We departed Lourmarin just as winter had arrived, with Christmas round the corner. The trees were almost bare, only a few remnants of their golden autumn gown still clinging to the branches. Temperatures had fallen, especially when the Mistral blew her cruel, icy breath down the Rhône Valley. There were occasional early morning frosts and mists creeping across the ground at first light. But most days the skies were still cornflower blue, with bright, dazzling rays of sunlight illuminating the world with a clarity only found in Provence. Perfect conditions for the olive harvest.

It's barely been two weeks since we were there, and now, from so far away, it's hard to believe it's all just as we left it. The air perfumed with woodsmoke, and an air of expectancy swirling below the strings of twinkling lights. Below them, along the Lourmarin streets, carefully positioned baby sapins proudly displaying cheery crimson bows.

Brightly decorated shop fronts, our wonderful artist Isirdi's Gallery looking splendid.

Many strung with tiny sparkles.

A profusion of temptations enticingly displayed.

One of my favorite at this time of year, La Maison Franc, their beautiful lavender wands and boules a special treat for the Christmas tree.

Lourmarin's delightful new Boucherie was preparing to supply the village with an array of delicious, festive food!

The weekly markets still arriving, somewhat depleted except for food stalls, happy to help the locals to stock the local people's Christmas pantries.

Warm lazy days sipping rosé in the shade were a distant memory. But café terraces still bustled, their patrons swaddled in coats and scarves, huddled around steaming hot drinks.

Christmas markets were popping up each weekend, we visited this one in the pretty fishing town of Cassis.

Tethered boats bobbed in Cassis harbor where we enjoyed lunch on the quayside.

And in Aix-en-Provence, its famous Cours Mirabeau was lined with a white ribbon of festive stalls.

Provencal gifts from the region; lavender products, incredible carved chocolate sets,

Calissons, a local almond paste speciality.

Festive bow ties.

presents made of wood,

and Santons, the hand-painted terracotta scene figurines made to decorate Provencal Nativity Crèches.

The Christmas Traditions of Provence

The Santons

Santons were first created during the French Revolution by Jean-Louis Lagnel (1761-1822), an artisan from Marseilles. Traditionally a Provencal crib scene had about 55 Santons, depicting not only religious characters but local figures from ordinary life. To this day the Santons are positioned around a traditional crib scene surrounded by small buildings from the village.

Santon fairs take place all over Provence and officially mark the beginning of the Christmas season. We admired the Santon nativity scene displayed inside the magnificent cathedral of Aix-en-Provence, Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur.

Le blé de la Sainte-Barbe

Christmas in Provence begins on December 4th, the day of Ste-Barbe. In the days before Christmas little bags of wheat are sold or handed out free at boulangeries. Ste Barbe is celebrated by planting this wheat in small pots. The belief is, that if the wheat grows straight the year ahead will be prosperous.

Traditionally families grow 3 pots of wheat to represent the Holy Trinity. These pots decorate the table on Christmas Eve for the Gros Souper. This is a meatless meal, often beginning with a garlic soup, followed by a fish dish and thirteen desserts. After the Christmas day lunchtime meal the wheat is placed in the crèche among the santons, laid there to symbolise the fields.

Les Treize Desserts~ the 13 desserts

Les Treize desserts is an ancient tradition and steeped in symbolism, thirteen representing the Last Supper with Jesus and the 12 Apostles.

Although it is now possible to buy a simplified, boxed version, traditionally the 13 desserts would have included dried and fresh fruit, two types of nougat, candied fruit and Fougasse, a flatbread made of olive oil and orange flower water. The custom is that the fougasse should be torn not sliced, to do otherwise is to cause financial ruin for the coming year! The desserts are often eaten after Midnight Mass and served together with vin cuit, a fortified wine. Everyone is meant to try a little of each dessert.

Provence and Lourmarin seem very far away from California. And since we left, winter has dusted our little village with a coat of snow. I've been there when it snows, when my fairy tale village seems even more magical, as it waits patiently for Christmas.

I hope you're waiting patiently, not too tied up in wrapping paper, tinsel and chaos!

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas wherever in the world you may be

and thank you for loyally following my ramblings!

