Who better to lead a journey devoted to the art of living well than Lyndey Milan OAM, one of Australia’s most respected and enduring food and wine personalities?
World Expeditions has announced Milan as host of a new 11-day small-group journey through one of her favourite parts of the world, the South of France.
Provence: The Art of Living Well with Lyndey Milan, departing in September 2027, brings together the things that have defined Milan’s remarkable career: food, wine, travel, culture and, above all, the pleasure of bringing people together around a table.
For more than four decades, Milan has helped shape the way Australians think about food and wine. The former Food Director of The Australian Women’s Weekly and co-host of Nine’s Fresh, she has presented food and travel television series around the world, authored award-winning cookbooks, judged leading wine and food competitions and hosted culinary journeys internationally. She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to hospitality, particularly the food and wine industry, and to the community.
Fittingly for a woman about to lead a tour devoted to l’art de vivre, Milan has also studied it formally, completing a Diplôme d’Université du Goût, de la Gastronomie et des Arts de la Table through the University of Reims in France.
For Milan, however, the art of living well is much simpler.
“Living well is about enjoyment, feeling glad to be alive and being excited by new discoveries,” Milan said. “Provence embodies that beautifully. It’s the people, the weather, the food and wine, the markets, history, culture and villages, but also the relaxed lifestyle. It is such a joyful place.”
The World Expeditions journey explores Provence at a deliberately unhurried pace, travelling from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (two nights) to Aix-en-Provence (four nights) and hilltop Gordes( four nights).
Timed for late September, as summer gives way to autumn and les vendanges, the grape harvest, brings the vineyards to life, the itinerary combines food, wine, art, markets and walking with something increasingly precious on a holiday: time to simply enjoy where you are.
Food and wine are naturally central. Travellers will shop for seasonal produce at local markets before cooking together in a Provençal home, visit an organic olive estate for a tasting and gourmet picnic among the groves, and enjoy a special visit to Maison AIX, including a tour of the estate and cellar and a tasting of its renowned Provençal rosé.
“But this is not a cooking tour,” Milan said. “The journey is about so much more than food. We’ll explore the history and culture of Provence and meet some of the characters who make these communities what they are. It’s that access and those personal connections that make the experience so special. You simply couldn’t replicate it travelling independently.”
Provence’s artistic legacy is equally important to Milan, who studied Fine Arts at university and was an art teacher before her career in food and television.
In Saint-Rémy, travellers walk through landscapes associated with Vincent van Gogh, while in Aix they explore the world of Paul Cézanne, including his studio, Atelier des Lauves. The colourful history of Provençal textiles is explored at the historic Souleiado house in Tarascon.
“My tagline throughout my life and career has been ‘connecting at the table’,” Milan said. “It’s the conversations we have around a table that are different, deeper and usually more pleasurable. With a small group we have time to listen to one another, share these experiences and make new friends.
