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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
VIENS: CHAPELLE SAINT-FERREOL
A Norwegian nursery rhyme played by the virtuoso pianist and composer Jean-François Zygel closed out a delightful evening of improvisations and other compositions at the Chapelle Saint-Ferréol. Mr. Zygel, a professor at the Paris Conservatory and the winner of the … Continue reading
AVIGNON: EVOCATIONS OF CHOPIN
Three talented pianists will be playing the works of Frédéric Chopin in the garden of the Musée Louis Vouland in Avignon: Tuesday, August 24: Ludovic Selmi Thursday, August 26: Edna Stern Saturday, August 28: Dana Ciocarlie Basics: Dates / Times: … Continue reading
VELLERON – FARMERS’ MARKET EXCEPTIONAL
There are weekly markets in the Vaucluse such as Carpentras on Friday, Apt on Saturday and L’Ise-sur-la-Sorgue that combine farmers’ markets and flea markets and a lot of other stuff to boot. Then you have Velleron, the mother of all … Continue reading
LUBERON WINES: ONE-STOP SHOP
Getting around the Luberon appellation for tastings at the far flung wineries can eat up days as well as gas. A good place to begin your research for Luberon wines is at the wine shop and wine bar at the … Continue reading
TERROIR REDUX: THE VARIETAL WHITE WINES OF NIELS LA COUR
If you are a wine lover in search of a startling discovery and great pleasure, take a few sips of the white wines of the Domaine le Serre de Condorcet (DSC) — rich, fragrant and complex vintages of golden hues … Continue reading
JESSICA LANGE’S PHOTOS ON EXHIBIT
In his biography of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Pierre Assouline notes that the photographer felt like a thief when taking shots. In effect, Cartier-Bresson conceived of himself as stealing images away from strangers. This perception reasserts itself when one examines the darkly-textured … Continue reading
THE “MOBILE” ART OF ANTOINE MOREAU
“Avez vous remarqué que journaliste commence par la même lettre que justicier?” “Alphaville,” Jean-Luc Godard The letter J? Number 769? The setting: On the lawn of the Hotel Les Ateliers de l’Image in St. Remy Provence during the sumptuous vernissage … Continue reading
LUBERON: FIVE WINNING WINERIES
The Luberon wine appellation is in a sense the orphan of the Vaucluse. The private estates, which account for only twenty percent of the appellation’s production, do not attract the attention of wine raters that is accorded the other wine … Continue reading
FOUR FRAGRANCES TO BRING TO PROVENCE
“She smelled the way Taj Mahal looks at moonlight” Raymond Chandler Frantic email: No time to pop into the perfume counter at Barneys, modern girl Chantal is off to Paris for a stopover before grabbing the TGV to Avignon. What … Continue reading