I'll be doing a month long trip from mid-January to mid-February basing in Nice, Arles-Camargue, Carcassone-Toulouse, Port-Vendres near Perpignan/border with Spain. I've read all the trip reports I can find here and over on Fodors (great photos of Aix Greg/Zebec!) and was wondering if you have any general reading recommendations - books set in these areas, or about the areas (not historical though, I'm looking for relaxation) that give a feel of the place or blogs you could recommend that ramble on a bit (not just a list of places to see - I've read the guide books). Thanks!
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1280 posts
“A Year in Provence” is one of my favorites and is simply a joyful breeze of a read.
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L'Occitanie, France
11499 posts
You haven't listed Aix-en-Provence or Marseille but a classic is "Two Towns in Provence" by M.F.K Fisher.
Marcel Pagnol books translated into English
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
16330 posts
Jane on the forum recommended "A Season for That: Lost and Found in the Other Southern France" by Steve Hoffman. I enjoyed it a lot although I found him a little whiney at times. He moved to Autignac which is just 13 miles north of Beziers. While my tour did not go thru there it was fun to be in the landscape he describes.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
11499 posts
In the same vein as the book Pam just recommended, there are dozens and dozens of blogs by people who have moved to France. They are usually about discovering a different way of life, house repairs, fresh bread, wine, doctors appointments. Some understand the society and speak the language where they've landed, others not so much. Those are online and free.
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146 posts
A blog that inspired my South of France travels is "The Barefoot Blogger" by Deborah Bine. I have enjoyed her travels and gotten a lot of good ideas. For books I loved "On Rue Tatin". It is an old book but I really enjoyed it. The author still runs a cooking school in France.
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Bristol, UK
1933 posts
Kate Mosse has written a trilogy of books set in and around Carcassone, starting with Labyrinth.
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Northern California (formerly Brescia and Lago di Garda Italy)
178 posts
If you like wine (or like learning about winemaking) - Kermit Lynch just wrote a fun novel At Poupons Table that I’m quite enjoying. Peter Mayle ish. Not your specific cities but general Provence area focused on wine growing regions.
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Chicago
9413 posts
Martin Walker's Bruno Chief of Police series set in a fictional town based on La Bugue in the Dordogne are great about the ambience and food of the region. I learned about night markets and about lots of local delicacies from them.
Set in Aix, there are the M L Longworth Aix in Provence murder series.