The Mediterranean Series I
My curated collection of Assouline Travel Books
Mediterranean Lifestyle secrets and travel tips inside!
Travel from home…. Insights into the backstory of what makes Provence…Provençal. La joie de vivre!
What comes to mind when you think of Provence, France? The paintings of Cézanne and Matisse, or countryside castles, lavender and rosé?
Provence Glory by Assouline takes us on a behind the scenes tour, revealing that there is much more to love en Provence. Like traveling through the expansive region with a local friend who invites us in to the true essence of Provence and shares its hidden secrets along the way…without getting on a plane, train or automobile, from the comfort of our own homes.
This book is a carefully curated exhibit of exquisite photography of Provence, that captivates and allures, whispering a unique story of Provence with every photo - like a jigsaw puzzle that we get to put together ourselves, and a series of riddles that we get to decode.
Escape with your senses to smell the lavender and garlic, touch the mimosas and sunflowers, and observe les Provençals in their natural habitat - as if you are sitting at a café sipping a glass Rosé de Provence in Aix or Avignon.
Transport yourself to Provence at anytime, anywhere, with Provence Glory by Assouline…
My Review of Provence Glory by Assouline
Assouline introduces us to what we are about to see in the exquisite photography exhibit that follows with 12 short pages of text that reveal juicy secrets into the backstory of what makes Provence…Provençal. La joie de vivre!
It is only once you have devoured every page of stunning photography that you realise that the introductory text is a short story that provides insights into Provence’s Glory that come to life in each photograph, in the 100s of pages of photographs, that are the book.
You can get lost into this book, as you would a carefully curated exhibit at your favourite art gallery or museum. Gazing into each photograph and recalling the story of our gallery host, Assouline, you are transported to Provence where your imagination can smell the lavender and garlic, touch the mimosas and sunflowers, and observe les Provençals in their natural habitat, as if you are sitting at a cafe sipping a glass Rosé in Aix or Avignon. The iconic paintings of Cézanne, Picasso, Matisse, van Gogh are mirrored in photographs of what they might have been seeing or feeling to inspire their masterpieces. There is a beautifully rugged simplicity to the countryside landscape and architecture, free of manicured perfection, and left to be carried by the 32 winds of Provence, under the natural brightness of the south of France sun or shade of its giant plane trees. It is like a breath of fresh Provençal air.
Provence Glory is a subtle jigsaw puzzle where you get to put the pieces together yourself, going back again and again to ascertain which part of the story fits into each photograph. It becomes clear that while the puzzle pieces appear subtle to the audience at first, Assouline has engineered every detail - from the colour of the cover, a soft lavender - to the sparse dotting of quotes amongst the photographs that guide us back to the story, as a series of riddles that we get to decode. More secrets are revealed in the final pages of the book where Assouline provides a short description of each photo - the places and people of Provence - the hotels, restaurants, art galleries and local landmarks to note for your next trip.
What I've learned about the Provençal lifestyle from Provence Glory
An “art de vivre”, as described in the book:
Simple and provocative at the same time.
Effortless and chic at the same time.
Where the winds meet, the landscape sways, and the scents of lavender and garlic are ever-present.
Med Home
As I am learning about the architecture and interior design of the Med, there is an art and science to creating shade, hiding from the hot sun. The book provocatively quotes a Provençal, “the sun is for the British”, or cold-climate natives, I might add.
En Provence, as elsewhere across the Mediterranean, houses have thick walls and small openings. Villages have narrow streets, shaded by the proximity of its buildings. Large trees that create shade are revered - in Provence it is the Plane trees.
Bring a piece of Provence into your home with the impressionism art of Paul Cézanne,
Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh - or ceramics from Aix-en-Provence.
Med Garden
The fields of lavender and sunflowers, iconic to Provence, are a foundation of inspiration for Med Garden design. The Mimosa flower and Plane tress are also featured in the book.
Creating shade in our Med Gardens is indeed a top priority. Many of our gardens have not yet been blessed with the benefit of century old mature Plane trees, as those in Provence. However, experiencing those mature gardens, even through the pages of this book, provides inspiration for the broad canopies that we can create. Olive trees and Jacaranda trees are particularly fast growers in the Med if you are planning ahead for an abundance of glorious shade in your Med Garden.