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December is here. Despite the unprecedented challenges of the year the seasons have changed regardless. The skies of California are still cornflower blue, especially in the Tahoe mountains where we’re living for a few months, but winter has arrived. There’s not been much snow but the frigid night time temperatures are permitting it to be made and we've already had four days on the slopes! Bare tree branches dusted with frost and snow glint in the bright morning sunlight and the air is fragrant with pine. Having shed her crimson autumn gown Mother Nature is readying herself for her mantle of white. Christmas is upon us and excited small children trudge through the snow to cut down their Christmas trees.

As the end of the year approaches, one that will not be remembered fondly, it’s easy to become nostalgic. In the spirit of Charles Dickens' beloved ‘Christmas Carol’, there’s comfort to be drawn reflecting on Christmas past, wondering how things will be this Christmas and perhaps pondering upon Christmas yet to come.

Christmas Past

When contemplating previous Christmases my thoughts invariably turn to England where I grew up and where, in my opinion there is no better place to be at Christmas. Last year we were there.

Our trip actually began in Germany, in a tiny picturesque village near Cologne where of course we visited its splendid Christmas markets. Glittering enticingly, Christmas markets have been held beneath the spires of the city’s magnificent cathedral for over one hundred and eighty years. I hope they are there this year too.

We then went to London. Bedecked with Christmas splendor London sparkles and glows at Christmas. The streets are festooned with lights, Regent Street being the most spectacular. The shops are at their most splendid and the West End theatres thrill audiences with their Christmas productions and pantomimes. The American classic 'White Christmas' in London was magical!

Another children's classic was featured across the city, Raymond Brigg's Snowman popped up everywhere! We even found Father Christmas, from his other beloved Christmas story!

After the theatre and shopping we were in need of refreshment and no where could have been more atmospheric and authentic than Gordons. Tucked away down a small alley way near Charing Cross Station it is believed to be London's oldest wine bar, still run by the Gordon family, who have been serving drinks since 1890. Sat beneath its vaulted ceiling in the cellar it felt like we'd stepped into a Dickens' novel!

We spent Christmas the best way there is to spend Christmas, with family in North Yorkshire, just north of possibly England’s most beautiful city, York. We browsed for our Christmas gifts along the cobbled streets, exploring the antique shops crammed with treasures below the spires of the cathedral which dominate the skyline.

All the traditional English fare; turkeys, mince pies, Christmas puddings, chutneys and preserves were readily available. We found pheasants hanging from a butcher’s window and even spotted Father Christmas attempting an early descent.

We were really spoiled, a Christmas party in our honor, carols by candlelight at the church and a brisk walk on Christmas morning along the beach before a sumptuous Christmas lunch, roast turkey and all the trimmings!

We indulged in fish and chips a couple of nights before. The most delicious in the world really are from Yorkshire!

Christmas present

Many of us will be preparing for the festivities differently this year. Shopping will be mostly online, perhaps we’ll miss the excited bustle of crowded shops or maybe we’ll be glad to avoid it. Pantomimes and theaters productions won’t be happening, church pews will be empty, carol singers might not be gathering and Christmas markets will be a rarity. Saddest of all, many people will not be able to freely gather with family and friends but Christmas will still be celebrated even if the sparkle is missing. For some, because of this tragic pandemic, it will be particularly difficult, the first Christmas without someone they love......

I will be thinking of my fairy tale village in Provence where despite everything I’m sure preparations for le Fête Noël are underway. Even if the festive wooden chalets of the Marchés de Noël don’t line the Cours Mirabeau in Aix-en-Provence I know the local people will do all they can to ensure their local traditions continue. Buying the delicious Calissons d’Aix and displaying the santons in their Nativity scenes. My family for one would like me to adopt the age old French custom of having thirteen deserts! You can remind yourself of Provence traditions here.

Christmas yet to be

Next year I’m sure things will have improved. The pandemic will be more under control and there will be things to look forward to again. Maybe we’ll even be in Provence for Christmas 2021. Sadly apart from a few days in January we haven’t been to Lourmarin all year. But as I’ve said before, ‘this too shall pass'.

