Welcome to the 21st edition of French 5, where I share a glimpse of France through language, places, food and drink, arts and culture, as well as a random fun fact.
In this week’s edition, French native and creator of a Provence-themed subscription box Cynthia shares her top French picks from the south of France.
A big thank you to Cynthia for participating in this interview and for sharing a taste of Provence through photos. If you have any feedback or ideas of what you’d like to see or who should be featured, please leave your comment below.
Featuring || Cynthia of @bestfrenchforever
Bonjour! My name is Cynthia. I am the founder of Best French Forever, a subscription box service of ethical products made in Provence. I was born and raised in the South of France and moved to the US seven years ago to live with the love of my life. Being far from my country made me realize how lucky I was to grow up in Provence. The slow, simple life, the provençal light, the craftsmanship… At every visit, I appreciate it even more now.
01 Language || “Petit à petit, l’oiseau fait son nid.”
Literally, little by little the bird makes his nest. This expression has helped me through many leaps I’ve taken in life. Whether moving into a new place/country, becoming a mother or starting my own business, it’s taught me that everything takes time and patience. I know that change, in all areas of life, cannot happen over night, so like a bird, I keep going, one step at a time!
02 Place || Family home in Provence
This is my parents’ house in Provence. My dad bought some land when I was 3 years old and started building his dream house, by hand, mostly alone. It took thirteen years for us to finally move in and it’s probably one of my dad’s proudest accomplishments. I love this place because it holds so many happy memories with our family and friends, including my wedding! Even though I live far from there now, I hope to keep our house in the family for generations as our vacation home.
03 Food & Drink || La ratatouille
La ratatouille! It’s a traditional dish of Provence made of the best summer veggies (in my opinion): eggplants, zucchinis, red peppers and tomatoes. I’m a vegetable freak so this stew is like heaven to me. I like to eat it with some jasmine rice and a good fish. Or sometimes cold as an appetizer.
04 Arts & Culture || Les Carrières de Lumières
Les Carrières de Lumières in Les Baux de Provence. This is a spectacular white limestone space that hosts throughout the year a number of artistic exhibitions projected on the walls. A must-see if you visit Provence. They are currently hosting an exhibition about Provençal painter Paul Cézanne.
05 Fun Fact || Night owls
We could talk about so many! Here is one: similar to our Spanish and Italian neighbors, we stay up late (though not me personally!). You will see French people eating dinner after 8pm, bars open past midnight and even weddings can go on until 6am. This is a difference I noticed when I moved to the US where establishments closed much earlier.
Follow Friday || Ashley of @curiousprovence
Ashley of @curiousprovence is a photographer, guide and artist originally from Canada. She now lives in a small town of Provence close to where my parents are. She has embraced the Provençal lifestyle and I love to get her take on the French art de vivre. I recommend people to follow them for their regular Provence fix! Ashley always takes us to beautiful places, whether it’s for a photoshoot, an art event or just for fun.
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