Bruce Anderson

A toast to Provence

Roman genius and discipline, the bounty of nature — and French peasant cunning. It is an irresistible combination

issue 27 August 2016

Friends have a house in Provence, near the foot of Mont Ventoux. Even in a region so full of charm and grace, it is an exceptional spot. Although nothing visible dates from earlier than the 18th century, the house is in the midst of olive groves and there has been a farm dwelling for centuries. I suspect that one would find medieval masonry in the foundations. Beginning life as a simple farmhouse, it has been bashed about, added to and poshed up. On the western side, the exterior has pretensions to grandeur. The other elevation is more feminine; you expect to find Fragonard painting a girl on a swing.

At this season, the parasols act as the drawing room. There is a pool, and there were expeditions to Nîmes, Orange and Avignon. But it was also pleasant to read a book while occasionally looking up beyond the oleanders to the heights of Ventoux.

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