We’re being optimistic and have reinstated our cancelled airline tickets to return to England and Lourmarin next May ~

However trying life has been, at this time of year there’s magic in the air. I hope it will be sprinkled upon you allowing you to enjoy the festive season. Happy Christmas my friends, and remember, good things happen to all those who truly believe.........

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It's December and people everywhere are getting ready for Christmas. After weeks of blue skies and gentle warm days it’s raining where I live in California and temperatures have plummeted. The puddles are splattered with the last remnants of autumn and the mornings are frosty with low lying mists hanging over the hills. Pumpkins have been cast aside replaced with Christmas sparkle, draped across roof tops and porches sometimes quite dramatically, beckoning in the Festive season.

And I know, in Lourmarin preparations for Christmas, le Fête Noël  are also underway. I'm not going to be there but can imagine it, the bustle and excitement, the decorating, the cooking, shops bursting with enticement and my little street festooned with twinkling fairy lights.

Christmas markets

In the larger European cities wooden chalets straight from a German Christmas story are now peppered throughout the streets. Each weekend tiny villages play host to Christmas markets, near Lourmarin these Marchés de Noël  are held in local schools, town halls and  wineries. My favorite is in Aix-en-Provence where the Cours Mirabeau will have become lined with festive wooden chalets.

Provence Traditions

Calissons d'Aix

Calissons d'Aix are sweet treets made from an ancestral recipe; a mixture of finely ground almonds, melon de Provence and candied orange peel, on a wafer bed covered with a royal icing setting, délicieux!

Santons

A charming part of Christmas in Provence, Santons are hand-painted terracotta nativity scene figurines. They were first created during the French Revolution by an artisan from Marseilles, Jean-Louis Lagnel (1761-1822). A Provencal crib scene would traditionally have about 55 Santons, depicting different characters from the region.

The 13 deserts of Christmas

 The Provencal 13 desserts of Christmas are an age old custom eaten after Gros Souper, the equivalent of Christmas dinner, thought to have represented Jesus and the 12 apostles.

The 13 deserts normally include a Fougasse (an olive oil flatbread), a Pompe à l’huile (olive oil brioche), a platter of fresh fruit, a fig stuffed with walnuts, dates and white nougat. Not all are home made and  different regions offer their own variations; but everywhere has the Bûche de Noël!

Shopping in Lourmarin

If I were in Lourmarin here are some of the shops I would be browsing for my Christmas gifts

La Maison FRANC  ~16 Rue Henri de Savornin, Lourmarin

What could be more special than a handmade gift interwoven with beautiful ribbon exuding the evocative fragrance of Provence, a Lavender wand (Coeur de Lavande) or Lavender boule for your tree ? La Maison Franc has some of the very finest and they ship all over the world.

KOT for linen clothing & gifts  ~ rue de la Juiverie, Lourmarin

Rose de Bagatelle  for clothing & gifts ~ 8 rue du Temple, Lourmarin

Mizso for handmade jewelry ~ 1 rue du Temple, Lourmarin

Souleo de Provence for pottery ~ 14 rue Henri de Savornin, Lourmarin. Their Lourmarin shop opened this spring but was previously in the Lourmarin market.  Also available online from USA, albeit for a tad bit more!

A book gift about Provence

If like me you love all things French, treat yourself or your friends to a gift of these wonderful little books, 'One Sip at a Time' & 'Are we French Yet'. Written by fellow franophile Keith-Van-Sickle who lives near me in California, (read my review here) they are full of wit and charm and 'Are we French Yet' is also available in an audio edition. Keith is offering a free copy up until Wednesday 11th December 2019. Click here and you might get lucky!

What are the Festive customs and traditions where you live? Are you expecting a white Christmas? Maybe my fairy tale village will be sprinkled with snow completing the magic of this special time of year.

Happy Christmas wherever you are!

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Lourmarin is ready for Fête de Noël. Frosty white fir trees have appeared along our petite rue below a canopy of lights.

Throughout the village, once night has fallen, these fine strings of twinkle line the streets in rows of sparkling ribbons.

The stores are full of Christmas treasures and stay open later to help the busy shoppers.

Amongst ancient, stone buildings, along narrow, cobbled streets, somehow everything appears just that bit more entrancing.

Enticing seasonal settings

to celebrate the time of year.

