Seeking Provence

Old Myths, New Paths
By Nicholas Woodsworth

'What was a year in Provence compared with three thousand years in Provence? Peter Mayle had hardly invented the place - surely it has to exist in another, more authentic version. No place remains a centre of Mediterranean life for that long without leaving something on itself behind.' With these musings Nicholas Woodsworth peers deeply into provencal life and soul. He had with him the key to much of it; 'in fact I had to take no further than my wife Jany and the large provencal family I had married into to see hints of its ongoing survival in everything they did and said. Buried, sometimes obscure, often mystifying, an older latin experience still lay deeply anchored in them and the places they inhabited'.

This is the Provence that lies beyond the notion that it is really just the stockbroker belt moved south for the Summer, one more invitation to the Good Life. And that is the difference to be a Mediterranean, an older more fundamental way of life that is still worth learning and living today. Nicholas Woodsworth sets out on a journey to discover another Provence full of obscure and out-of-the-way places.

'What I Did This Summer. And You Can, Too', 29 August 2008

'... When I knock off that one, a squat travelbook beckons, “Seeking Provence: Old Myths, New Paths,” part of a British series from Haus Publishing called Armchair Traveller, distributed in the United States by Consortium. Like Tuscany, Provence has been trampled over by too many writers in recent years. But Nicholas Woodsworth, a former Africa correspondent for the Financial Times and a Provençal by marriage, looks as though he could break the curse of Mayle. I’m giving him a chance. Labor Day in Provence in New York. That is an unbeatable combination.'

William Grimes, New York Times

'I enjoyed his quest more than I have enjoyed any other book on Provence since I re-read James Pope-Hennessy’s Aspects of Provence. Believe me, that’s saying something.'

Anthony Peregrine, Sunday Telegraph 29 August 2008 - read the whole article HERE

'As one of European history's cultural crossroads, the French region of Provence has long served to inspire artists, poets, troubadours and the rich set looking for fine wine and summer romance. Having long lived in the region, the author sets out on a journey to discover the true heritage of this land. It's a stimulating read for Francophiles old and new!'

Symmetry Magazine, Australia, Winter 2009

Nicholas Woodsworth was born in Ottawa, Canada and grew up in a diplomatic family in Africa and Asia. He became the Financial Times Africa Correspondent in the late 1980s and was the Weekend FT's staff travel writer from the 1989 to 2003. His interest in the Mediterranean, since expanded to include the entire region, began with his marriage to his provencal wife.

He is also the author of The Liquid Continent - A Mediterranean Triology (Haus 2008).