Uzes – Shutters & Sunflowers https://shuttersandsunflowers.com Travel tips from an English girl in California, in love with Provence. Mon, 17 Apr 2023 04:02:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8.8 124587098 Restaurants we love in Uzès, Aix-en-Provence & St-Rémy-de-Provence https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/restaurants-we-love-in-uzes-aix-st-remy/ https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/restaurants-we-love-in-uzes-aix-st-remy/#comments Fri, 10 Jun 2022 14:17:34 +0000 https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/?p=13167 Eating out, or more to the point eating outside, is very much a part of restaurant life in France. There are lots of places to choose from, and we love finding new ones. Here are a few restaurants we've just ...

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At the Terrace restaurant at Hôtel de Caumont, Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Eating out, or more to the point eating outside, is very much a part of restaurant life in France. There are lots of places to choose from, and we love finding new ones. Here are a few restaurants we've just discovered as well as some old favorites.

Uzès

Restaurant Ten

Restaurant Ten, in the middle of beautiful Uzès, is somewhere we've been returning to since it first opened several years ago. One of the most delightful things about this restaurant, apart from the food of course, is the owner, Kate Tucker. A bubbly, warm, English girl from Devon with a million dollar smile who make you feel like she's welcoming you to her home every time you arrive.

Ten Restaurant, Uzès, Languedoc Roussillon, France

And I'm pretty sure that Kate is the reason that celebrity chef and writer Rick Stein recommends and speaks so highly of Restaurant Ten in his fabulous cookery book Secret France.

Cocktails at Ten Restaurant, Uzès, Languedoc Roussillon, France

Cocktails at Ten

Kate just get's it right; the ambience the vibe, the service and the menu. Doubtless drawing on her experience at The River Café in London (where Jamie Oliver also learned a few tricks) together with her French husband and their fabulous chef Damien Rolain, they've created an unpretentious little jewel of a restaurant. Interesting, well priced, beautifully presented, delicious food which never fails to impress, quite fabulous!

Crispy trout at Ten Restaurant, Uzès, Languedoc Roussillon, France

Crispy trout and quinoa salad at Ten

Restaurant Ten

10 Pl. Dampmartin, 30700 Uzès  +33 (0)466 22 1093

Open Wednesday - Sunday 12.00 -14.00 and evenings from 19.30

Reservations are advisable ~ tell Kate I sent you!

Click here for menu and website

Stuffed vegetables Provençal - Petits Fracis Provençeaux at Ten Restaurant, Uzès, Languedoc Roussillon, France

Petits Fracis Provençeaux at Restaurant Ten

Other favourites in Uzès

Bec-au-vin

Le Zanelli

Pizza Duchy

Villa Curti we haven't here yet but it's recommended by Kate from Ten & it's where she goes out to eat!

Saint-Remy-de-Provence

Bistrot Les Pieds dans L'Eau

We normally go to St-Rémy-de-Provence on a Wednesday, market day, and if we have visitors, after lunch we often go on to Les Baux de Provence to the incredible art show, Carrières des Lumières. We've eaten in several places in St Rémy but no one restaurant has really stood out. Then a few weeks ago we stumbled upon Bistrot Les Pieds dans L'Eau, an old manor house and former school right in the middle of town where lunch is served on an expansive terrace.

Terrace dining at Bistrot les Pieds dans L'Eau, St-Remy-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

The ambience was delightful and the staff cheerful and attentive. The overall concept at the restaurant of shared, family style plates was perfect, especially for lunch.

Menu at Bistrot les Pieds dans L'Eau, St-Remy-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

The building itself is an interesting property. The dining terrace restaurant is at the rear and there is a lovely courtyard at the front.

Entrance patio at Bistrot les Pieds dans L'Eau, St-Remy-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

When you walk through the courtyard, before you reach the Terrace restaurant, you pass through a charming shop selling household goods, gifts and clothes.

Shop at Bistrot les Pieds dans L'Eau, St-Remy-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

On a busy day, should you have to wait for a table, you can watch the world go by out on the street from the comfort one of the restaurant's arm chairs and order a cocktail until your table's ready!.

Patio on the street at Bistrot les Pieds dans L'Eau, St-Remy-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Click for more information on Bistrot Les Pieds dans L'Eau

22 boulevard Victor Hugo , Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
+33 04 90 90 74 49

For restaurant ideas & information about St Rémy visit my friend Keith Van Sickle's website here. I'd highly recommend his guide book, 'An Insiders Guide to Provence' which you can purchase from this link.

Aix-en-Provence

Café Hôtel de Caumont

'Café' in France can mean many things, a place just for a coffee and lights snacks, somewhere serving casual meals, or an elegant restaurant such as the café at Hotel de Caumont, a beautiful art museum in the center of Aix-en-Provence. The dining room is exquisite, and when the weather allows the Terrace is a wonderful setting for breakfast, lunch or afternoon drinks.

