Travel Journal

Our MFCH Spring Retreat in Provence

There are times when a holiday is about seeing as much as possible, and others when we simply want to enjoy being somewhere beautiful, with good food, interesting people and a little time to ourselves.

October 20, 2026

This is the idea behind our MFCH Spring Retreat in Provence, taking place next April at La Bastide du Mourre.

We’ve created this retreat for anyone who loves Provence, enjoys discovering new things and would welcome a few days away from their usual routine. There will be village visits, local markets, creative workshops and wonderful meals, but also plenty of time to relax and enjoy the company of a small group of women.

And with Sharon joining us throughout the week, we’ll have the pleasure of sharing some of the places, people and traditions that make this part of France so special to us.

Spring in Provence

We particularly love Provence in April. The countryside is beginning to turn green again, the gardens are coming into flower, and the markets are changing with the season.

It’s a wonderful time to visit the villages of the Luberon, when daily life carries on at its usual pace. You’ll find people shopping for their Sunday lunch, stopping for coffee in the village square or choosing flowers and vegetables from the market stalls.

We’ll be spending part of each day exploring the region, visiting some of our favourite villages, browsing local shops and meeting the people who live and work here.

For us, discovering Provence has always been about much more than visiting its famous landmarks. It’s also about finding a little pottery workshop down a side street, meeting an artisan who has spent years perfecting their craft, or sitting down to a lunch prepared with ingredients bought at the market that morning.

These are the experiences we enjoy sharing with our guests, and there will be plenty of opportunities for them during our retreat.

Our Home for the Week: La Bastide du Mourre

For this retreat, we’ve chosen La Bastide du Mourre, a beautiful property in the Luberon, surrounded by gardens and Provençal countryside.

Rather than changing hotels or packing our bags every morning, we’ll be settling into the bastide for the entire week.

We wanted somewhere with enough space for everyone to feel comfortable, whether that means spending time together or finding a quiet corner for an afternoon alone.

There are gardens to enjoy, a swimming pool, and places to sit outside with a book or a cup of tea. Guests can also enjoy yoga and wellness treatments, or simply take advantage of having a few hours without any plans.

We think this is one of the nicest things about a retreat. You can enjoy all the pleasures of travelling without feeling that every moment of the day needs to be organised.

A Week of Creativity and Meeting Local Artisans

One of the things we’re particularly looking forward to during this retreat is inviting local artists, artisans and creative friends to spend time with us at the bastide.

Provence is home to so many talented people, and we love the idea of bringing some of them together to share their work, their knowledge and a little of their everyday life with our guests.

Throughout the week, we’re planning a selection of optional creative activities, from cooking with seasonal Provençal ingredients to exploring painting, photography and the art of setting a beautiful table.

These will be opportunities to try something new, pick up a few ideas to take home and enjoy spending time together in a relaxed setting. Sharon will also be joining us and sharing some of her own interests and experience along the way.

Of course, the activities are entirely optional. You may feel like joining a workshop one afternoon and spending the next reading in the garden, enjoying a massage or simply relaxing at the bastide.

After all, we want this week to feel like a holiday, with the freedom for everyone to enjoy it in their own way.

The Pleasure of Sharing a Table

If there’s one thing we’ve learnt from hosting our tours over the years, it’s how much of the experience happens around the table.

A good lunch can easily become one of the favourite memories of a trip, not necessarily because of the restaurant, but because of the conversations, the people and the time spent together.

At the bastide, we’ll have the opportunity to enjoy this every day.

We imagine mornings beginning with breakfast together before heading out to explore, lunches featuring fresh Provençal ingredients, and evenings when everyone gathers around the table to talk about the day.

There will be local wines to discover, new dishes to try and, we hope, plenty of laughter.

We also love the idea of preparing some of these meals ourselves during the cooking workshops, and having everyone involved in setting the table for our final dinner.

It’s a chance to enjoy the French art de vivre in a very natural way, through the small everyday pleasures of good food, a welcoming home and the company of friends.

Travelling Alone, but in Good Company

Over the years, one of our greatest pleasures has been watching the friendships that develop during our tours.

We welcome guests from all over the world, and many of the women who travel with us come on their own. Some are experienced solo travellers, while others are joining a group tour for the very first time.

What brings everyone together is often a shared curiosity and an interest in similar things: gardens, interiors, art, food, travel and discovering different cultures.

Our retreats are particularly well suited to this.

With a small group, there is time to get to know one another properly. You might find yourself chatting over breakfast, discovering a shared interest during a painting workshop or making plans to visit a market together.

And because we’ll all be staying in the same beautiful property, there will be plenty of opportunities to spend time together without feeling that you have to join in every moment.

We want our guests to enjoy the independence of travelling on their own, with the pleasure of having good company whenever they wish.

Join Our MFCH Spring Retreat

Our MFCH Spring Retreat will take place from April 2nd to 7th, 2027, at La Bastide du Mourre in Provence.

We’ll be welcoming a small group of guests for six days of local discoveries, creative workshops, shared meals and time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings, with Sharon joining us throughout the week.

Whether you’re planning to travel alone or with a friend, we’d be delighted to welcome you.