
Canaletto Comes to Aix-en-Provence
Of course, there weren’t any cameras around in 18th-century Rome, London, or Venice, but right now in Aix, we can get a fairly accurate view of what these cities looked like thanks to Antonio Canaletto’s careful and colourful paintings.
Of course, there weren’t any cameras around in 18th-century Rome, London, or Venice, but right now in Aix, we can get a fairly accurate view of what these cities looked like thanks to Antonio Canaletto’s careful and colourful paintings.

La Rouge Guinguette – Lunch in Jouques
Our French teacher explained to us that a guinguette was typically a make-shift café-bar, usually next to water, with strings of lights and music and bushes pour aller flirter. They were dotted around Paris for instance for workers at the weekends and of course were beloved of the Impressionists.
Our French teacher explained to us that a guinguette was typically a make-shift café-bar, usually next to water, with strings of lights and music and bushes pour aller flirter. They were dotted around Paris for instance for workers at the weekends and of course were beloved of the Impressionists.

Aix’s Stunning Hotel Caumont
We locals have been watching the ongoing work on the 300-year-old mansion, the Hotel Caumont, for two years as workmen repaired the roof, stonemasons worked on the ancient façade, and lorries drove in and out of the garden area. You can almost hear the clip-clop of the horses’ hooves maneuvering …
We locals have been watching the ongoing work on the 300-year-old mansion, the Hotel Caumont, for two years as workmen repaired the roof, stonemasons worked on the ancient façade, and lorries drove in and out of the garden area. You can almost hear the clip-clop of the horses’ hooves maneuvering …

Ballet Preljocaj – Photo Expo in Aix
Celebrating 30 years of bringing contemporary dance to Aix, there is an exhibition of photography of the Ballet Preljocaj which is running until 20th September. There will be photos from the archives but also those taken by three photographers, one of whom is Jean-Claude Carbonne.
Celebrating 30 years of bringing contemporary dance to Aix, there is an exhibition of photography of the Ballet Preljocaj which is running until 20th September. There will be photos from the archives but also those taken by three photographers, one of whom is Jean-Claude Carbonne.

Memorable Dining at Le Chateau in Calanque de Sormiou
This is the view as you drive over the rocky mountains towards the Mediterranean from the very eastern edge of Marseille. The breathtaking Calanque de Sormiou is the setting for Le Chateau, a family-run restaurant established in 1948. Provence’s Calanques: The Fjords of Provence Just east of Marseille lays the …
This is the view as you drive over the rocky mountains towards the Mediterranean from the very eastern edge of Marseille. The breathtaking Calanque de Sormiou is the setting for Le Chateau, a family-run restaurant established in 1948. Provence’s Calanques: The Fjords of Provence Just east of Marseille lays the …

Coming Soon to Marseille: MUCEM Plage
What a great idea – 640 tonnes of sand to be dumped on the MUCEM esplanade to make a big beach for the summer. It will be open all day for walks, picnics at shaded tables, pétanque games, ping-pong and, on Sundays, dances. There will also be workshops. MUCEM Museum …
What a great idea – 640 tonnes of sand to be dumped on the MUCEM esplanade to make a big beach for the summer. It will be open all day for walks, picnics at shaded tables, pétanque games, ping-pong and, on Sundays, dances. There will also be workshops. MUCEM Museum …

Painting Classes – Les Milles and Marseille
If you fancy giving your painting skills a boost, I can recommend, from personal experience, the Atelier Ombres et Lumieres in Les Milles. Owner and artist Muriel Moutel will be teaching one-week courses for adults and ados during July. Muriel encourages her classes to start with interesting backgrounds of tissue.
If you fancy giving your painting skills a boost, I can recommend, from personal experience, the Atelier Ombres et Lumieres in Les Milles. Owner and artist Muriel Moutel will be teaching one-week courses for adults and ados during July. Muriel encourages her classes to start with interesting backgrounds of tissue.

MUCEM: What Unites Different Religions?
That’s the question posed by the new exhibition ‘Lieux Saints Partagés’ at MUCEM. All around the Mediterranean, populations are either Christian, Muslim or Jewish, each with their seemingly different religious observances, rituals and places of worship. This exhibition argues that there are far greater commonalities between them than is usually …
That’s the question posed by the new exhibition ‘Lieux Saints Partagés’ at MUCEM. All around the Mediterranean, populations are either Christian, Muslim or Jewish, each with their seemingly different religious observances, rituals and places of worship. This exhibition argues that there are far greater commonalities between them than is usually …

FUTURS expo at Marseille’s Vieille Charité
Are artists visionaries? How did they see the future 100 years ago? How do they see the future today? These are the questions posed by FUTURS, the new expo at Marseille’s Vieille Charité, which opened on Friday. There are a hundred works grouped chronologically by Léger, Ernst, Matisse.
Are artists visionaries? How did they see the future 100 years ago? How do they see the future today? These are the questions posed by FUTURS, the new expo at Marseille’s Vieille Charité, which opened on Friday. There are a hundred works grouped chronologically by Léger, Ernst, Matisse.

Jill Steenhuis Exhibits in Aix Annual Show
Every June, there’s a must-visit exhibition in Aix from a talented local family – painter Jill Steenhuis, her sculptor husband Sergio Ruffato, plus their son Serge, also a sculptor. Jill paints in an impressionistic style and usually takes her inspiration from Aix, the Sainte-Victoire and the countryside around her lovely …
Every June, there’s a must-visit exhibition in Aix from a talented local family – painter Jill Steenhuis, her sculptor husband Sergio Ruffato, plus their son Serge, also a sculptor. Jill paints in an impressionistic style and usually takes her inspiration from Aix, the Sainte-Victoire and the countryside around her lovely …