Our former neighbors in Portsmouth spend much more time in Provence than we can, but are considerate enough to put their experiences into a blog so we can all share them. Please join us. For a sample, you might read their thoughts on the Sunday Market in Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue; this post is our favorite (because it quotes both Lee-Ann and I).
Alternatively, consider their most recent post, “Tired of white linens, sommeliers, and Michelin stars? Consider lunch at Le Castelas, a working goat farm, for another kind of Provençal dining experience.”
Susan names her blog the “Modern Trobadors, ” described thusly. “Trobador" comes from langue d'oc, the Old Provençal language. It means "finder or researcher" and is likely the root of "troubadour," a strolling minstrel in Southern France in the 12th c. The Modern Trobadors research all things Provence: its world-renowned food and wine, its writers and artists, its tremendous tourist appeal…. From the prosaic to the profound, the practical to the quixotic, we provide news, information, advice, opinion, and, we hope, a wee bit of inspiration.
Critics claim that Peter Mayle’s excellent books have overly-popularized Provence. Should you agree, I discovered through the Irish Times a delightful sounding new place in neighboring Languedoc, Château les Carrasses. “Dubliner Karl Hanlon used to work for Bank of Ireland. Now he and his family live in Languedoc, where he has just opened a boutique hotel, holiday village and private member's club.”
Read about it here, and please report back if you try it. Google maps places it about two hours from Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue.
George,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the plug about The Modern Trobadors AND for the heads' up about Chateau les Carrasses. You may recall that, about ten years ago, we (eight of us) rented a barge and tooled along the Canal du Midi through the area where this new hotel has just opened its doors--we loved it! I have just written to see what their availability is! Looking forward to receiving more posts! Best, Susan