Janvier en Provence/January Events in Provence. No snow yet this year! The villages of Provence become quiet after the holidays. People tend to stay in, stoke their living room fires, and leave a pot au feu (stew) on the stove for many hours. There are fewer of the festivals that celebrate one particular type of local produce that I so much love; however, that doesn’t mean there still isn’t quality produce to be eaten. Rabbit, truffles, sea food and all manner of fresh root veggies and beautiful enormous cabbages fill the markets. I must admit I quite enjoy seeking out a sunny café and overlooking the quiet landscape dotted with stems of chimney smoke. This is a great time of year for foraging, visiting the sites of Provence that are otherwise crowded (Roman ruins, museums) and hiking.
Here are a few events that are happening in the villages this month in mostly the Bouches du Rhone region of Provence. Janvier/January Carrières de Lumières – Les Baux de Provence Many Christmas markets are open until January 3rd including: Aix en Provence. Need 5 Reasons to visit Cotignac | Perfectly Provence. Provencefoodandwine.com - Good eating and drinking in Provence. French Riviera | Luxury Travel Advisor. October 28, 2011By: Mary Winston NicklinLuxury Travel Advisor Jazz festivals, glitzy yacht parties, and celebrity-mobbed nightclubs…The French Riviera lives up to its reputation for decadence and revelry, but it is also a divine spot to kick back and relax. Between Nice and Monaco, a stretch of the coastline presents a different side of the Cote d’Azur: a quiet, peaceful, but no less glamorous beach destination. A frequent train links the string of pearl-like villages from Villefranche-sur-mer, the historic fishing village abutting Nice, to Cap d’Ail, a well-kept secret next to Monaco where Philippe Starck just opened his new seafood restaurant A’trego.
Clinging to the clifftops 1,408 feet above the Mediterranean, the fortified village of Eze has been compared to Mt. Olympus. Needless to say, this could be one of the most dramatic hotel settings on Earth. Managed by Phoenix Hotel Management, the chateau encompasses ancient villas and private houses on cobbled lanes. Gordes : Les lieux mythiques de la Provence.