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Travel Journal

Emily Durand, Your Private Provence tour guide

Explorations of a Guide

Saint Augustine said, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” I don’t know about you but I just can’t stop with one page. Curiosity gets the best of me, pushing me out the door to see, observe, and sometimes to just « be » in what surrounds me. When the day ends, when a tour ends, when I sit and reminisce, it’s often this very moment I feel the inspiration. Joy and happiness are often felt after…in the time we have to reflect on our experiences. And so to keep the beauty of life lingering, to remind myself of what is so unique and special about moments, places, and history, I write…

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smelling fresh truffles in a jar on Provence truffle and wine tour

Truffles in Provence

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An Aphrodisiac in Provence  Truffles in Provence? What attracts you most to Provence? The Mediterranean climate? Provencal cuisine and a rosé from the terroir? Stumbling upon Roman ruins and looking up at Medieval castles? What if I told you that Provence is also one of the treasured places in the…
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Saint Remy de Provence bicycle outside of restaurant

How Has Provence Changed?

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Twenty Years Later A look at Saint-Remy de Provence Obviously things change in twenty years – anywhere; our house, the garden, the community, not to mention ourselves. Sometimes, we like the change, other times we wish it would go away…or come back depending on how you look at it.  It’s probably…
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Provence tour guide Emily Durand on Christmas in Provence Tour

Christmas In Provence

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All I want for Christmas – In Provence Next year marks my 20 years in France so now I guess I can say I have had as many American Christmases as French. In 2005 we managed to escape to Oregon as a family for an American Christmas, but those days are behind us now that the kids are in junior high, a…
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grape harvest

Wine in Provence

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Did the Popes Drink Wine? Do we owe it to the popes in Avignon for having such great wine in the Provence today? Some may debate and they certainly weren’t the first to establish the Provencal vineyards, but there is no denying that the popes concentrated much of their time and energy into elaborat…
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Luberon Valley

The perched villages of the Luberon

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From valley to hilltop in the Luberon The Autumn colors were just starting to turn when I had the privilege to take Larry and Kathy on a tour through the Luberon valleys and hilltops. From their hotel near Gordes, we ventured to the first village just 10 minutes away.  Oppede-le-Vieux. Why “Vieux”…
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The Best Time to See Lavender in Provence

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Lavender in Provence Lavender in Provence is definitely something you want to put on your bucket list of places to go and things to see.  The palette of deep purples to vibrant blues often against an 11th or 12th century architectural design or village is, needless to say, breath taking. However, h…
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