Opening the shutters to find the world transformed by a soft, powdery, icing sugar dusting of snow completed the enchantment.

Bundled in up in scarves and mittens I tried to encapsulate my fairy tale village adorned in a winter gown.

Almost expecting  'Mr Tumnus' to be hiding behind the lamp posts

and from the church, the sweet voices of children in the village choir. It felt as if Lourmarin was preparing for her very own Christmas story.

For as we ventured out, driving only a short distance, the snow seemed to have only fallen on Lourmarin. Beautiful elsewhere but not quiet as magical.

The streets of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence were lined with les sapins; fir trees adorned with satin, bows and bells.

The shop windows were bedecked in seasonal finery, both in Saint-Rémy

and Uzès.

Our lovely Rue de la Grande Bourgade, where we'd once lived in Uzès, looking more festive than any other.

A truly special part of the world at any time of year and one which was hard to tear ourselves away from.

Packing our suitcases we prepared ourselves for our journey home. No deserted stables or donkeys but crowded airport terminals and rental cars; no reindeer driven sleighs but enormous metal birds quite equally miraculous to transport us back across the skies. We're returning to our other home, briefly pausing in that treasured place where we are from before taking off again to a very different place but also a very special one. This English girl in love with Provence is finally going 'home', 'home' for the Holidays..........

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It's December in Provence, snow has already sprinkled its magic across the villages and as the nights draw in and daylights fades each day, a bitter chill drapes itself like a frozen mantle across the dark golden, sprawling vineyards.

Everywhere Christmas preparations abound as people ready themselves for le Fête Noël and all the traditions of  the season. In the larger cities wooden chalets straight from a German Christmas story pepper the streets and each weekend, scattered throughout the region, the villages play host to Christmas markets, Marchés de Noël 

Marchés de Noël of Aix-en-Provence

From the end of November the Cours Mirabeau, in beautiful Aix-en-Provence, is strung with a line of wooden chalets, each one offering the bounties of Provence for Christmas.

Gifts of Lavender

Lavender of course, is one of the jewels of the Provence terroir. In June vast rows of previously sleeping little hedgehogs (well that's what they look like to me!) are transformed into stunning bushes of wafting fragrance gently scenting the air with their special perfume. By November those delicate blooms have been neatly wrapped and packaged ready to stuff  Christmas stockings!

Calissons d'Aix

Calissons d'Aix, come from the almonds grown all over Provence and most especially around Aix-en-Provence. References to Calissons can be found as far back as the late fifteenth century, they are still produced today from an ancestral recipe; a mixture of finely ground almonds, melon de Provence and candied orange peel, all drawn on a wafer bed covered with a royal icing setting, délicieux!

Santons

Centrally positioned among the gifts of Calissons is a santon. Santons are small, hand-painted terracotta nativity scene figurines produced in Provence. They were originally created by an artisan from Marseilles, Jean-Louis Lagnel (1761-1822) during the French Revolution. Traditionally a Provencal crib scene would be made up of 55 Santons depicting the different characters of a Provencal village, the scissors grinder, the fishwife, the blind man, and the chestnut seller. It is not certain how many such artisans still exist today but the Santons remain a very big part of Christmas in Provence.

Olive wood

A collection of gifts from another bounty of the local terroir, the olive tree!

Candle holders

Cakes and patisseries

Perhaps in preparation for the traditional Provencal 13 desserts of Christmas, an age old custom after Gros Souper, (the equivalent of Christmas dinner) representing Jesus and the 12 apostles.

The 13 deserts normally include a Fougasse (an olive oil flatbread), a Pompe à l’huile (olive oil brioche), a platter of fresh fruit, a fig stuffed with walnuts, dates and white nougat. Different regions have their own variations for what is offered; in Apt, preserved fruit is normally served, in Aix-en-Provençe Calissons, in Marseille Navettes and Croquants, in Nice almond pastes, in the Alps of Haute-Provençe the Bugnes and everywhere the Bûche de Noël!

Chocolate

But there was nothing ordinary about the chocolate at this stall at Aix's Marché de Noël. Each gift piece was a work of art, a masterpiece of every theme imaginable!

A chocolate medical kit!

A chocolate platter

Incroyable!