On the Terrace at Hôtel de Caumont Restaurant Aix-en-Provence

My salade crevette was delicious and the desert trolley is outstanding!

Lunch at Cafe Caumont, Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence, FranceCafé Hotel de Caumont is open daily from 10.00 -19.00. Unfortunately it is not possible to make a reservation. Check their website for unusual hours

Click here for Café Hôtel de Caumont website

Hôtel de Caumont a historic property and center for the arts

And of course Hôtel de Caumont is not all about the food, it's primarily a wonderful art museum boasting a vibrant history.

Hôtel de Caumont was built in 1715 by the President of the Court of Auditors in Aix-en-Provence, François Rolland de Réauville, the Marquis de Cabannes, in the desirable Mazarin quarter of the city.

In 1758 it was purchased by François Bruny de la Tour-d'Aigues, the richest ship-owner, merchant and banker in Marseilles who named it Hôtel de Bruny. The property was inherited by Bruny's son who died shortly afterwards and so in 1796 it passed to his sister, Pauline. This resulted in a further name change to Hôtel de Caumont, after Pauline's husband the Marquis de Caumont.

Hôtel de Caumont, Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence, France

Entrance to Hôtel de Caumont, Aix-en-Provence

During the late nineteenth century the property fell into decline. By 1939, it had been divided into apartments run by Resistance member Hélène Ardevol (1892-1976), who during WWII bravely sheltered other Resistance members in the apartments. Its' last private owner was General Isenbart who completed extensive restorations before he sold it to the city of Aix-en-Provence in 1964 when it became the Darius Milhaud National Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Hôtel de Caumont today

In 2010 Hôtel de Caumont was sold to Culturespaces (who run Carrières des Lumières and other fabulous exhibitions throughout France) and they restored it to its former glory. It was reopened on 15 April 2015, and now hosts two temporary exhibitions annually. A film on Cézanne is shown every day, and a variety of concerts, musical performances and lectures are scheduled. Currently, until September 18 2022 the work of Raoul Dufy is on display.

The gardens are beautiful and well worth a visit.

Garden at Hôtel de Caumont, Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Tickets to the museum can be bought online, click here

Hôtel de Caumont  3 Rue Joseph Cabassol, 13100 Aix-en-Provence  +33 04 42 20 70 01

Click here for website of Hôtel de Caumont

Le Four Sous le Platane

How often do I hear from perplexed overseas guests 'We're going to a Pizza Restaurant  in Provence, we're not in Italy?'

The front of Le Four Sous le Platane restaurant, Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

We may not be in Italy (although it's not far away) but the French certainly love, and know how to make great pizzas normally in wood fired ovens, feu de bois. The terrace at Le Four Sous le Platane is one of our favorites.

The terrace at Le Four Sous le Platane restaurant, Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

And if we can, we try to grab a spot by the fountain from where the restaurant get's it's name. Scrumptious pizzas served as huge wedges with a green salad and glass of wine, yum!

Pizza at Le Four Sous le Platane restaurant, Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Click for more on: Le Four Sous le Platane

Lourmarin

There's no where new to recommend in Lourmarin and sadly a few places we thought were great have changed owners, not for the best ~ Le Moulin in Lourmarin and Petit Resto in Vaugine.

But we still love:

Louche au Beurre ~ the best steak frites!

Pizza Nonni ~our favorite for Pizza

Gina's Café ~ delicious homemade food, great for lunch

Café Gaby ~ the place for people watching in the very heart of the village, be it for coffee, an apéro or a casual meal!

La Maison Café ~ Great cocktails and small sharing boards, we love coming here after the Friday market  or for an evening drink.

If you'd like more information, download for free:

A PDF Travel Guide for Lourmarin

A PDF Travel Guide for Uzès

I'd love to know any restaurants you recommend in Provence!

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Uzès where Shutters and Sunflowers began https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/uzes-where-shutters-and-sunflowers-began/ https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/uzes-where-shutters-and-sunflowers-began/#comments Mon, 04 Oct 2021 16:16:28 +0000 https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/?p=12448 On Saturday we went back to the beautiful bastide town of Uzès. An hour and a half from Lourmarin, just west of Avignon, we often visit on a Saturday. We get up early to stop off on route at the ...

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On Saturday we went back to the beautiful bastide town of Uzès. An hour and a half from Lourmarin, just west of Avignon, we often visit on a Saturday. We get up early to stop off on route at the Antique Market in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, a weekly event across the river from Avignon, to then hurry on to Uzès where on a Saturday Uzès plays host to arguably one of the finest markets in the region. This delightful duchy holds a special place in my heart. It's where we lived in 2012 and where the story of Shutters and Sunflowers began. It's also the stage for my World War II historical novel, The Sunflower Field, the true story of the Polish cryptologists who having cracked The Enigma Code in 1932, lived in hiding in Uzès, for two years during the war.

