Five MORE excellent things to do in Provence

And a book signing in Paris - come and say hi!

We just spent two weeks in sunny Provence, where we explored the region with hunger. I put out a podcast episode about it, but the text below is an edited shortlist of five excellent things we did and that you should do too!

A note: we’ve already done a few of these lists over the years, so this is not necessarily the beginner’s guide. I did once do a kind of beginner’s guide though: six golden rules for visiting Provence.

Five excellent things to do in Provence

1. Swim under the Pont du Gard

Even if you’re not an enthusiast for ancient stones like me, I’m sure you’ll find something quite magical about this 2,000-year-old Roman acquaduct. For the full experience on a summer’s day, jump in the water. I did.

2. Have a Ricard at Robion

This a sleepy village is built right up against the magnificent cliffs of Luberon, and it doesn’t feel touristy like some of the other towns in Provence. This is the kind of place where you can go to the town’s watering hole for a Ricard and feel like a local. That’s what we did. (Pictured below, left, is the “vintage” amphitheatre we mentioned in the episode).

3. Spend a week in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

As you may have seen, we bought a house in this antique mecca late last year. The town is encircled by canals like a veritable Venice of the south. This is where we recorded the episode, where we just spent 2 weeks, and where you can stay too. I offered this place up to Earful members for this summer, but they all preferred 2027. If you’re interested in an August or early September visit, email me for details.

4. Do the Fellowship at Fontaine de Vaucluse

If you’ve never heard of this place, it’s where the Sorgue river springs, like a rumbling wave, from the depths of a mountain. Wandering up to the source of the river made us feel like we were in Rivendell from the Lord of the Rings, complete with twisting trees and hobbit-like explorers (the kids). And the village next door is charming.

5. Have a drink at one of my new fave spots in France

Yeah, I said it. The Beefbar in Gordes was one of the most incredible spots I’ve ever had a drink in France. Top three for sure. One day I’ll share my entire top three list, but this was in there. Perched on the edge of the hilltop village of Gordes, we spent a sunset over a cold drink admiring the beauty of Provence from on high. I didn’t mention this in the episode, as we hadn’t done it yet. But by golly, this was a highlight.

That’ll do for Provence. In Paris news…

Book signing and storefront window

What are you doing on Saturday? From 5-7pm we will be signing books at Smith and Son on the iconic rue de Rivoli, where we’ve taken over their huge storefront window for a few weeks. Lina painted a huge portrait of Sophie, the heroine of our new book, (Sophie in Paris). Come say hi!!!

And note: This is two doors down from the Smith and Son you might know, at their wonderful and brand new children’s book shop: 250 rue de Rivoli.

Have a lovely weekend, maybe see you on Saturday, and let me know about Provence.

Remember, members get first invites to Provence, bonus stuff, and make this channel happen. Read more about our Provence house on Substack here (members only) or Patreon here (members only).

Oliver