Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: Ai Weiwei and Marseille This is a highly political show – highly personal too. Much is about the artist’s relationship with his father (Ai Qing) whose ship from Shanghai back in 1929 docked right next to where MuCEM is today. Indeed it was France that inspired …

Here’s a suggestion for an interesting art lover’s outing, about an hour’s drive from Aix-en-Provence.  La Commanderie de Peyrassol is not only a successful Var vineyard producing 500,000 bottles of wine a year but is a fast-growing contemporary sculpture park. Continue reading here for details from Lynne’s visit to this vineyard’s modern …

Now the summer has arrived, it’s the perfect time for a trip down to one of Marseille’s southerly beaches, Pointe Rouge. It’s sandy and sheltered, and the lifeguards are already in place. It was developed in the 60s, and the marina now hosts 1,800 boats. Continue reading here for details …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: Here is some information from two French teachers who have moved from the classroom approach in favour of walking around Aix, visiting the markets, having lunch together, all the time having French a conversation – with notes of new vocabulary being emailed to you later.   …Continue …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: The Bastide Rose is the beautiful honey-coloured home of Poppy Salinger who was married to JFK’s press secretary, journalist and writer Pierre Salinger. It stands by the translucent river Sorgue and is the setting for an annual sculpture show. This year, its theme is Amour, in …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: Adding to my previous post, which concentrated on the opening weekend for the Picasso-Picabia exhibition at the Musée Granet. There will be a weekly guided tour of the exhibition in English on Fridays at 15:00hrs (entry fee + 4 euros). French tours will take place Tues-Sun at …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: The town is at a perfect storm of roadworks right now, according to La Provence, (le chantier est a pleine puisssance) but they say that things should start to improve from here on. Work on the 7.2km Aixpress bus-route is taking place along its full length, …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: The Hotel de Caumont has been open for 5 years now as an arts centre, and this current exhibition,’ Nicolas de Stael in Provence’ has to be the best I have seen here. It focuses on the short time this interesting painter spent in Provence, July 1953-June …

I wonder if you have visited Anticafé Aix yet? Founded two years ago, its principle is that customers pay per hour. Your 5 euros per hour gets you as much coffee or tea as you like, plus there are breakfast cereals, bread to toast with jam, or later in the …

The Foundation Carmignac opened to the public on June 1st. This display of modern art is in a vast (1500 sqm) gallery inside a Provencal villa on the beautiful island of Porquerolles. Financier Edouard Carmignac has put the collection together. It includes works from the American Pop Art School, including …