And within minutes of arriving back I was reminded of the inspiration for the title of my blog. The shutters adorning the windows of Uzès that so captivated me,

and the golden smiling faces of the sunflowers, which long after they've danced their annual repertoire in nearby fields, still fill the flower baskets in the market.

A market that was in full swing when we found our way there, shaded below its' leafy canopy in Uzès central square, Place-aux-Herbes.

Amongst the abundance of fresh produce was local purple garlic,

and colorful whicker baskets, greatly reduced in price as the summer season has begun to dwindle to a close.

And announcing the arrival of autumn, there was a wide variety of mushrooms, including a Provençal speciality, cèpes, only available for a few weeks at this time of year.

The market winds its way along the cobbled streets between the town's splendid golden arches.

And by lunchtime the restaurant tables are full, weary shoppers tempted by the plat du jours. Laughter and chatter fill the air and no-one seems to notice the market slowly slip away.

Leaving the bustle behind, it's an ideal time to explore the now deserted streets.

One quickly becomes immersed in the charming ambience of this truly special place. A timeless enchantment which never fades.

The worn steps of Rue rue Saint-Théodorit entice us down.

And finding our way back to Place-aux-Herbes, all swept and cleaned, it's hard to believe just moments earlier this was the hub of a busy, heaving market.

Crossing the square we wandered into a local favorite, the one shop I always have to return to, Les Pots d'Uzès

I wished I could buy some more, especially the very largest ones for my outdoor patio.

I had to content myself with just looking ......

As we made our way back through the streets we caught a glimpse of one of the treasures of Uzès, the Fenestrelle Tower, peeking its head above the roof tops.

Nearby a sunflower smiled in greeting outside one of the local artisan's shops.

We passed by more ancient, shuttered buildings,

and lingered for one last time in Place-aux-Herbes, not wanting to leave.

Standing wistfully outside the house where we lived (which I've featured in my novel)

we wandered back down the street and as always, I wondered disloyally, if maybe we should have bought in Uzès, it always beguiles me so....

Driving back, we promised ourselves to soon make a trip back to the magnificent walled city of Avignon.

And through the front windscreen, as we caught a glimpse of Le Pont Saint Benezet, we found ourselves humming the nursery tune we'd both learned in Primary school, 'Sur la Pont d'Avignon...'

That evening, back in Lourmarin, sitting outside our beloved Café Gaby, my doubts about where we should have our house in Provence, fade. I'll always adore Uzès and love every moment we spend there, but this is where we belong.....

Come and see for yourself!

Download  The PDF Travel Guide for Uzès my travel tips about Uzès

Rent Maison des Cerises ~our house in Provence, already taking bookings for 2022!

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The Shutters of Provence https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/the-shutters-of-provence/ https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/the-shutters-of-provence/#comments Tue, 10 Sep 2019 11:05:22 +0000 https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/?p=10309 I'm often asked why I called my blog 'Shutters and Sunflowers'. To me they are both so defining of Provence and indeed much of France. Throughout this beautiful country many of the buildings whether historic or recently built are adorned ...

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Shutters of Provence in Lourmarin Provence, France

I'm often asked why I called my blog 'Shutters and Sunflowers'. To me they are both so defining of Provence and indeed much of France. Throughout this beautiful country many of the buildings whether historic or recently built are adorned with shutters.

Shutters of Provence on a street in Uzes

And in the summertime, everywhere but especially in Provence the fields are painted yellow, resplendent with golden carpets of smiling sunflowers. Somehow it wouldn't be Provence with out its dazzling, dancing tournesols and the shutters which adorn almost every window. But where did these shutters come from?

Shutters of Provence in Arles, Bouche du Rhone, Provence, France

The history of shutters

It’s believed that the first shutters were designed by the ancient Greeks and made of marble. In times before there was glass, these marble shutters had fixed louvres and just as today were used for ventilation and light control. Over the years the concept was gradually developed. Marble was replaced with wood and the louvres became movable allowing the amount of light and air to be controlled.

Shutters of Provence in St Remy-de-Provence, Bouche du Rhone, Provence, France

In the Middle Ages, when windows were much smaller the shutters were hung inside. These interior shutters were pierced with holes and covered with translucent oiled parchment which allowed some light in and kept some of the draughts out. After the invention of glass in the 13th century windows became larger and building techniques more sophisticated. Interior shutters were designed to slide into apertures into the wood work beside the windows.

Exterior shutters first appeared around 1750. Normally painted white they were called contravents  or persiennes. They led to the decline of the balcony the existence of which would make the opening of shutters too difficult and shutters are not just for windows!