The gorgeous photo of Mimosa flowers caught my eye in the book, beautiful bunches of yellow ball flowers that bloom in the winter in Provence. Before adding them to my garden wish list, I looked them up, Acacia dealbata , is the genus and species name. While extremely beautiful, and a sought after winter bloomer, I learned that they have become an invasive species in many parts of the Med, where it is forbidden to grow or sell them, and where great efforts are being taken to remove them.
Med Food & Recipes
Rosé de Provence has long been a summer lunch treat, for its dry, crisp and refreshing allure. Easy to find across the Med, fully accessible to bring a taste of Provence to your table.
To create the flavour of Provence, recipes feature green beans, carrots, potatoes, hard boiled eggs and baccala (cod) all in garlic and olive oil infusion. The book reveals that traditional Provençal cuisine is based on garlic! Which pairs perfectly with that rosé de Provence :). In their simple yet provocative way, les Provençals often throw it all together in stews such as the Daube Provençale or Bouillabaisse. Top off your meal with fresh melon for dessert, and you have a menu Provençal!
Med Beauty & Wellness
While it’s not exactly exercise, it’s really fun, the Provençal past-time of Pétanque. The game of throwing small metal balls into a pit of sand with the objective of getting your ball closest to the jack (target) while knocking your opponent team’s balls away from the jack, or even better, off the sand court. Exercise or not, I would venture to say that Pétanque absolutely contributes to well-being in the Provençal lifestyle. See photos of Pétanque games in action in the book.
It is difficult to speak of a French regional lifestyle without speaking about beauty and fashion, also a feature in the book. Provence is the birthplace of famous fashion designers Christian Lacroix and Simon Porte Jacquemus. Provence-made brands such as Souleiado have helped to define Provençal effortless and colourful fashion.
Med Travel
I learned about so many new gems of Provence from this book. From lesser known villages and sea-side oasis spots to nature parks, ancient landmarks and art galleries. Totally making me want to jump on the next flight or train.
There are so many great tour secrets shared by Assouline in the book that I’ve added a special section of this blog, to highlight just a few… Places I want to visit, inspired by Provence Glory.
Places I want to visit, inspired by Provence Glory
This list was much longer - so many intriguing tour ideas inside Provence Glory - providing a taster…
Where to Visit
Local Landmarks
Arles Amphitheatre - built in 90 AD
Chateau de Cassis
Chateau La Coste
Chateau D’If, Marseille
Four fountains of the Cour Mirabeau, Aix-en-Provence
Pont du Gard, built in the first century AD
Pont d’Avignon
Ruins of Château de Lacoste in Vaueluse - now owned by designer Pierre Cardin
Villages & Nature Parks
Arles
Calanques National Park, Cassis
Hilltop village of Gordes
I’ile-sur-la-Sorgue floating market
Lacoste
Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
What to Visit
Rencontres d’Arles the annual photography festival - This book could be an ad for photography lovers. The annual photography festival, Rencontres d’Arles, is now definitely added to my list. Marking my calendar for 2025: July 7 - October 5.
Galleries & Museums
Foundation Vasarely, Aix-en-Provence
Gallerie Regala, Arles
MaMo Art Centre, Marseille
Musée-des-Beaux-Arts, Nîmes
Tadao Ando Art Centre at the Chateau La Coste, near Aix-en-Provence
Where to Eat
Restaurants
Restaurant l’Escale, Toulon
Café Le Grillon, Aix-en-Provence
L’Atelier, Arles
Vineyards
Cathedral winery at Chateau Romani, Saint-Remy-de-Provence
Le Clos Sainte Magdalene winery, Cassis
Domaine de la Vallongue vineyard, Eygalieres
Where to Stay
Villa Gallici Hotel, Aix-en-Provence
Chateau des Anges, Luberon
Domaine d’Ares, Alpilles
Nord Pinus, Arles iconic hotel where Ernst Hemingway stayed
Le Cloître Hotel, Arles
Final word:
“It was there, I now understand, that I started to grow up, to study, to eat and drink, to be me and not what I was expected to be. It was there that I learned that it is blessed to receive, as well as that every human being no matter how base, is worthy of my respect and even my envy because he knows something that I may never be old or wise or kind or tender enough to know.” -- Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, Long Ago in France, 1991
This is a book to slow down and take your time with - as a Provençal - to drift in and out of all that Provence has to teach us.
Transport yourself to Provence at anytime, anywhere, with Provence Glory.
Thank you Assouline!
You can find Assouline travel books on their website: https://eu.assouline.com/
And at Amazon.com.
Jade
Lewon
Med
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