For those north of the hemisphere, it’s autumn and we’d like to hazard a guess… you’re already thinking about where to search for sun next summer? We’ve checked to see if the Japanese have a word that perfectly matches this sensation. There is none.

 

Alas, wanting to go to Provence has no poetic phraseology that we can all bathe in. Whether it’s your first or fiftieth trip to the land that is adorned with lavender fields, chateaus and rosé on tap, holidaying in Provence is a vibe.

It’s the quiet mornings wandering through the market stalls, seeing the freshest in season produce stacked high. It’s the café with its strong coffee and aromas circumnavigating through the streets all savoured as they are drunk under the shaded curb-side trees. It’s the long exhale as the light softens and the hills blush purple and gold. Life here seems to happen at half speed and you find yourself grateful for it.

The seasons light up differently. Spring is a whisper bursting with colour and life. Wildflowers push through the sun-warmed soil and tables get stacked with asparagus and strawberries locally picked and enjoyed. Summer time hits, pops and glows; vineyards heavy with fruit, shutters flung open and laughter breaking through the warm evening air. Provence is a celebration of all the things simple and beautiful.

Best enjoyed barefoot, better with a glass of something chilled.

And where to stay, to savour it all?

Château des Alpilles sits at the heart of Saint-Rémy, where 19th-century elegance meets Provençal ease — grand, but never grandiose. Swan Lake Château feels like a dream dreamt beside the water, its gardens spilling over with life and light. And for lovers of wine and quiet indulgence, Vineyard Château offers days framed by vines and evenings that stretch lazily into starlight.

So, is it too early to dream of Provence? Of mornings in dappled sunlight, of evenings perfumed with jasmine? Perhaps not. Because the best journeys start exactly like this, with a thought, a longing, a whisper of summer that’s already on its way.