Shutters on Provence on a door in Lourmarin, Luberon Provence, France

Stories about shutters

Some claim shutters that shutters were first used in France at the court of King Louis IV. Supposedly he introduced louvered shutters into his garden walls at his magnificent Palace of Versailles. The shutters were installed so only he could open them allowing him to watch unseen the beautiful ladies from court bathe in the gardens' numerous ponds.

Shutters of Provence on medieval buildings in Lourmarin, Luberon, Provence, France

Similarly in England, the story goes that when Lady Godiva road naked through the streets of Coventry, Tom would watch her unseen through his louvered shutters. Hence the term ‘Peeping Tom’!

Today only a few houses in England have shutters. In France however they are a distinguishing feature of French houses, an integral part of their charm.

Shutters of Provence in Uzes

Why French houses have shutters

As attractive as we might think shutters are, they have little to do with adornment but more with practicality. Restricting the amount of heat and light, shutters help keep rooms cool and prevent furniture from fading. During hot summer nights shutters make it possible for the inward opening windows to stay open keeping houses secure and minimizing unwanted insect visitors.

Shutters of Provence in Lourmarin Provence, France

When outside temperatures soar it really does make a difference if you keep the shutters closed. Although it’s hard during the day to be in the dark behind closed shutters, I’m constantly amazed that when outside temperatures are sizzling if the shutters of our little house are kept fastened how cool the inside remains. Similarly on a hostile winters days especially when the Mistral is renting its wrath, closing the shutters helps keep the biting chill at bay.

Some insurers in France require you to close your shutters if you're going to be out for longer than two hours, failure to do so can invalidate your insurance, I’ll have to check our policy!

Shutters of Provence above a cafe in Lourmarin Provence, France

The design of the shutters of Provence

There are a myriad of different shutter styles. Like many shutters on village houses and farm properties ours are quite plain.

Open shutters of Provence in Lourmarin

Some shutters are louvered and some are hinged so that only the lower half opens, our downstairs shutter is like this.

Shutters of Provence in Aix-en-Provence, Provence, France

Shutters on listed building can prove to be a real headache for property owners. Les Bâtiments de France who protect historic properties can dictate not only the style but also the colour.

shutters of Provence in Roussillon, Luberon, Provence, France

It is often a requirement to seek the permission of the local Maire if you want to change your shutters especially if your property is in a plus beaux village. 

Shutters of Provence at the Marie Menerbes, Provence, France

In Lourmarin despite its plus beaux village status it doesn't currently seem to be a problem...

Shutters of Provence on the streets of Lourmarin, Luberon, Provence

Whether the shutters have been adorning a window for centuries

Shutters of Provence on an old building in Lourmarin, Luberon, Provence, France

such as these

Old shutters of Provence in Lourmarin

or just a few years, Lourmarin boasts a varied array of shutters colours and styles.

Shutters on a street in Lourmarin, Luberon, Vaucluse, Provence

The shutters of Provence truly are abundant in our enchanting little village. Next time I'll tell you a little about the sunflowers.

Download The Lourmarin Travel Guide to learn about what to see and do in Lourmarin and where you can see for yourself the shutters of Provence!

 

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Speaking at The Pilsudski Institute about the Poles who cracked Enigma https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/speaking-at-the-pilsudski-institute-about-the-poles-who-cracked-enigma/ https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/speaking-at-the-pilsudski-institute-about-the-poles-who-cracked-enigma/#comments Fri, 03 May 2019 06:37:43 +0000 https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/?p=9969 I'm delighted to have been invited to speak at the Pilsudski Institute, London on May 14th 2019 about my novel  THE SUNFLOWER FIELD Interwoven with a modern day, fictitious wartime mystery, THE SUNFLOWER FIELD  tells the true story of three Polish mathematicians who ...

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I'm delighted to have been invited to speak at the Pilsudski Institute, London on May 14th 2019 about my novel  THE SUNFLOWER FIELD

Interwoven with a modern day, fictitious wartime mystery, THE SUNFLOWER FIELD  tells the true story of three Polish mathematicians who in 1932 first cracked the ENIGMA code. Considered completely unbreakable, the ENIGMA code was used by the Nazi's to encrypt their messages before transmission. Sharing this intelligence with the Allies on the eve of World War II, it was one of the most significant contributions to the Allied victory and the foundation for subsequent wartime code-breaking efforts.

Barely acknowledged and forgotten within the folds of history it's a story that's hardly been told, until now.

'The Sunflower Field' novel by Caroline Lonsgtaffe

 

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The Sunflower Field ~ the story of who first cracked the Enigma Code https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/sunflower-field-the-story-of-who-first-cracked-the-enigma-code/ https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/sunflower-field-the-story-of-who-first-cracked-the-enigma-code/#comments Fri, 23 Jun 2017 00:47:28 +0000 http://shuttersandsunflowers.com/?p=7821 'The Sunflower Field,' my debut novel, is written to honor the ‘few’, of which there were thousands, who during World War II, in words inspired by Winston Churchill, "gave so much, for so many." In particular for three of those ‘few’, the ...

