Vincent Van Gogh spent his last few years in Provence where he painted the local landscape. But did he also paint the local wind?

Margo Lestz – The Curious Rambler
Bringing History to Life
Vincent Van Gogh spent his last few years in Provence where he painted the local landscape. But did he also paint the local wind?
My Christmas santons were late, but well worth the wait…
Several years before Napoleon’s ill-fated battle at Waterloo, he suffered another humiliating defeat. This time at the hands (or paws) of little, furry bunny rabbits.
A bigger-than-life Van Gogh exhibition in Provence. What would the artist say if he could see this?…
Rows of fragrant lavender plants stretching toward the horizon. It’s an unforgettable sight. In fact, for many people, this is the first image that comes to mind when they think of Provence…
A quirky Provence festival not to be missed…
The Eiffel Tower is a symbol of Paris itself. The grand old Parisian lady is celebrating her 130th birthday
Victor Hugo’s words come true as Notre Dame burns…
You’ve probably heard of The Da Vinci Code, but did you know that the story started with a poor priest in the south of France?
Windmills aren’t what I would usually associate with Paris, but…
New book about France makes a great gift…
There have always been places to eat outside one’s own home, but they weren’t always called restaurants…
The fleur de lys has a long association with the kings of France…
If you’re looking to add a bit of Frenchness to your wardrobe, a blue and white striped knit shirt could just do the trick…
France’s rousing national anthem is called the Marseillaise and was written during the French Revolution…
Foie gras – doesn’t that sound much nicer than “fatty liver?” But that’s exactly what this controversial French delicacy is…
When the French are unhappy about something, they don’t keep quiet – they draw attention to their cause…
Every country seems to have its superstitions, and France is no exception. Which ones have you heard of?…
Coco Chanel was queen of fashion until Elsa Schiaparelli rolled into town…
The flaky, buttery croissant is as French as a beret or a baguette…
The calisson is a Provençal treat linked to Good King René and Queen Jeanne…
How “Boney” Bonaparte went from being a little pest to a child-eating ogre…
You may know the traditional Biblical Christmas story, but in Provence, there is a bit more to it…
“Night Nurse Needed – Should be young and pretty.” This was the ad Henri Matisse placed in 1942…
Some of the objects that Matisse collected showed up in his paintings and others served as inspiration…
We have to go back to the twelfth century and start with a fox…
I’ve had the pleasure of visiting several sites decorated by Jean Cocteau on the French Riviera, but I was surprised to find his work in the center of London…
Did the French invent the method of making champagne? Or was it the British?
Find out why the rooster represents France…
I’m happy to announce that my latest book, Curious Histories of Provence: Tales from the South of France is now published…
How could a fabric that originated in India, was copied by Armenians, and outlawed in France become a symbol of Provence?
Who would have thought that one of the greatest 19th century French writers would have anything to do with a 20th century American cartoon villain?
Southwest Provence, around Arles and the Camargue, has a very distinctive horse and bull culture…
Find out why you should never lay bread on the table upside down…
Misbehaving children have to be very careful the first part of December, or St. Nick might send his not-so-nice “helper” to see them…
The city of Aix-en-Provence has a lot of fountains, but one of them caused quite a stir when it was unveiled in 1923…
The Avignon bridge is known around the world today because of the famous children’s song, “Sur le Pont d’Avignon”…
There is more than meets the eye to these slender, conical cypress trees. They have a hidden meaning…
Just like Robin Hood, Gaspard de Besse robbed from the rich and gave to the poor…
Provence claims thirty-two different winds, but the mistral is master of them all…
When the warm days of summer arrive in Provence, the air is filled with the song of the cicadas, or cigales in French…
Saint Martha isn’t the only slayer of ferocious beasts whose name is associated with Tarascon. The town’s other celebrated hero, who also participates in the annual Tarasque festival, is Tartarin of Tarascan…
Saint Martha washed up in Provence and wandered into a village with a dragon problem. The Tarasque was terrorizing the town, but Martha wasn’t afraid. ..
This story seems like a pretty reasonable explanation for all those gargoyles…
Today, we are looking at three French inventions that make our lives easer…
During the French Revolution, Marie Tussaud was forced to make wax casts of severed heads. Later she took them to England and set up her Wax Museum…
In 1789, aristocrats started to flee revolutionary France. One group of these refugees ended up in a most unlikely place – the wilds of Pennsylvania.
The French Revolutionaries weren’t content with just changing their government. They wanted to change everything – even how they kept track of time.
Mistletoe in French is called gui. This ball of vegetation that grows high in trees has been considered magical since ancient days…
Marie Antoinette is usually characterized as aloof and uncaring. However, she was very motherly and adopted several children…
The Pilgrims are credited with serving the first Thanksgiving meal… but could the French have beaten them to it? And what was on their table?…
Marie Antoinette almost escaped to the USA. Of course, she didn’t make it – but maybe her cats did. Could that be the origin of the Maine Coon?
