent work at the residency and participate in a demonstration of his photomontage process.

Paul Davis Artist

An example of Paul Davies work. See more on Paul Davies Instagram.

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Visiting the Côte d’Azur Guest Post

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When Ashley from Curious Provence asked me to write an article for her attractive and interesting blog, I jumped at the chance. She’s covered lots of aspects of the Bouches-du-Rhône and the Vaucluse, so I thought I’d pass on what makes Provence special for me. -Jane Dunning

cote d'azur

Visiting the Côte d’Azur

I’ve stayed in over twenty places in Provence, from Menton in the east to Cassis in the west and Orange in the north and, I confess, it’s my favourite region in the whole of France. It’s also the setting for my latest novel, Stolen Summer, the sequel to Thirty-five Minutes from St Tropez. Although I might not have visited some of the places in the story, researching is a feast for the eyes – all those beautiful photos on the Internet tempting me to visit or write about another new place on the coast or inland – I don’t mind which.

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Flamingoes in the Camargue, Provence

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flamingoes in provence camargue

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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Provence Vacation Photography

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Book a Professional Photo Shoot in Provence!

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Provence Vacation Photography

Vacation photography is a growing genre of photography offered by professional photographers living all over the world. Selfies are great but they don’t compare to professional photos.

I know so many couples or families that don’t have any good photos of everyone in the frame. That is where I come in…

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Things to do in Provence with Kids

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Family Friendly Activities on Vacation

It’s possible that your children might not enjoy the wonderful relaxation of sipping on rosé and people watching in a town square. I know where we live this is something the parents often do on warm summer nights while the kids run around together in the town square. Maybe a bit tricky if your children don’t speak the language…

A pool or beach generally keeps them occupied for long periods of time but if you’re looking for some activities that are more kid-specific, then here’s a selection. In addition to these, make sure to keep your eyes open for Toro Piscine signs, a kid-friendly game with young bulls that push people into a shallow pool. Local festivals will often have something for the kids such as farm animals to pet or amusement rides.

Also, there are many many places throughout Provence that provide horseback riding that cater to children. The first part of this list are places that would interest the whole family and have information in English. Further down, you’ll find amusement parks that cater to the local population where you may not necessarily find someone that speaks English. This may not be necessary- other than the one with the large labyrinth…language might be useful in case you get lost!

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A Chef’s Visit to the Côte d’Azur- guest post

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Guest Post by Chef and Cookbook Author François de Mélogue

This is what happens when a chef comes to Provence. All the wonderful ingredients that we have here, some of the best in the world, send them into rhapsodies, or at least they certainly did for Chef François de Mélogue. Read on to chuckle at his experiences with French parking in hilltop towns, discovering a pétanque festival and sourcing delicious ingredients in Nice.

Slowing down to the Provencal Rhythm

cages sur mer poster

Last August we spent a transformative week in the historic hill town of Cagnes sur Mer, widely considered the ‘Montmartre’ of the South and long favored by impressionistic painters for its alluring beauty. Within five days we went from our hurried, busy lives to a more relaxed, slowed down Provencal pace, hopelessly seduced by incredibly fresh seafood, perfect vegetables, and daily rounds of pastis and rosé.

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Gourmet Cooking Class in Provence

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I was recently invited to a full day cooking class at Jean-Marc and Alice Villard’s cooking school in their home at Maubec. #Joblove !! haha. Maubec is located in the Luberon, about 45 minutes from Avignon an hour from Aix en Provence. The class was a wonderful way to spend a day learning about food, wine, and French culture.

French Cuisine cooking school

The Chef

I have been to many cooking classes for amateurs in Provence and they’re all quite different. Jean-Marc is a professionally trained chef which greatly enriches the experience. He, impressively, taught at the Paul Bocuse Institute in Lyon (gastronomic capital of France) as a Chef Instructor. He certainly knows his stuff!

His classes focus on traditional, though light, French cuisine. His techniques and combinations are based on his classic training as well as Provencal products and cuisine. He’s a strong supporter of local products, which is something you’ll learn about in his cooking class.

Cooking class provence

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Cooking Class Aix en Provence

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Provence Gourmet

This autumn, I was lucky to be able to participate in one of Gilles Conchy’s cooking classes in Aix en Provence. Gilles leads English cooking classes in Aix en Provence, Eygalières, and Marseille. Each class focuses on Provençal cooking, with a particular regard for the different traditions of the three areas. For example, the Marseille class often focuses on the famous fish stews of Marseille.

Passionate Gilles is trained as many a French person. His mother, grandmother and the local culture, so respectful of good food, have contributed to his local expertise.

provence gourmet Gilles chef

Your host, Gilles.

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Winter Day Out in Saint Saturnin les Apt

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I love exploring Provence in the winter. It’s quiet. You can linger in the streets of small towns (like Saint Saturnin les Apt) to appreciate little details such as potted plants adorably shoved onto windowsills. Or, the particular stunning shade of peach on a weatherbeaten shutter.

Weather in Winter

People often ask me what the winter weather is like here in Provence. This year has been colder than last. We rarely get snow and when we do, it tends to last the morning. The worst is the wind. The famous Mistral wind is fierce and has been known to drive people mad with the noise it creates. It also blows for days at a time, lending itself to a certain mythological nature.

The Luberon National Park

The other day we took a drive through the Luberon. If you’re unfamiliar, the Luberon is what I always describe as France’s Tuscany. Imagine rolling hills, large stone farmhouses, perched villages and plentiful orchards of cherry, and olive trees. In summer, the region is quite busy due to Peter Mayle’s first book “A Year in Provence” and the subsequent film, A Good Year, starring Russell Crowe.

Saint Saturnin Les Apt

Saint Saturnin Les Apt is not as well known as Gordes or Menerbes. It’s a wonderful start for a winter day out. We often visit more than one village during our drives throughout the Luberon.

Saint Saturnin Les Apt is quiet and full of beautiful colours. There’s generally a café open to savour a hot chocolate after you’ve taken in the wonderful views over the upper Luberon national park.

The town was occupied throughout antiquity as a Ligurian, Celtic and then Roman site. In 1190, Saint Saturnin les Apt was the fief of the Agoult family.

saint saturnin les apt

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