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The Sunflower Field, a World War II novel about the Polish code breakers who first broke the Enigma code

'The Sunflower Field,' my debut novel, is written to honor the ‘few’, of which there were thousands, who during World War II, in words inspired by Winston Churchill, "gave so much, for so many." In The Sunflower Field Caroline Longstaffe's novel about the 2 Poles who first cracked the Enigma Codeparticular for three of those ‘few’, the Polish mathematicians, Jerzy Rozycki, Marian Rejewski and Henryk Zygalski, with whom lies the origins of one of the most significant contributions to the allied victory of World War II, the deciphering of the Nazi encrypted communication system, the Enigma code.

 

Château des Fouzes ~ World War II intelligence center

I discovered their story having lived in Uzès in the south of France. It led me to the gates of Château des Fouzes, a few kilometers from the town center. It was here, from 1940 to 1942, that these three men worked in secret, at this intelligence centre, code named CADIX, as part of an allied decryption unit.

Château des Fouzes, Uzes, France, home to the polish cyrptologists who first cracked the Enigma Code before World War II

The Legacy of the Poles who cracked the Enigma Code

As I stood outside the château’s gates, over seventy years later, the persistent chirping of crickets, like the ceaseless ticking of a clock, reminded me of all the minutes which had passed since these men had been here.

Entrance to Château des Fouzes, Uzes, France, hoem to the Polish code breakers who cracked Enigma in 1932

Yet World War II was not so long ago, it was my grandparents war, they fought in it, my parents lived through its deprivation, I, like my children, learnt about it in school and I studied it in college.

Like millions of others, I have visited the war memorials, line after line of white crosses, the museums filled with history, the beaches filled with memories, the concentration camps filled with glass containers of tiny shoes and the decimated villages filled with ruins and I have felt very small and humble. But never more so than when I stood outside Château des Fouzes, reading this small plaque, thinking about the unsung heroes it commemorates.

Commemorative plaque to the Polish code breakers, outside Château des Fouzes, Uzes, France, who first cracked the Enigma code

The Enigma Code

A World War II Enigma Machine, first cracked by the Poles in 1932

Rozycki, Rejewski and Zygalski, first cracked the Enigma code in 1932. The Enigma machine was originally developed in Holland just after the First World War as a cipher apparatus.

This small, typewriter looking device became available commercially and was popular with the banking industry.

Once it came into the exclusive hands of the German Armed Forces, it was developed further so that its possible configurations of approximately 158 million, million, million, made the Enigma code one that was considered unbreakable.

 

Bletchley Park ~ World War II code breaking

The importance of the Poles’ intelligence about the Enigma code, which they shared with the Allies on the eve of World War II, cannot be over emphasized. It lay the foundation for the subsequent decryption efforts at Bletchley Park inBletchley Park, UK< the Allied code breaking centre during World War II England, led by Alan Turing. Even with Turing’s unquestioned genius, without the Poles' contribution the ultimate final cracking of the Enigma code would have been delayed, World War II would have continued for perhaps as much as two further years, at a cost of thousands more lives.

The role the Poles played did not end in 1939, after the war had started they continued their critically important work from Paris and then in October 1940, assisted by the Resistance, from within the shadows of Château des Fouzes, until they were forced to flee in November 1942. Their achievements were monumental, the recognition for what they did far less so.

"...we shall fight in the fields and streets..... we shall never surrender."

 (W.S. Churchill June 1940)

The Nazis using Enigma, first craked by the Poles in 1932Standing by the château gates, contemplating all that had happened during those desperate times, I asked myself, if I had been alive then, what role would I have had? Would I have joined the Resistance, would I have had their courage, their resilience, their determination, prepared to risk my all in a world besieged by terror? Would I have been able to make the types of decisions that were forced upon them, to act without hesitation, to take another’s life, to stare death in the face and play my part in the fight for a cause so much bigger than myself?

People weren’t made differently seventy years ago, what was different were the unprecedented times they found themselves living in. It was perhaps the world’s darkest hour. It bought together many people from many nations, such as these Poles who, working alongside the French and the Spanish, sent their critically important decryptions back to the British.

I am not Polish, nor do I have any connections to Poland but staring across the château’s deserted courtyard I realised that the freedom and liberties I enjoy today was because of people like them.

Château des Fouzes, Uzes, France, home to the polish cyrptologists who first cracked the Enigma Code before World War II

Wandering away from this forgotten place, buried in the south of France, my path took me down the same rutted track where their feet had trodden, between fields of dancing sunflowers and I knew that theirs was a story I had to tell.

