Is there a better time to start imagining and planning for my next trip to southern France than January? After the nonstop activity of December, I always welcome the quiet, introspective time in the heart of winter, when I can spend entire days at home working on art projects that have been forgotten for too long, cooking a soup or baking bread, and of course, dreaming of the year’s travel possibilities.

And one of those possibilities is, of course, another trip to the south of France, in September, when the harvest is in full swing, the summer tourists have gone home, and the weather is just starting to cool but can still be deliciously warm in the daytime. The anticipation of returning is exactly what I need on a chilly winter day, so let’s dream a little, shall we?

First of all, let’s dream of where we’ll stay, which is in a magnificent old stone house surrounded by farms and fields, utterly private with its gated entrance and fences and hedgerows surrounding it. We’ll have a saltwater pool all to ourselves, and a kitchen that is the quintessential French farmhouse kitchen, well equipped and complete with a vintage stove that we can use to prepare what we’ve found in season that day at the outdoor market. Every single one of us will have her own room and bathroom, because a woman needs a room of her own, after all, just to contemplate what she’s seen and done that day or simply get a good night’s rest. Of course, there’s also the option of spending time in the elegantly appointed living areas, both indoor and out, enjoying one another’s company along with a glass of locally produced wine (the house will be well stocked, I assure you).

Our days in these luxurious surroundings will begin with coffee and croissants or pain au chocolat from the local bakery. After a relaxed, unhurried morning we’ll head out to the day’s experience (not too late, though- there’s so much to see!), whether that be the amazing flea market at Isle-sur-la-Sorgue or a day trip into Arles to walk around among Roman ruins and Van Gogh’s paintings come to life, or a trip to a nearby olive oil press and my favorite winery.

A welcome dinner will be held at a carefully selected restaurant, and it will be some of the best food you’ve ever tasted, I assure you.

We will shop for treasures in St. Rèmy de Provence and in Les Baux and Roussillon- oh, the loveliness that you will find here! And while we’re in Roussillon, named one of the most beautiful villages in France, we will explore several other nearby “village perchés” as well, and, weather permitting, perhaps enjoy a meal outdoors while watching the sun set over the Luberon valley.

Arles will be the perfect opportunity for drifting into brocantes filled with antiquities and more vintage loveliness, all under the shadows of UNESCO world heritage Roman ruins. A cheese tasting will be one of the highlights here, along with lunch at a Michelin “Bib Gourmand” mentioned restaurant.

And we can’t miss the opportunity to spend a day on the coast in Cassis enjoying seafood that’s been caught that morning- the oysters to be had here must be tasted to be believed, with a crisp glass of locally produced white wine- followed by a short cruise on the Mediterranean.

If you’d like to make any of this delightful dream of food, wine, treasure hunting, and drinking in beautiful vistas a reality, then please, join me in this quiet corner of France the 20th through the 29th of September, 2025.

I’d love to show you, mes chèries, that reality is in fact better than anything you can imagine.