I've been collecting colorful little provençal almanacs for a few years. They bring me untold pleasure when I'm longing for Provence on a dreary Oregon afternoon.

Each year, a small publishing house in Marseille -Editions Jeanne Laffitte - chooses an illustrator and writer to bring you all the things you'd expect in an almanac, though these have a decidedly French twist. 

Even if you know just a little French, these charming entries are guaranteed to delight you any day of any year. There's the history of mimosa - not the drink, the flower - and a grocery list for the biggest bouillabaisse in the world, certified as such by the Guinness des

records, which includes 100 litres of olive oil!

There's plenty of lore about the origins of provençal customs too.  Did you know, for example that pétanque, the quintessential French pastime played in every public square in the land, had its origins with the Pharaohs of Egypt?  And can you imagine the racket that the Festival du Tambourin sends up all over Aix-en-Provence during the last week in April?  Dictions, or little proverbs, bring a smile to your face.  Here's a perfect one for this time of year:

This was our motto as we spent nearly four years building the partnership of friends that today owns Maison Venasque. Our castle in the sky was an old stone house in a quaint, hilltop village. We always believed we could do it.  And so we did.  Now, if you can dream of owning Your Own French Home, you can do it, too.

We are marketing for sale, a tastefully restored village home on a quiet chemin in the town of Fontveielle, in the Vallée des Baux.  It is just a ten minute drive from the TGV Station in Arles and 50 minutes to the airport in Marseille. For village details, visit All about Fontveielle . The picturesque mill, made famous by Albert Daudet's Les lettres de mon moulin and even more so in a 1954 Pagnol film by the same name, is a perfect spot to view a provençal sunset. 

Now, imagine your own French home, a few steps from the hustle-bustle of town. Open the gate to an intimate courtyard. The wrought-iron trellis will soon be covered with vines, shading you from the provençal sun as you sip a glass of rosé.

Enter an open "grand salon" with dining, living and a new, modern kitchen, including  washer/dryer cleverly concealed behind cupboard doors. Two sets of French doors open to the courtyard, nearly doubling indoor/outdoor living space. There's a WC tucked neatly under the staircase to the top floor. Upstairs, there are two bedrooms, tiled bath and a large loft suitable for storage, use as a studio, or a place for youngsters to play. All building materials are of local origin. Maison Fontveielle is "move-in ready." 

Purchase of this home includes a garage/shed just across the lane and completely approved plans to renovate it as a studio or small house, which would likely sell for 200,000€ euros when complete.