I believe in serendipity, that maybe we are all connected by a mere six degrees of separation. So if anyone reading this can help me, as I actively seek The Sunflower Field’s publication, I’d be forever grateful. I would so love to publish this book, yes of course for me but more importantly for Jerzy Rozycki, Marian Rejewski and Henryk Zygalski, some of “the few, who gave so much, for so many………..”

Read more about The Sunflower Field by clicking here

Contact me here

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Wish your French was frantastique ? https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/wish-french-frantastique/ https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/wish-french-frantastique/#respond Mon, 10 Apr 2017 07:25:57 +0000 http://shuttersandsunflowers.com/?p=7363 I think that French is the prettiest of languages and I would so love to speak it better! Years of tedious French lessons at school, pouring over verbs and tenses, the sub-conjunctive this and past participle that, were all quite hopeless. All I've ever ...

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Frantastique, learning French online

I think that French is the prettiest of languages and I would so love to speak it better! Years of tedious French lessons at school, pouring over verbs and tenses, the sub-conjunctive this and past participle that, were all quite hopeless. All I've ever wanted to do is be able to converse; to speak and be understood, to listen and understand, wouldn't that be fantastic or should I say frantastique!

Frantastique, online learning to speak French

Frantastique  ~ the name of the solution! An online teaching method I discovered last year, thanks to my blogging friends at Perfectly Provence and Curious Provence. After 6 months I love it so much that I am recommending it on my blog for all of you to try too.

Every day frantastique sends me an email with a lesson personalised to my ability level. It revises things I don't know and helps remind me of those that I do. If I make a mistake (and sadly I make many) it provides a simple explanation, in English if you want and then further reinforcement exercises to help you better understand.

There is a clever mix of reading, oral and aural exercises taught by a whimsical, slightly silly group of alien characters led by Victor Hugo himself!Speaking French with frantastique

Frantastique allows you to cancel lessons for a few days if you are going to be away or are too busy. It also creates a detailed progress report to help you keep track of how you are doing.

So can I now 'parler en francais'? Well although far from perfect I AM making progress and with the encouragement of my lovely friends in Lourmarin who insist 'Mais bien sûr que tu parles bien en français!' I am determined with my lessons and improve.

You can try it here for 7 days and see what you think. There is no obligation and its free!  I'd love to know how you get on and maybe we can converse 'en français'! 

Click on the link and voila, soon your French will be frantastique!

 

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A video tour of Avignon, 'City of the Popes'. https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/avignon-city-of-the-popes-just-an-hour-from-lourmarin/ https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/avignon-city-of-the-popes-just-an-hour-from-lourmarin/#respond Tue, 19 Jul 2016 09:04:00 +0000 http://www.shuttersandsunflowers.com/blog/avignon-city-of-the-popes-just-an-hour-from-lourmarin The magnificent city of Avignon is only about 70km from Lourmarin. Visit it here on this Avignon video tour. Better still, spend a day here and discover its rich and fascinating history. Explore the ramparts of its incredibly well preserved city ...

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Avignon Vaucluse, Provence, France

The magnificent city of Avignon is only about 70km from Lourmarin.
Visit it here on this Avignon video tour.

Better still, spend a day here and discover its rich and fascinating history.
Explore the ramparts of its incredibly well preserved city wall,
built in 1403, which like a ribbon round a cake, still circles the town today.
Avignon was home to the Popes for one hundred years, visit where they lived,
Les Palais des Papes.
Explore its many other sites,
not forgetting to dance on its famous bridge,
Pont d'Avignon, over the mighty Rhône River,
magical and quite unforgettable!

Click here for further information:  

AVIGNON, WHAT TO SEE 

AVIGNON, WHERE TO STAY

AVIGNON, WHERE TO EAT

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Cities of Provence an hour from Lourmarin https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/cities-of-provence-an-hour-from-lourmarin/ https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/cities-of-provence-an-hour-from-lourmarin/#respond Wed, 22 Jun 2016 23:43:00 +0000 http://www.shuttersandsunflowers.com/blog/cities-of-provence-an-hour-from-lourmarin Easily reached on a day's excursion from Lourmarin is the one of the most magnificent cities of Provence, Avignon and vibrant university town of Aix-en-Provence. The Mediterranean coast is a short drive further; Marseilles, and the quaint fishing towns of Bandol and ...

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Aix-en-Provence, one of the a cities of Provence, France

Easily reached on a day's excursion from Lourmarin is the one of the most magnificent cities of Provence, Avignon and vibrant university town of Aix-en-Provence.

The Mediterranean coast is a short drive further; Marseilles, and the quaint fishing towns of Bandol and Cassis.

