The definition of “Provence” thanks to my Parisian friends.
A confusion has finally been cleared up.
You can find the rest of the “Friday day-in-the-life” videos here 
UPDATE
THANK YOU to Xavier Moisant that pointed out that there IS a difference between “Provence” and “province” (pronounced exactly the same way). NOW it’s clear!!!
select
select
It’s actually NOT pronounced the same way – provence with the same sound as “dans” or “dent” and province as in “un” or “train”. Subtle but that’s how French is
And this difference is crutial !
Let’s redo the math :
France = Paris + Provence … WRONG
France = Paris + Province … RIGHT !
Provence is a part of France in South East, like you show on your map.
Province is a word to indicate any location in France which is not Paris. It has a political history : Paris is where national decisions have been centralized for decades. “C’est la Capitale”. This is why people living outside Paris don’t like this word : “les proviciaux” don’t like the idea that everything comes from above, from Paris. And they are right (I am a “provincial”).
Final math :
Provence belongs to Province
Therefore : Province = Provence + Rest of Province
France = Paris + Provence + Rest of Province…
French people love simple things…
The main idea being :
France = Paris…. VERY WRONG
France = France… Basic, but VERY RIGHT
If you want to visit Paris, go to Paris. If you want to know France, get out of f***ing Paris
I know. It took me a video to figure out I’d been hearing it wrong for at least a year..if not 4
Pingback: A day in the life : Le vin and Civil education | The Observing Participant
Pingback: Un jour dans la vie : le vin et l’éducation civique | French Observing Participant
Michelle, just got around to watching this and it is very funny! (The video, plus the whole Provence/Province thing.) England has something very similar .. England = London + Not London; although a more granular version is actually England = The South East (including London) + Not The South East. People outside of The South East get really hacked off with The South East as they think it gets all the attention and their tax money. Which is pretty much true.
Yours from Just Outside The South East, Catriona
How funny! Is there something like this in New Zealand, too??