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PROVENCE: GEOGRAPHY MATTERS
“Provence” has more efficacy as a "brand" than as a place. One rarely if ever hears any residents of the Vaucluse say that they live in "Provence." The word is heard frequently in its adjectival form: provençal.
As geography, the term "Provence" suffers abuse. The French consider contemporary 'Provence' to take in three administrative department:
- Vaucluse
- Bouches-du-Rhône
- Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Confusion pops up due to the administrative region PACA: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
When "Provence" is employed for the department of the Var (Toulon, St, Tropez) or the department of the Alpes-Maritime (Côte d'Azur) or even the five departments of the Languedoc-Roussillon, it is the "brand" asserting itself.
This is a regional distinction that Peter Mayle buys into 100% in his book Provence A-Z. In fact, if Mayle had been 'geographically-correct,' his iconic best seller would have been titled "A Year in the Luberon."
The Luberon and the Comtat Venaissin, referred to as the “Comtat,” are the two large regions within the Vaulcuse,
Author Archives: BB Kuett
A HIVE SHOWS OFF ITS HONEY: THE STUDENTS’ SUMMER ART SHOW AT SCAD LACOSTE
To your average visitor, Lacoste appears from afar as a tightly-bunched cluster of biscuit-colored stone structures on a steep hillside whereas viewed from ground level it is an anally precise stacking of stone upon stone on four narrow stone-paved streets … Continue reading
THE LACOSTE CHATEAU OF PIERRE CARDIN: A PEEK INSIDE THE FORMER LAIR OF THE MARQUIS DE SADE
A pasha of fashion, Pierre Cardin has taken up renaissance-pomo things like buying decrepit Châteaux and renovating them, the primary object of this particular enterprise is the Château Lacoste, once the lair of the Marquis de Sade. In 1772, M … Continue reading
ST REMY DE PROVENCE: CHATEAU DE ROUSSAN INVITES NATURE INSIDE ITS ANCIENT WALLS WITH THE POETIC WORKS OF FRANCOISE VERGIER
Entering the Château de Roussan through an alley of soaring plane trees, the austere edifice of this historical monument, which dates to the last half of the 16th century, is in full view. Captain Bertrand de Nostredame, the brother of Nostradamus, … Continue reading
PROVENCE SUMMER PAIRINGS: STUFFED SMALL MARSEILLE PEPPERS WITH A FRUIT-INTENSE RED — AN AMIDYVES FROM OLIVIER B.
Stuffed small green peppers — Petit Marseillais are a Provencal delicacy. From three to four inches in length — Petit Marseillais are found at the stands at farmers’ markets in Provence during the summer. If you rent a gite in … Continue reading
AVIGNON: CY TWOMBLY AND INVITED ARTISTS AT THE COLLECTION LAMBERT, A STUNNING PANORAMA OF 20TH CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHY
Good news. Now that the Avignon Festival has wound up, you can find a parking space in Avignon. More good news. The fabulous survey of 20th century photograghs: “Le Temps Retrouvé, Cy Twombly Photographs and Invited Artists,” runs until October … Continue reading
PROVENCE SUMMER PAIRINGS: A DAUBE PROVENCAL WITH AN AOC VENTOUX SAINT JEAN DU BARROUX BY PHILIPPE GIMEL
A Daube is a slow-cooked red meat stew which calls for marinating the meat, usually beef, for eight hours. Cooked in a “daubière,” this typical Provencal dish is served with pasta and grated cheese along with a sauce made from … Continue reading
Provence Summer Pairing: Simple is As Simple Can – Tomato Tart with a Vacqueryas Rosé
There is pleasure in the predicable: visiting a castle in Ireland a pig scampers across the hallway; sipping bitter served lukewarm at a London pub, or relaxing in Provence at “l’heure d’apéro,” the late afternoon early evening tradition of taking … Continue reading
ART AS EXTREME BEAUTY: THE OUTRAGEOUSLY FEMININE MARBLE SCULPTURES OF BARBARA SEGAL AT THE DOMAINE DALMERAN IN PROVENCE
Art as “extreme beauty” in all its acute details is the theme evoked by the translucent marble sculptures of lingerie and dresses by Barbara Segal whose sumptuous creations marry her mesmerizing childhood memories of elegant tissues and garments with a … Continue reading
PROVENCE SUMMER PAIRINGS: “LA SOUPE AU PISTOU” AND A FRUITY AOC VENTOUX RED FROM THE CHATEAU UNANG OF JAMES KING
Everyone in Provence has his or her own recipe for the classic Provençal vegetable soup, “La soupe au pistou,” made from a market-fresh assortment of beans, eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes and onions along with a small amount of macaroni or … Continue reading
PROVENCE ARCHITECTURE: THE TRADITION OF “PIERRE SECHE” AND “LA LAUZE”
In the Luberon and the Ventoux, farmhouses, animal shelters, walls, bridges and other structures display the ancient tradition of “pierre sèche” or dry-stone – the construction by careful stacking of stones without any adhesive or binding. Practiced worldwide, dry-stone building … Continue reading