Not more than an hour from Lourmarin are the charms of Provence's Bouches-du-Rhône region; the bustling market town of St Remy-de-Provence and probably the most splendid of all of Provence's perched villages; Les Baux-de-Provence!

Uzès and the World UNESCO Heritage site, The Pont du Gard, are under two hours from Lourmarin, well worth a visit!

Avignon

Discover this enchanting walled city, home to the Popes for one hundred years. Visit where they lived; Les Palais des Papes and explore Avignon's many other sites, not forgetting to dance on its famous bridge, Pont d'Avignon, over the mighty Rhône River, unforgettable!
Lots more about Avignon here

Aix-en-Provence

This colourful university city in the Bouches-du-Rhône region of Provence is only 30 minutes from Lourmarin. Stroll the famous Cours de Mirabeau, visit the wonderful daily markets and walk in the footsteps of Cézanne and other great artists, you'll be entranced!
Aix-en-Provence, Var, Provence, France

Cassis and Bandol

A pretty 30 minute drive from Aix will take you to the Mediterranean coast and the quaint towns of Bandol, an area famed for its wonderful wine and Cassis where a ferry ride into the fascinating Les Calanques de Cassis is a must!
Les Calanques de Cassis; Cassis, Bandol, Var, Provence, France

St- Remy-de-Provence

I recommend visiting this delightful town on a Wednesday when you can enjoy its wonderful market. Afterwards, take the Van Gogh walk through the streets and enjoy lunch in town before a ten minute drive through the olive groves to Les Baux-de-Provence, stopping off first at the Roman ruins of Glanum if you have time!

Les Baux-de-Provence

Hanging precariously on the craggy limestone of the Alpilles hills sits Les Baux-de-Provence, one of Provence’s most magical and best preserved perched villages, don't miss it! Wander the ramparts of Château des Baux and don't miss the incredible video spectacle of Les Carrières de LumièresMore about Les Baux here

Les Baux-de-Provence, Provence, France

Les Carrières de Lumières

Set within a disused bauxite cave, upon whose walls the artistic brilliance of the master's is projected, each year someone different; Van Gogh, Da vinci, Michelangelo; Chargall, to name but a few, an unforgettable experience!
Michelangelo's Sistene Chapel at Les Carrières de Lumières, Provence

Uzès

Just outside of Provence, in Languedoc Roussillon, you'll find one of my favorite cities; Uzès. Sit under one of the golden arches fringing its magnificent square, Place-aux-Herbes, host to its weekly markets and festivals, visit on a Saturday as the Uzes market is regarded as the best in the region.

Discover the Ducal château, the Medieval Garden, its iconic Fenestrelle tower and of course just 6km away the breathtaking Roman aqueduct, The Pont du Gard.

Pont du Gard

For over two thousands years the golden arches of the Roman aqueduct, Pont du Gard have spanned the beautiful River Gard. For six hundred of those years this UNESCO World Heritage site carried water from Uzès to the Roman city of Nimes, 30km away, a breathtaking site!

Download The Uzès, Travel Guide for Uzès and the surrounding regions of Languedoc Roussillon and Provence.

So much to see and do whilst in Lourmarin and these are just a few ideas, I'm sure you'll have many more more of your own, let me know!

Download the printable The Lourmarin Travel Guide to learn more about this beautiful region

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Provence, where the pleasures of life abound https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/defining-provences-appeal-where-the-pleasures-of-life-abound/ https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/defining-provences-appeal-where-the-pleasures-of-life-abound/#respond Fri, 03 Jun 2016 14:00:00 +0000 http://www.shuttersandsunflowers.com/blog/provence-where-the-pleasure-of-life-abound What is it that consistently draws people to Provence and to the Luberon in particular? What precisely is Provence's appeal, that special ‘je ne sais quoi’ which make the region so captivating? Aside from its natural beauty, perhaps its enduring ...

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Enjoying the pleasures of life in Provence

What is it that consistently draws people to Provence and to the Luberon in particular? What precisely is Provence's appeal, that special ‘je ne sais quoi’ which make the region so captivating? Aside from its natural beauty, perhaps its enduring appeal is, that it remains one of the few places whose charms have not diminished with the passing of time. Simple pleasures of life, can still be found here and in abundance.

Provence, immersing yourself in simple pleasures

Provence is a place where lingering in the shade over a long, lazy, lunch, watching the world pass by  is part of life and in our over scheduled lives is perhaps the very essence of Provence's appeal!

