Anna Dusseau | 8th May 2020
“Provence is a country to which I am always returning, next week, next year, any day now, as soon as I can get on a train.”
Ah lala! La Provence! Sun baked region of l’or bleu (‘blue gold’ aka. lavendar..yes, I know, it’s clearly purple-ish), ground almond Calissons, bouillabaisse and – why is this last? – Pastis. The first time we visited my husband’s region, we ended up in Marseille and I insisted on visiting the dockside cafe where Love Actually was filmed. Bar de la Marine. We drank Get 27 and eyed the peanuts suspiciously over a shared Marlborough. We were over a decade younger back then. But we have been back since, many times; most recently last summer. Because the kids love it. It is half of who they are.
Provence is a way of life and has its own micro-culture within France itself. From sipping hot chocolate in the university town of Aix-en-Provence (birthplace of the French painter Cezanne) to cooling your feet in the crystal waters of Les Calanques de Marseille, you will not come away disappointed. For worldschooling families, this is a region steeped in history and offers a range of lesser-known opportunities for the curious traveller. Register with a company and come lavender picking at harvest time, or visit one of the many locations of ancient Roman ruins such as Nîmes (known to the Romans as ‘Nemausus’) or Pont du Gard. And I haven’t even started on the food! Did I mention Pastis? Well that’s okay then. Bon voyage et a bient-oh, wait, no. Errr..maybe next year?
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