Provence from Fayence: Provence Guide

Bono confesses: feels more at

Bono confesses: feels more at home in Provence's Cote D'azur
The mobile music industry descends on Cannes, and loads of celebs show up on the Croisette's red carpet, including Bono. The question is: what's the future gadget - the iPod or the mobile phone?

Up in the hills around Fayence and Mons, there is no mobile reception, so it's all a done deal. We will bring our music in with iPods. In fact, we just want peace and quiet. There is no broadband either: our hamlet has 8 establishments and that does not qualify for an EDF installation.

Fayence to be over-run by

Fayence to be over-run by Rosbifs?
100,000 Brits live in France and an estimated 500,000 have holiday homes - many in Provence, although more in Dordogne, I suspect. I fear that English will become the language of choice in the cafes of Fayence and Provence, that fry-ups will replace croissants and tea coffee.

Essential guide to holidays in France (and Provence)

"We can’t keep out of their country. More people visit France than anywhere else on earth — 75m in 2003, against 53m to Spain, 41m to America — and the British and Irish are the keenest of all. Between us, we account for 20% of the total, slightly ahead of the Germans and the Dutch. we can’t keep out of their country." The Times Online has a sound overview of different holiday options in France.

Herbes de Provence make it again into eclectic recipe: chickpea soup

Popular in St. Louis, apparently, where I question the availability of the herbes.

Quick and easy recipe for Cassoulet

Well, not entirely from Provence, but a welcome quick and dirty approach for this French classic - according to Oregon's one and only Sharon. Personally, I'd lose the carrots and I'm not certain about the low-sodium chicken broth.

Occitane en Provence - one of those great marketing accidents

I am grateful to mktg brainlog for finding an inspiring insight into how Occitane captured its audience - simply by adding "en Provence".

I will be adding "en Provence" to all my doings, posts and actions from now on. I picture Persil with added "en Provence". It's a bit like Eno with his "Africa in all of us."

IIdaho hails herbes de provence "a classic"

Provence's best-kept secret is out: the ingredients - together with variants - have been spilled all over the Internet by the Idaho State Journal: "herbs de provence, which typically consists of thyme, summer savory, rosemary, marjoram and tarragon, but also could include fennel and lavender."

I am worried about the price of herbes de provence on the futures index.

Provence's Nice Cote d'Azur airport

Provence's Nice Cote d'Azur airport hit by terrorist threat
Innocent travellers are hit by a Zyklon B threat from the European Globalisation Liberation Front. See Guardian Online. The threat claimed that "in this southern French metropolis on the Mediterranean, commerce with its inhuman characteristics is especially clear." Yeah, right.

NATO comes to town next month. Hmmm.

PProvence's Cannes top travel pick for Malaysians

A pleasant introduction to Cannes for Malaysians on the go article by Kee Hua Chee is equipped with frighteningly modern travel tips, 4 of which are regarding your room's security.

"Ask to see your room, and don’t be afraid to pose tough questions. Is proof of identification required of all guests? Is access to floors with rooms restricted to resident guests with valid electronic key cards? Does the hotel perform criminal background checks on all new employees? "

A sign of the times.

Olive Oil is king in

Olive Oil is king in Provence
Provence cooking employs olive oil as opposed to the lashings of fat, cream & butter used in other French cuisines. This article in The Leader has a good management summary of the different regional cuisines of France.