Marchés de Noël around Provence

The Marchés de Noël are held in local schools or town halls and sometimes in the enchanted setting of a local winery such as Château Val Joanis just a ten minute drive from Lourmarin. I have to admit we didn't find too much to buy apart from their divine wine! It's lucky our little maison de village has a cellar!

Château Val Joanis is nestled at the foot of the Grand Luberon mountain, minutes from Pertuis and close to Lourmarin. This stunning, 400 hectares estate sits on the site of an ancient roman villa and the château originally belonged to Jean of Joanis, secretary to King Louis III of Naples.

As part of the Marché de Noël, in addition to wine, there were all sorts of tempting offerings, gourmet vinegars, olives, preserves and other gifts.

The wine itself was too tempting to resist. Powerful and elegant reds, a rosé of Syrah and Grenache which now is our local favourite and a fresh, crisp, white composed mostly of Viognier, Roussanne and white Grenache, magnifique!

Outside there were pony rides and walks around the château's beautiful gardens which we will be returning to in warmer weather. There was also this wonderful children's book stall, aptly named for just like Château Val Joanis  it was supercalifragilisticexpialidcocious! 

Joyeux Noel everyone from Provence, enjoy your Christmas shopping!!

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Laughter over lunch with those you love, what could be more special? Being with dear friends for a long weekend, sharing our favourite spots at Christmas in Provence.

Long delicious lunches, after which we meandered around the streets of  Lourmarin and surrounding villages. Together we kicked off the Christmas season, sipping ‘vin chaud’ at the Avignon ‘Marche de Noel’. Our Provencal lunch was made more special in the ambience of an ancient, oak beamed restaurant sitting by a roaring fire and Christmas tree.

We delighted in purchases that could only be found in this region, hand milled French soaps and lavender filled Christmas baubles before marveling once again at the magnificent Palais des Papes as we braced the crisp December air up above its ramparts.

Suppers by our fireside and a rambling country walk before a magnificent Sunday lunch completed our time together.

A heavenly weekend, reminiscent of days before children. The years seem to have evaporated, we are older, hopefully wiser, a little frayed around edges but still relishing sharing laughter and happy times with good friends; we even got to play play 'Pooh sticks', such fun! A magical time with dear friends at Christmas in Provence!

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What is it about the clocks changing that seem to totally change the atmosphere around twilight? Almost as if a touch of Christmas magic and anticipation has been sprinkled like fairy dust. Strolling around Lourmarin last night at dusk, the smell of wood fires pervading the air, people casually wandering around the tiny boutiques, clutching enticingly wrapped packages one could have been forgiven for thinking it was mid December, not early November.

I was surprised that our Provencal village was so bustling at 6.30pm. Café and restaurant doors were flung open, slowly weeping, fat candles, encased in their glass hurricanes, burned invitingly on outside tables set for dinner. Despite the brisk, colder than average temperatures, well wrapped up diners sat outside sipping their pre-dinner drinks. It was tempting to stop and join them.
I always love this time of year, when I indulge in a wintery fantasy of log fires, warming soups and casseroles. Candlelight suppers with friends, flower arrangements of burnt cinnamon, orange and magenta, plump, rounded pumpkins and oversized chrysanthemum’s, bursting with the very essence of autumn…..not normally my favourite colours or plants but truly perfect for the season. Crisp mornings when you create your own foggy clouds of breath and your walks take you crunching through a carpet of leaves. The thrill of Halloween, Bonfire night and Thanksgiving, depending where you are located!
Over riding all of this is the promise of Christmas. Still far enough away to have not evolved into the frenzied chaos it can become. The special wonder of this time of
year, high expectations that this year will be even more special than the year  before. Wonderful family gatherings where no-one becomes cross or grumpy, luxurious celebrations with friends where I twirl around
in a divine cocktail dress as a totally unfazed hostess, everything baked and prepared well ahead of schedule!  Indulging myself in my own dreams, perfumes of pine and cedar, stirring Christmas puddings, baking festive goodies…….. all beautifully wrapped in gorgeous ribbons and love.
P.S. 53 days and counting!

Download The Lourmarin Travel Guide to learn more about this beautiful region of Provence

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