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Shutters & Sunflowers

Travel tips from an English girl in California, in love with Provence.

  • Home
  • Uzes
    • Visit
    • Stay
    • Eat
    • Activities
    • Nearby
    • Stories
    • At the Terrace restaurant at Hôtel de Caumont, Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

      Restaurants we love in Uzès, Aix-en-Provence & St-Rémy-de-Provence

      , June 10, 2022
    • Uzès where Shutters and Sunflowers began

      admin, October 4, 2021
    • Shutters of Provence in Lourmarin Provence, France

      The Shutters of Provence

      , September 10, 2019
    • Speaking at The Pilsudski Institute about the Poles who cracked Enigma

      , May 2, 2019
  • Lourmarin
    • Visit
    • Stay
    • Eat
    • Activities
    • Nearby
    • Stories
    • Forever in love with Lourmarin

      , October 1, 2025
    • Our street in Lourmarin, Luberon, Vaucluse, Provence, France

      Lourmarin through the eyes of a child

      , August 9, 2024
    • Lourmarin, Luberon, Provence, Vaucluse, France

      Carmel, California and Lourmarin, Provence, the places I call home

      , March 30, 2023
    • A view of Loumrarin, Luberon, Provence, France

      Lourmarin, The Luberon, Provence, Travel guide

      admin, June 21, 2022
  • Around Provence
    • Cities of Provence
    • Luberon
    • Var
    • Bouches-du-Rhône
    • Côte d’Azur
    • Languedoc-Rousillon
    • The Vaucluse
    • Serre Chevalier sign , on the slopes above Chantemerle

      Skiing in Serre Chevalier, in the French Alps

      , April 5, 2026
    • Valley of the Clarée at Col du Granon, site of WWII operations,les Hautes-Alpes, Serre Chevalier, Provence, France

      History in Les Hautes-Alpes ~ Col du Granon & Mont Dauphine

      , November 1, 2025
    • Entrance to the old Cité Vauban, Briançon, Serre Chevalier, Les Hautes-Alpes, Provence, France

      Cité Vauban, Sébastien Vauban’s historic city at Briançon.

      , October 27, 2025
    • Mountains in Serre Chevalier, Les Hautes-Alpes, Provence, France

      A trip to Serre Chevalier in Les Hautes-Alpes

      , October 15, 2025
  • Britain
    • London
    • An Hour from London
    • The Cotswolds
    • Yorkshire
    • Scotland
    • Other Places
    • Spring blossoms in Lourmarin

      Spring in Provence, England and Lake Tahoe, California

      , March 9, 2021
    • Speaking at The Pilsudski Institute about the Poles who cracked Enigma

      , May 2, 2019
    • The Control Tower at Greenham Common, Nebury, Berkshire, England

      The story of Greenham Common, England

      , October 12, 2018
    • Front of Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, England, birth place of Sir Winston Churchill

      Blenheim Palace, birth place of Sir Winston Churchill

      , February 20, 2018
  • Europe
    • France
    • Italy
    • Germany
    • Austria
    • Netherlands
    • Belgium
    • Denmark
    • Halle aux Grains in Auvillar, Tarn-et-Garonne, France

      Day 8 & 9: Auvillar, Puylaurens & Aigues-Mortes, headed to Provence

      caroline_longstaffe, July 29, 2026
    • Arched Roman city entrance in Saintes, Western France

      Day 7: On the Santiago de Compostela Pilgrim trail from Saintes to Saint Émilion.

      caroline_longstaffe, July 13, 2026
    • Halles de Clisson, Clisson,Pays de la Loire region of the Loire-Atlantique, France

      Day 6 in Brittany: Rochefort-en-Terre & Clisson, saved by an American & the Italians

      caroline_longstaffe, July 8, 2026
    • Hotel du bac, Combrit, Brittany, France

      Camaret-sur-mer and Locronan and Brittany’s medieval city of Vannes

      caroline_longstaffe, July 3, 2026
  • California & USA
    • San Francisco
    • Carmel
    • Napa & Sonoma Wine Country
    • Lake Tahoe
    • The Bay Area
    • Other Places in California
    • Elsewhere in USA
    • Building a house in Carmel-by-the Sea

