This year I am traveling back to France through Peter Mayle's book A Year in Provence. Published in 1989, the novel is the author's memoir of living in a 200-year-old Provençal farmhouse with his wife after leaving the cloudy skies of England for the warm sunshine of southeastern France. Each chapter recounts adventures from their first year in the remote Provençal town of Lubéron, a region filled with picturesque hilltop villages, rolling hills, lavender fields, and olive groves. The author shares many endearing experiences and struggles that include learning a new language and local customs, their growing camaraderie with the locals, restoring their two-century stone farmhouse, exploring new culinary tastes, and embracing the Provençal life. Years after its first publication, A Year in Provence continues to captivate readers and inspire them to dream of their own Provençal journey to a slower and more savory life.
