November in Provence

If you’re reading this in England, where the mornings have turned into an ominous, frosty warning of a cold, grey, harsh winter, November in Provence offers a gentler alternative.

To stay in Provence means trading short, grey days for a week in a stone château or grand house, a short flight from the frantic, commercial Christmas frenzy. Here, there is room for young children to play around the many fountains of Aix-en-Provence, Go wine tasting in places such as Gigondas or throughout the Luberon region or sit outside under a warm heater for a long lunch. The generous space means families can gather easily without being on top of one another, while also offering the perfect setting for a romantic, spacious getaway.

Some photos of the many beautiful fountains in Aix-en-Provence.

Provence welcomes you with the soft, low light of a winter afternoon, and a honey-coloured stone château rented for the week. The air is crisp, scented with woodsmoke and the damp, fertile earth of sleeping vineyards, where the climbing vines form a delicate, skeletal tapestry against the stone. Inside, the kitchen has terracotta-tiled floors, and the house may hold an old clawfoot bath in the bedroom or a huge bathroom with a balcony overlooking the landscape, the formal gardens, or the nearby town. It is the opposite of being stuck in an undersized house with nothing to do. Here, you simply layer on a warm coat and scarf and set out for a walk through elegant, dormant gardens, experiencing life in a setting reminiscent of Château La Canorgue in Bonnieux, featured in Ridley Scott’s A Good Year.

A freestanding French-country bath featuring clawfoot legs with ornate detailing, brass antique-style fixtures, and a beautifully curved silhouette, set against warm wooden floors and a large framed mirror.

In the evenings, as the temperature drops outside, it is the kind of day that is chilly in the morning and evening, and the thick stone walls of the château ensure it remains wonderfully warm inside. Cast-iron radiators emanate a steady, comforting heat, complemented by a grand fireplace with intricate metalwork detailing, perhaps from the firedogs or a decorated fireback standing nearby. You open a bottle of local wine, perhaps from the vineyard right outside your door, and dinner becomes a long, leisurely affair around a massive wooden table. This sense of rustic luxury extends to the bathroom, where the simple pleasure of an evening shower is transformed by candles placed everywhere in the dim light.

Winter in Provence is also defined by its hearty cuisine. A well-known dish is daube provençale, a slow-braised beef stew cooked in local red wine. This is a dish that has been warming Provençal kitchens for centuries, traditionally simmered for hours in a terracotta pot. Its rich aromas are the scent of a Provençal winter. In his memoir A Year in Provence, Peter Mayle captured this perfectly, writing that the sight of a winter larder made him think of “warm kitchens and well-seasoned stews, and it never failed to make me ravenous.” He describes “the wonderful local meals… with pâtés and hams and mammoth stews, and olives, and sausages, and slabs of country bread to wipe up the sauce.” In restaurants, you will find variations of daube in every village, sometimes made with lamb, wild boar, or even octopus near the coast.

In November, Provence offers an alternative to harsher northern climates. Average temperatures range from 10°C to 15°C, which is relatively mild. Rainfall is moderate, although the occasional Mistral wind can bring a sharper chill. Provence in winter is quieter. Some restaurants close, and the Mistral wind can be fierce. You will need a car for most travel, as public transport thins out after dark. But for those who come, Provence, resting beneath pale winter skies, offers hearty cooking, seasonal food, and the calm of a slower pace, and as Peter Mayle observed, a season that invites “long lunches, thick stews, and evenings by the fire.”

Images of fountains credited to Francois de Dijon, Bjs and Esby, all licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0