5 years of French Essence… Do you know what that means?   It means nearly 1000 posts… how could I ever say that much! And we chat… nearly 40,000 comments…   That’s not counting our conversations by email… or Facebook… or Twitter… and now, Instagram Did I mention that I adore our discussions… especially our … Continued

I can’t believe French Essence is five years old? To celebrate I am giving away a week’s stay at Le Petit Bijou in St Remy de Provence, southern France.   This village house has been a labour of love over the last few years and if you are regular readers of French Essence, you will … Continued

Crumbling and chaotic, mayhem and madness, destruction and despair….these are only some of the words that sprang swiftly to mind when I drove past this Provencal wreck a few weeks ago.The French farmhouse, the stuff that dreams are made of…mine in particular…sitting there in the wilderness begging for someone to love her and resuscitate her … Continued

Do you ever have one of those light bulb moments? When something so obvious, something that every body else has understood aeons before… becomes clear. As I was preparing our guest room the other day… filling it with flowers… hydrangeas from the garden… at that perfect stage… when the colours are mottled,  sepia-like and turning… … Continued

Upstairs, on the landing at Le Petit Bijou is an old commode… to the right is a smaller bedroom with a terrace overlooking the historical centre of Saint Rémy de Provence. To the left is the main bedroom with the same pretty views overlooking the Musée des Alpilles and the Hotel de Sade… The second bedroom… … Continued

Le Petit Bijou, our village house is up and running… The planning and restoration have taken some time… finally, the doors have opened and we have welcomed some wonderful guests already. I have loved every moment of this project… and although one part of me is sad that the building work is over… I am … Continued

It’s years since I had my first garlic crush… and I don’t mean the little gadget that squeezes out all that delicious goodness… I mean a crush on fresh garlic… the violet and grey bulbs that are stacked in every Provencal village market and vegetable shop at this time of year… Fresh garlic bunches  are … Continued

Saturday morning on our way to Arles… it’s market day… I had to stop…   Like the lavender, sunflowers are a given in Provence… And yet… How could I ignore their sweet faces… Their smiles, their worship of the sun… They caught my attention… xv  

Nothing is ever half way done in Provence… Especially the weather… Freezing cold… Boiling hot… And the storms… Last night we had thunder and lightning that would waken Rip Van Winkle from his deepest sleep. Mad dashes outside at 2 in the morning to rescue cushions… impossible to sleep with the light and sound show … Continued

Have I mentioned La Chassagnette to you? There are so many reasons why La Chassagnette is one of my favourite places to have lunch in Provence…   Super relaxed… Located on the edge of the Camargue… All organic… Fabulous outdoor decor… Pretty gardens and a totally inspiring potager… And then there is the menu… I … Continued