[.ca] Colors of Provence (ISBN 1556706197)

From Amazon.com:
Artists have long been attracted to Provence for the quality of the light and for the dramatic color; now Colors of Provence demonstrates just what Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and others found there. Divided into chapters entitled "Red," "Orange," "Yellow," "Green," "Blue," and "White, Black, & Gray," the book is a feast of photographs celebrating the vermillion walls of a small French village, the shades of green in a Provençal herb garden, the cerulean blue of lavender spindles. In and around these luscious photos Michel Biehn weaves a net of words describing the culture and customs of Provence, with a few recipes thrown in for good measure. The Colors of Provence is a book made for dreaming over, ideal for those who have seen Provence for themselves, and those who hope to one day.

Local Color:
Michel Biehn records in loving and sensuous detail the customs and culture of his native Provence, using color as an ingenious organizing theme. The book goes far beyond the cliched lavender. It reveals the purples that fill Provencal gardens at Easter: lilac, iris and wisteria; the deep indigo that dyed the "jute de Nimes" exported to the United States as "denim" (de Nimes) by Levi Strauss; the hot saffron that flavors bouillabaisse; the orange coral marketed at Marseille; the white-on-white boutis embroidery on quilts and linens for the traditional trousseau; the red stone villages rising from the red earth; the yellow of sunflowers, straw hats and bright silk petticoats. Biehn's particular interest, and expertise, in traditional Provencal fabrics and costumes provides a logical palette on which to juxtapose these dramatic colors. Filled with memories, history, folklore, poetry, garden wisdom and mouthwatering recipes, The Colors of Provence is illustrated with ravishing color photos of Provencal landscapes, homes and objects. This book has very much enriched our journeys in Provence and prodded our memories when we reminisce about them. Michel Biehn's idiosyncratic list of his favorite places to visit in Provence has led us to wonderful restaurants, shops, tile works, fabric stores and museums. We found it a valuable resource for understanding the significance of artifacts in village museums in Provence, and especially the collections of the extraordinary Provencal folk museum - the Musee Arlaten - that poet Frederic Mistral established in Arles with his Nobel prize money. A lovely and lively book perfect for planning a journey to Provence or dreaming about one.

Gorgeous photos, magnificent colors!:
I was given this book as a gift upon returning from a trip to France, and this more than any of my travel photos will remind me of and make me yearn to be back in Provence. Very beautiful!