The classic Provencal salad - Salade Nicoise) is paid homage by the Chicago Tribune. I like the sound of these olives "Nicoise olives are small, dark and oval-shaped. Their briny meatiness adds a unique and defining signature to this zesty vegetable and tuna mixture."

For those of you who wondered about the nutritional value of Salade Nicoise, here it is: 390 calories, 46% of calories from fat, 20 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 25 g carbohydrates, 28 g protein, 309 mg sodium, 5 g fiber.

Coastal style? Sea scents, driftwood mirrors etc. Am sorely tempted by these mediterranean sea-style Lavender sachets I came across from a company called Florestine.

Or the Lavender-scented candle to burn on the patio in the evening - our lavender normally does for the wasps, so maybe a replacement for citronella candles? Florestine obviously have an expensive copy-writer: how  purple is this:

"Blissfully infused with true lavender essence distilled from organic lavandul officinalis and lavanda vera, the indigenous signature scent of a Mediterranean summer. This fragranced and richly lavender coloured candle is hand-made by small family companies for Ortigia, a boutique Italian scent and accessories company in Sicily."

Engaging images and commentary about Provence from Lonely Planet - maker of the guides. Holly the Australienne creates a pleaseant, warm feeling about the place, featuring roman ruins, French markets with heaps of garlic, lunches in vineyards, Plane-tree lined avenues and lots of sunshine - enjoy!

It's amazing the lure that Provence has for non-residents or distant watchers. I am not undermining its charm and splendours, but some of the notions folk concoct about life in Provence are amazing.

In Evansville, USA, they imagine this: "Wouldn't it be nice to live somewhere romantic such as Provence or Tuscany, where all you have to do is step out your back door to find tasty wild greens and herbs growing on the hillsides?"

In Canada, it's this: "The roots of the Roman Empire run deep throughout southern France, no more so than in rural Provence. With its sunny scrublands, Riviera, vineyards, olive trees and Mediterranean cuisine, parts of Provence could pass for northern Italy. But Francophiles will find Provence also offers the best of la belle France -- Sunday markets, sleepy towns where locals play petanque, fields of lavender and salade Nicoise."

Maybe I shall compile a guide book of journalistic expressiveness about Provence.

"Sir Sean Connery has won a multi-million-pound court battle over a business deal involving diamonds, villas and property on the French Riviera. "

The winner is the Telegraph.

Here's a review of the latest study in Provence's essence: Seeking Provence: Old Myths, New Paths by Nicholas Woodsworth. The central theme of the work according to the Telegraph is thus: "Provence and the Mediterranean in general are ...unique repositories of a sensual way of connecting with the earth, life and all its works." Hmmm.

I liked the picture - a classic Provence vista.

Fascinating article from San Francisco about Brettanomyces, a fungus that imparts certain odours to certain wines, it appears. The wine cited by the author happens to be a Bandol: " vividly remember the first Château Pradeaux I tasted. This mourvèdre-based red from the region of Bandol in France's Provence had the distinct odour of a horse-filled barn. When I served the wine to a friend, he looked up, smiling, and pronounced his judgement: "This smells like s--t.""

I am truly encouraged to discover that there is in fact an official best baguette. Apparently there's an annual competition: "Best Baguette in Paris Award 2008". 14 of the entrants 143 14 were automatically eliminated for not complying with the criteria of size and weight peculiar to the “baguette tradition” (70 cm long, between 250 and 300 g) - only in France. Or maybe that's the EU?

Well - the baguette tournament was a cliffhanger, coming down to a nerve-wracking run-in between "two baguettes – numbers 132 and 97 – which were tied. The jury therefore carefully re-examined them, still tasting “blind”, in order to decide between them. Number 132 was unanimously found to be richer in aroma and taste, whilst number 97 appealed perhaps more for its attractively browned appearance and voluptuous, gourmet aspect."

Here's the winner brandishing the victorious baguette: Anis Bouabsa,28. Apart from the glory, he will be supplying the Élysée palace for a year so will have to hire someone to deliver the President’s baguettes every morning.