Foraging in Provence

Rodsan99, Dec 2024

My partner and I had an absolutely amazing time searching for fossils and exploring the country side. Sadly the area had been experiencing a drought so everything was quite dry, but it didn’t stop us from having a great time. We were still able to find wild thyme and juniper which were so fragrant. We were even able to find plenty of fossils and even identified some teeth!

Afterwards we enjoyed the homemade Pastis, we only wish we were able to bring some home with us! The homemade pate was also quite delicious, it was my first time tasting pate and they didn’t disappoint.

John was a great conversationalist and even though our other guide didn’t speak much English, John did a great job of translating and making us all feel included in conversation. They really went out of their way to make my partner and I feel welcomed and we can’t emphasize enough just how much my partner and I really appreciated that. I will definitely be doing one of their other activities next time I visit the region, it was such a cool experience with really cool people.

JaneNMichael, Dec 2024

It's always a treat to walk around on someone's private property, to see how different their back yard is from my own. On this hilly hike we saw fossils, wild thyme, goats and an ancient water source with the most crystal clear, delicious water. We were a group of family and friends ranging from age 18-77. Our mom's pretty spry, but she needed a little help on the steeper hills, partly because of the incline and partly because of the pebbles. Heed their advice to wear closed shoes and bring a hat. Jean-Marc, our guide, helped us find the fossils along the paths. It's incredible to hold something so old in your hands. Then we were rewarded with pate, rosé and Jean-Marc's homemade pastis, which was truly special. We brought some of that pastis all the way home to Chicago.