      Busy building a house in Carmel-by-the-Sea

      , August 1, 2024
    • The Carmel Mission Basilica, founded in 1770

      The story of Father Junípero Serra and the Carmel Mission

      , April 16, 2023
    • Lourmarin, Luberon, Provence, Vaucluse, France

      Carmel, California and Lourmarin, Provence, the places I call home

      , March 30, 2023
    • Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, USA

      Crater Lake ~ the stunning finale to our American Road Trip

      , July 8, 2021
  • Global
    • New Zealand
    • Australia
    • Turkey
    • Dubai
    • Singapore
    • Clay Cliffs at Omarama, South Island New Zealand

      Days 20-21: South Island New Zealand~Tasman Glacier Lake, Ōmarama, Cromwell & wineries

      , February 6, 2025
    • On Hooker Trail, Aoraki / Mount Cook, South Island, New Zealand

      Day 19: South Island New Zealand~Mount Cook

      , February 3, 2025
    • Cardona Hotel, Cardona, South Island, New Zealand

      Day 18: South Island of New Zealand ~ Cardrona & Wanaka

      , January 26, 2025
    • At mountains where Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were filmed near Paradise, near Glenorchy, near Queenstown, South Island New Zealand

      Day 17: South Island of New Zealand, Glenorchy, searching for The Hobbit

      , November 22, 2024
  • Travel Guides
    • A view of Loumrarin, Luberon, Provence, France

      Lourmarin, The Luberon, Provence, Travel guide

      admin, June 21, 2022
    • Plan a stay in Lourmarin, Luberon, Vaucluse, Provence

      Plan a stay in Lourmarin the Luberon, Provence

      , May 2, 2017
    • Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California

      San Francisco – ‘The City by the Bay’ – Travel Guide

      , February 27, 2017
    • Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, USA Travel Guide PDF

      Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, Travel Guide

      admin, January 31, 2016
  • Stories of Life
    • Building a house in Carmel-by-the Sea

      Busy building a house in Carmel-by-the-Sea

      , August 1, 2024
    • View of Lourmarin Village, Luberon, Vaucluse, Provence, France

      A million miles away

      , May 5, 2022
    • Spring blossoms in Lourmarin

      Spring in Provence, England and Lake Tahoe, California

      , March 9, 2021
    • Dreaming of Christmas

      Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas yet to come

      , December 5, 2020
Elsewhere in USA

Day 6 of our American Road Trip ~ Yellowstone National Park

, May 19, 2021

Yellowstone National Park is one of those places that people visit and enthuse over, urging you to go there too. I’m not sure what we were expecting. I knew Yellowstone was famous for its thermal area and was obviously excited …

Read more 8 Comments
Elsewhere in USA

American Road Trip ~The Tetons, Wyoming, Idaho & Montana

, May 17, 2021

Day 5 of our American Road Trip On Day 5 we spent the morning still bedazzled by the Tetons exploring further into Grand Teton National Park The snow capped peaks of the Teton range dominated the skyline. Their reflection in …

Read more 8 Comments
Elsewhere in USA

Our American Road Trip ~ Hiking in Grand Teton National Park

, May 13, 2021

Day 4 Hiking in the Grand Teton National Park The Grand Tetons looked even more stunning on day four of our American road trip. Capped in white, they lay strung before us, the cornflower blue skies creating the perfect back …

Read more 8 Comments
Elsewhere in USA

American Road Trip, ~ Deer Valley, Utah to Jackson Hole, Wyoming

, May 12, 2021

May 11 2021, day three of our American road trip took us from Deer Valley, Utah to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. A 287 mile journey during which we went through so much contrasting scenery at times we thought we were somewhere …

Read more 5 Comments
Elsewhere in USA

Our American Road Trip

, May 10, 2021

We have always wanted to do a big American road trip to visit some of  America’s great National Parks. We’ve been vaccinated and feeling safe, after months of not doing very much at all, we began to make our plans. …

Read more 24 Comments
Spring blossoms in Lourmarin
Around ProvenceBritainLake TahoeStories of Life

Spring in Provence, England and Lake Tahoe, California

, March 9, 2021

I haven’t written a post for a while, feeling unsure during these difficult times about what people might want to read. Springtime in Provence? But then I’m not actually there, and like most people can’t even get there….. Life on …

Read more 5 Comments
Dreaming of Christmas
Stories of Life

Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas yet to come

, December 5, 2020

December is here. Despite the unprecedented challenges of the year the seasons have changed regardless. The skies of California are still cornflower blue, especially in the Tahoe mountains where we’re living for a few months, but winter has arrived. There’s …