It's where shopping means ambling through a brightly coloured market, filling your basket with freshly baked pastries, ripe local produce the soil still clinging to it, a medley of olives, honey and flowers.
Life seems kinder here, that in itself is so integral to Provence' appeal, where instead of rushing, one simply meanders, exploring the narrow streets, stopping every so often to admire a tall shuttered window or worn brass door handle, which you just know has a story to tell.
Picturesque streets of Lourmarin, Provence, part of Provence's appeal
It’s a place where one wanders down tree lined avenues,
Aix-en-Provence's Tree lined avenues like Avenue Cours Mirabeau, which define Provence
where bustling street cafés beckon, their only requirement being that you take your time over a coffee or glass of wine, inviting you to relax and soak up the ambience. Simple pleasures so integral to Provence's appeal, just as alluring today as they were when Van Gough, Gauguin, Cézanne captured it on their canvases.

Provence, a symphony for the senses

Provence is a place where is so much admire, to look at, to taste, to smell, to hear, simple but delightful sensory experiences which help to define Provence's appeal.

Sights of Provence

Provence and especially the Luberon, is visually stunning and the sense of the past is inescapable, in its enchanting perched villages, its tumbled down castles, abbeys and medieval chateaux.
 Lourmarin's medieval chateau, history which defines Provence's appeal
Set against a backdrop of breathtaking scenery and a magical light, Provence has enticed artists here for centuries. This unique transcendent light has a sharply defining clarity which has the ability to become almost translucent, a painter's dream!
Transulent light of the Luberon, Provence
There is an ever-changing kaleidoscope, where streaming sun rays, intensify and illuminate the natural colours of the spectacular landscape.
Landscape of the Luberon,Provence
Vibrant summer carpets of dancing yellow sunflowers and violet shades of lavender.
Sunflower fields of Provence
Endless, rolling fields of bright, green vineyards, olive groves and fruit orchards,
Vineyards of Provence
which evolve into a deep, rich, ocher glow before shedding their gowns to rest during winter.

Fragrances of Provence

And as the seasons change so do the natural fragrances, which in this part of the world have an intensity which perfumes the air like no where else. Lavender, verbena and olives, so defining of summer in Provence pervade, and then later the heady aroma of the vines, when lush crops of grapes drip like fat jewels, from ancient gnarly fists. Fragrances which giddily illustrate Provence's appeal!
Vines of Provence
The intoxicating scent of warm soil, of fermenting fruit and musty, aged oak barrels promising rich dark vintages, to be slowly sipped by the glow of a fire, the flavors of the earth, the fruit and wood smoke consuming you.

Tastes of Provence

Good food and eating in Provence really matters, it is a place of mouth watering tastes; the flaky, buttery texture of croissants which melt on your tongue; of ripe tomatoes whose exploding flavor instantly remind you of the summers of your childhood, of freshly cut grass, of not having to do anything.
Fresh produce, tomatoes of Provence
Crusty, floury baguettes spread with soft, creamy cheese which oozes between your finger tips; small sweet strawberries, figs, nectarines and slices of chilled melon, a scrumptious regional bounty which are so much part of Provence's appeal.
Crusty French baguettes, the taste of Provence
And as you feast on all this deliciousness, your ears full of the lyrical melody of the French language and the chirping of crickets, you’ll probably wonder if anything has ever tasted as good.

Perhaps the very heart of Provence's appeal is  that is somewhere to find respite from the frenzied, interconnected world so many of us find ourselves consumed by, a place to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, as beguiling today, as they were many life times ago.

Experience some of this beautiful region of Provence yourself:
What to see in Uzès, Avignon, Lourmarin
Where to stay in Uzès, Avignon, Lourmarin 
Where to eat in Uzès, Avignon, Lourmarin 

Download the printable The Lourmarin Travel Guide to learn more about this beautiful region
AND
Download The Uzès, Travel Guide for Uzès
and the surrounding regions of Languedoc Roussillon and Provence.

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Visit Pont du Gard here..... https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/visit-pont-du-gard-here/ https://shuttersandsunflowers.com/visit-pont-du-gard-here/#respond Thu, 07 Apr 2016 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.shuttersandsunflowers.com/blog/visit-pont-du-gard-here Standing beneath the golden arches of the Roman aqueduct, Pont du Gard, just 6km from Uzès, Languedoc Roussillon, France, it hardly seems possible that this magnificent structure has been here for over 2000 years. Build from local limestone, for 600 years ...

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Pont du Gard, near Uzes, Languedoc Roussillon, France

Standing beneath the golden arches of the Roman aqueduct,
Pont du Gard, just 6km from Uzès, Languedoc Roussillon, France,
it hardly seems possible that this magnificent structure has been here for over 2000 years.
Build from local limestone, for 600 years
it carried water from Uzès to the Roman city of Nimes, 30km away.
Spanning the beautiful River Gard
it is a breathtaking site,
one you won't regret including on your visit to
Languedoc Roussillon and Provence

To learn more about the Pont Du Gard and how to visit it click here

Download The Uzès, Travel Guide for Uzès and the surrounding regions of Languedoc Roussillon and Provence.

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