And thus the planning and dreaming begins…

This is my favorite time of year to be in France. The summer rush of tourists is over and the early fall festivals have passed, and for a shining moment it’s just you and the locals. The weather has cooled, mostly, and even if you do still get one of those days near the Camargue region that feels like a big, damp sweater has been placed around your shoulders, a Mistral should come along soon and dry the air and cool the earth. Mushrooms such as les cèpes might show up at the markets along with the last of the summer’s beautiful bounty of vegetables; sauté a few of these beautiful mushrooms up with some eggs and you have a simple yet extraordinary dinner after a day at the market.

And this is what you will experience if you choose to join us for our fall women’s retreat to Provence. We will be staying near Arles in a luxurious house- everyone has their own bedroom and bathroom because this is a retreat, after all. Each day will have a different adventure in store: the flea market at Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, a visit to a monastery in the mountains to hear a sung vespers service, perched villages, St. Rèmy de Provence, Les Baux, and capped off with time in Arles, the city that captured Vincent van Gogh’s heart and that he then captured on his canvases. We will visit a winery owned and run by women (and that van Gogh memorialized in paint) and Chateauneuf du Pape, an entire town full of different wineries. And we will eat very, very well, of course.

If you’ve ever wanted to see the real France- the off the beaten path, secret and quiet places of this beautiful country, then this is the retreat for you.

There are 6 spots. September 19-28 of 2024.

I do hope you’ll join us.