Articles by Susan Manfull

May 14, 2012 9

GORDES MARKET: I DIDN’T WANT TO LIKE IT…BUT I DID

Gordes, the village, has never been one of my favorite places. Just a little too trendy for my tastes. From a distance, it is a picturesque hilltop village. It is a simply stunning sight as the sun sets and a golden hue is cast on the ancient stone dwellings that climb the hill. (As you approach the village on D15, pull over and get your camera out—it is a picture perfect shot of Provence.) So quintessential, it beckons you to... [...]
May 7, 2012 20

20 FAVORITE RESTAURANTS IN AND AROUND LOURMARIN

While we are in Provence, we spend a lot of time around the table, thoroughly enjoying the food before us. Most of the time that table is our own (although we are also fortunate to often find ourselves around the table in Pierre and Muriel’s home!). Readers of The Modern Trobadors know that we love to go to local markets and fill our baskets with goodies to take back to our own kitchen to cook. But, we also love to eat... [...]
April 30, 2012 5

MAY DAY IN FRANCE: PARADES, DEMONSTRATIONS, AND LILY OF THE VALLEY MARK THIS PUBLIC HOLIDAY

May 1st is La Fête du Travail in France. As in many other countries, it is “the worker’s holiday.” It is a very important day, a public holiday in which public offices, post offices, banks, and many private businesses are closed and some public transportation schedules may follow a holiday schedule. Parades and demonstrations to champion workers’ rights typically cause congestion and delays in traffic in metropolitan... [...]
April 21, 2012 18

THE FRENCH LAUNDRY THAT HANGS IN LOURMARIN

French laundry conjures up all sorts of images. For my friend and fellow-blogger, David Scott Allen, visions of delectable meals from Thomas Keller’s famous restaurant surface…things like Creamy Maine Lobster Broth and English Pea Soup with White Truffle Oil and Parmesan Crisps.

For my friend, Betsy Tabor with whom I have been exchanging gifts, poems, and postcards about laundry for years now —both French and American and, come to think of it, Burkina Fasoian, too—I thought she would say it’s about that crisp fresh smell that emanates from clothes left to dry outdoors. However, when I called to inquire what images popped into her mind when thinking of... [...]
April 10, 2012 7

PAQUES EN PROVENCE: CHOCOLATE FISH, FLYING CHURCH BELLS, BULLFIGHTS, LAMB, AND OMELETS

In our favorite village of Lourmarin, we checked in with friends to see how the celebration of Easter was taking form there. In the predominantly Roman Catholic country of France where there is a church or two in every village, it’s not surprising that Easter is a joyous occasion. Although in Lourmarin, as in other Provençal villages, the celebration is low-key in comparison to other areas of France, most notably the Alsace... [...]
April 1, 2012 11

EASTER IN PROVENCE MARKS THE START OF BULLFIGHTING

La Feria Corridas—the bullfighting festival—is so firmly ingrained in the Easter traditions of the Camarague area that, in this south western area of Provence, “Feria,” which means “festival,” seems to be synonymous, this time of year, with both Easter and bullfighting. In the main bullfighting arenas—Arles and Nîmes—as well as in the many small towns that set up temporary arenas, Easter weekend marks the start of bullfighting... [...]
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