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ARLES, PROVENCE.

12 September 2018 3 comments




I'm *so* excited to be sharing this year's Provence holiday with you!

I've been getting snap happy down in the south of France - here's part one of our voyage :)















Outfit details


Gingham top (similar), Striped skirt, Sandals, Tan tote, Sunglasses (a steal)


We landed early in Marseille and after getting the car sorted out, hit the road.

Our first stop was Arles. A once provincial capital of Ancient Rome down by the Camargue, it's a charming, sleepy city with lots of history and beautiful architecture - something we'd soon become deeply immersed in and loving each second.

We just had to go for an absent minded wander first, to soak in the warm, Provencal air and gorgeous, narrow streets painted in watercolour hues.

I'm a bit of a Francophile (just look at my wardrobe - 19 bretons and counting ;), and my first sight of the French blue shutters brought me right back. I feel entirely fortuitous that my father used to bring mum and I to France almost every year as our autumn/winter holiday, usually to Paris but wherever I am in the country, a little part of me feels like I'm home.


I wore this gingham top loose and flowy on the plane but it felt appropriate to knot up the front and slip on a little striped skirt and sandals for a ramble about the city.


One of our highlights was in fact this little hole-in-the-wall eatery with but a few teeny tables, teetering along the cobbled pavement. Essentially a 'sandwich shop', it's one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. A quintessentially French baguette, made that morning, filled with jambon cru and seasoned, fresh, market tomatoes (I could eat only Provencal tomatoes for the rest of my life I think), drizzled amply with extra virgin olive oil, grown fresh, sourced local, and a few basil leaves. A sandwich so simple but when each of the few ingredients is superlative, it's hard to beat.


And in the same vein, dinner was a pretty wonderful affair too. Journey up the hill and under the vast, leafy green canopy and you'll stumble upon Chardon - absolutely book ahead to get a table in the quaint little outside area, walls adorned with quirky mementos.




It's a great little spot - owned by a trio of restaurateurs but commandeered by different chefs from around the world every couple of months (ours were a duo from Canada).

Dinner for the evening was a blind, 7-course degustation, showcasing everything from textures of beetroot, harissa mussels and my personal high point, a salted dark chocolate tart with figs - so simple but so very delicious.

We stayed with Romain in his gorgeous grounds (I'll show you more in my upcoming post) and I just love the way he pronounces Arles - Non, not 'Arles', 'Arrrrrrrrrle'.

More exploring to come..


xx