March is coming...

When March finally arrives, I'm relieved that the January and February months are finally behind me.  I love the seasons here in Utah, but after December I do not look forward to the long upcoming two months.

March gets my mind thinking of France and the essence of Provence.  I was looking at some gorgeous pictures of Provence in the book Provence Style of Living.  This is the one book that deepens my love for the region and today I wanted to share all its charm and beauty.

'On the way down to the village from my windmill, one passes by a mas, built close to the road, within a courtyard lined with nettle trees.  This is a real Provencal dwelling, with its red roof tiles, its broad, brown facade dotted with windows and, perched on the top, the weather vane of the graneary [...].'

-Aphonse Daudet

' In the middle of the square an old fountain spread its stomach.  [...] 

Four marble-cheeked cherubs with distended mouths blew pipes - but the water didn't flow.  Nevertheless, the fountain was full of clear water; its riches spilling over onto the paving stones.'

-Jean Giono

In the 18th century, master plumbers and hydraulic engineers designed complex underground water systems that allowed the water to flow to Provencal country estates, here creating this gorgeous pool.  The idea that the water in these pools come from natural springs sounds so refreshing.

My favorite style is that of the Provencal home.  The rooms, furniture, and fireplaces all have their own story.

' [...] these houses reveal harmonious stairways and rooms where the old Provencal way of life under its kings is almost intact.  And all that silence, those proportions, those handsome, hidden rooms, suited to a life of study, even idleness, should one choose it, exude order, the wisdom of lives in balance.'

-Andre Suares

' The big bare was waiting on an earthenware plate. 

[...] Honore had packed it with a stuffing in the style of his own region, doing something magical with fresh herbs from the garden and from the mountain.'

-Jean Giono

Maisons Cote Sud's Provence Style of Living is the perfect book to have in one's library!