In the mid 1900s, if you had asked nearly any British person what a Frenchman looked like, you would have gotten this description: He wears a beret, and he rides a bike with onions hanging on the handlebars…
The French beret, that little pancake of a hat, has become the recognized symbol of all things French – at least among those outside of France…
It seems that the British National Anthem could be yet another link in the intertwined histories of the United Kingdom and France…
Have a look around the “Colline du Chateau” overlooking Nice, France, and you can find some spectacular mosaics…
If it’s been a while since you’ve read the Greek classics (or if you just never got around to it) no worries! There’s no need
At the beginning of the French Revolution, when the Parisians had nothing to eat, several thousand women took things into their own hands…
As our taxi entered the city walls of Avignon, it was evident that something was happening. I had seen online that a festival would be
In early 1900s Paris, Madame Bob was a thoroughly modern woman: She had many professions, but is best remembered for helping young lovers elope…
It was 1925 and Victor Lustig was sitting in his Paris hotel room reading a newspaper article about the Eiffel Tower. That gigantic structure had
What does the month of May have to do with the call of distress? Nothing really, it’s just an example of how words slip from one language into another. The distress call actually came from the French phrase, “m’aidez”…
One of the main tourist attractions in the small medieval village of La Romieu, in southwest France, is the abundance of cats to be found
*Published April 1, 2015 Ahh Paris… Just the mention of its name brings up images of sophisticated people in sidewalk cafés surrounded by elegance. It’s
What could be more traditionally French than the baguette, that long slender loaf of bread that has become an instantly recognized symbol of France?
Marianne’s Story – Did you know that France has been led by a woman ever since the French Revolution of 1789? It’s true!
If you like bread, then when you’re in France you probably stop by the boulangerie, or bakery, every day to buy a baguette, croissant, or
The highest paid performer at the Moulin Rouge at the end of the 19th century had a very peculiar talent…
For any book-lover, the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris is a must-see. It’s been the centre…
Even though some of the American/British folkloric characters don’t come to France, you’ll be happy to know that the jolly old man in the red suit does. Of course, he goes by a different name: in France he’s known as Père Noël, or Father Christmas.
Well, I think I’ve done it! No, I haven’t robbed a bank – I think I’ve finished my book! I still have to wait to
The French love their holidays. There are lots of them scattered throughout the year but July and August are the months of les grandes vacances when business almost comes to a halt….
When the French Revolution started with the storming of the Bastille, one man saw his chance for fame and fortune….
French jazz developed under some interesting circumstances during the Nazi Occupation of World War II….
In summer, it’s hard to find an open space on the beach, so It’s hard to imagine that up until the 1920s there were no summer tourists here, no open hotels….
Some animal and plant related French sayings illustrated with photos from a day in the park….
There’s no Tooth Fairy in France so who collects the children’s teeth?…
May 1st, a day to take off work and give out flowers….
There is no Easter Bunny in France but fear not, the French have come up with another method to distribute those Easter eggs
In many countries, the first day of April is a day to play harmless jokes on family and friends. This usually consists of telling a farfetched story in such a way that it sounds like it could be true. When the other person falls for our joke, we exclaim…
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognised symbols of the United States. But did you know that Lady Liberty is an immigrant?…
“A cup of coffee” – € 7.00″A cup of coffee, please” – € 4.25″Hello, a cup of coffee, please” – € 1.40 At this café in Nice, France, minding
They say when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. But what if you are a town on the French Riviera and life gives you extraordinarily delicious lemons?…
In Nice, France we are preparing for the carnival and that means another royal visit. Every year in February, a different king comes to town
Normally, I write about the city of Nice, but in this article, when I mention Nice, I am speaking of the historic “County of Nice”
In France, it’s a tradition to eat pies and cakes containing little “prizes” in January. This practice can be traced back to Roman times and their winter solstice celebration…
Our wedding anniversary was approaching and when Jeff asked what I wanted, I didn’t hesitate, “I want to go truffle hunting!” Looking a bit puzzled,
Christmas time in Provence and the south of France is full of traditions and, as with most good traditions, food is usually involved. Miniature wheat
Recently, when I was at the Christmas “santon” fairs looking at all of the little figures that make up the Nativity scenes in southern
In many parts of the world, Nativity scenes make up a part of the Christmas decoration but in Provence, they are taken to the extreme…
The above collage is a selection of lovely bourgeois buildings in the Musicians quarter of Nice, where we used to live. It is called the
I was sitting in a folding chair in our empty new apartment waiting for our delivery from Ikea, which was scheduled to come between 1:00
No one would ever accuse me of being a gourmet chef, or any kind of chef for that matter. Really, I’m pretty much useless in
May 1st is a public holiday in France. It’s called La Fête du Travail, and it’s the equivalent of the US Labor Day. But it’s
The Cours Saleya market proved to be the perfect place to go to forget about the stress of trying to rent an apartment here in
I’ll soon be off to Italy to start studying the Italian language. I know what I have to look forward to because I remember my