I’m excited to announce that The New York Times has asked me to be the featured expert on their Times Journeys tour of Provence in June and October. The 2018 trip dates are June 10-17 and also October 7-14, 2018. Early summer and late fall are two…
Fall is one of the best seasons to visit Provence. Temperatures hover at a comfortable level, harvests reach their peak, and prices plummet. There are many deals to be found during “shoulder season”—those off-peak periods when the crowds have thinned and the weather is still fine. Not…
What’s a not-so-secret ingredient in the rising soufflé that is the burgeoning local food movement? The James Beard Foundation. Inspired by cookbook author and teacher James Beard who died in 1985, the Foundation continues his legacy of educating and inspiring people to “celebrate, nurture, and honor…
If you have visited La Braderie de Lille in northern France, you can count yourself lucky. The antiques and flea fair is one of the most anticipated and innocuous of annual gatherings in Europe. La Braderie de Lille has been attracting treasure hunters since the 12th…
Protocols around negotiating are specific to the local culture. Strategies that might be effective when haggling for a carpet in the souks of Morocco or Turkey could prove fruitless if used in the flea markets of France. Here are 5 tips for what works—and what…
At a time like this when the world is bubbling over with craziness at a full boil, I respond by drowning myself in the arts. I’ve been reading (currently on my night table: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen; it’s not exactly light reading but…
Much as the “Curse of the Bambino” hung over Boston for decades following the infamous decision of the Red Sox to sell slugger Babe Ruth to the Yankees, so too has the site of Les Halles in Paris been plagued after the market was dismantled in 1969…
Any trip to Paris prompts questions about what to do and where to eat. Another decision that’s important to some travelers is which Paris flea market to visit. Paris is a haven for antiques, collectibles, and vintage items. Two of the best flea markets (or “puces“)…
What an eventful two weeks it has been since the launch of Markets of Provence. I’ve been giving talks about Provence and sharing stories about the experiences that went into the making of my new book. I’m tremendously gratified by the turnout at events and the warm…
I can hardly believe that the launch of Markets of Provence is just around the calendar’s corner. The book will be widely available on May 3, and I can’t wait. I’ve seen one advance copy which, I must say, looks great. No one can pry it…