Read more 6 Comments
Remembering Alex Manfull~À Table Project to fight PANDAS
LourmarinStories from LourmarinStories of Life

À Table! PANDAS ~remembering Alex

, August 19, 2020

The COVID pandemic has consumed us all. My heart goes out to those that have lost loved ones and the debt owed to our health care workers can never be repaid. Globally the world has been tipped on its axis. …

Read more 2 Comments
The Lourmarin market
Activities in LourmarinExploreLourmarin

The Lourmarin market, re-opening this Friday!!

admin, June 11, 2020

I was so happy to learn from my friends in Lourmarin that the Friday market is allowed to return tomorrow; with social distancing measures of course. After so many weeks of not being permitted, I’m thrilled for all the local …

Read more 2 Comments
The story of the poppies, in Provence and elsewhere
DanvilleLourmarin

The story of the poppies, in Provence and elsewhere

, May 13, 2020

It’s May and the poppies are blooming in Provence. Their tiny black faces almost obscured by their bright red hats, delicate, vibrant, petals wafting in the breeze. Last year I was in Lourmarin admiring them. This year I should have …

Read more 14 Comments
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Rent Our Home InLourmarin

Provence

ABOUT CAROLINEBORN UNDER A WANDERING STAR

I was born under a wandering star, an English girl living in California, in love with Provence. I have lived near San Francisco for 17 years but in 2012 spent 20 unforgettable months in Provence, first in beautiful, medieval Uzès, and then in the Luberon’s fairy-tale village of Lourmarin. It was magical and inspired me to write Shutters and Sunflowers; my insights into the local charm of places I love, Provence, England, California and places I travel, suggestions for where to stay, to eat and to visit. Join me and be inspired too, there's a big world waiting to be explored, let me know what you find!

ExploringPROVENCE, BRITAIN, CALIFORNIA & OTHER PLACES

Hôtel de la Beursaudièr, Chablis, France
ExploreFrance

Driving through France

, August 18, 2022

We have driven through France, north to south and back, (about 1000km each way), more times than I can remember. As children, both our families took holidays driving through France, often headed for Spain. Slightly crammed between siblings, before cars …

Read more 6 Comments
Lavender fields of Bonnieux, Luberon, Vaucluse, Provence, France

The lavender of the Luberon, Provence

, July 25, 2022
Around ProvenceExploreLuberon
Château Léoube entrance by the vines's,Bormes-les-Mimosas, Var Provence, France

Léoube, Provençal rosé enticing England and California

, July 13, 2022
Around ProvenceCôte d'AzurExploreVar

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Shutters & SunflowersAbout the Story

I started this blog as a diary whilst living in Provence, calling it ‘Shutters and Sunflowers’ because they both come to mind when I think of Provence. It has developed into a travel resource, about Provence, California, Britain and wherever I travel. There are travel guides for Uzès, Lourmarin, San Francisco, Carmel and Lake Tahoe; ideas for boutique accommodation, where to sample delicious, regional food, advice about what to see and historical insights. I don't pretend to know all the options but write about what touches my heart; rows of Provencal shutters, fields of sunflowers; about ‘living the journey, not waiting to get to the destination.’ I hope Shutters and Sunflowers will inspire you to visit some of the beautiful places that I have been fortunate enough to go to, do get in touch if I can be of any help in planning your special trips.

Interact With UsMOST COMMENTED

View through the shutters of a maison de village in Lourmarin, Provence, France
42

Our house in Lourmarin, Provence

The Control Tower at Greenham Common, Nebury, Berkshire, England
28

The story of Greenham Common, England

Rainbow over Mt Diablo, Danville California
28

Unprecedented times, stay safe & well my friends……

The Sunflower Field, a World War II novel about the Polish code breakers who first broke the Enigma code
27

The Sunflower Field ~ the story of who first cracked the Enigma Code

24

Our American Road Trip

SyndicationPublished Elsewhere

A collection of articles from Shutters & Sunflowers published elsewhere on the web.

The Sunflower Field World War II Novel set in Provence

Perfectly Provence features ‘The Sunflower Field’, my World War II novel set in France

, August 11, 2017
Published Elsewhere
Sunflowers of Provence, France

Provence Travel Tips from Shutters and Sunflowers interview with Perfectly Provence

admin, January 29, 2016
Published Elsewhere
Interview with Perfectly Provence

Perfectly Provence, Shutters and Sunflowers, The Provencal Landscape

admin, December 2, 2015
Published Elsewhere
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