In Avignon on Saturday, we were surprised at how few tourists there were. The place de l’Horloge and the space in front of the Papal Palace are usually bustling with visitors, but all was quiet. Our waiter told us that it was ‘une catastrophe’. Hopefully, the forthcoming Avignon Festival will bring …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: This book, with an initial print run of 10,000 in September, sold out in two weeks. It would normally take three years to sell such a number. It sold like hotcakes at Christmas and Hachette have printed 300,000, a record. So what is this phenomenon? …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: The tourist office in Aix has come up with a very good 32-page digital magazine ‘Le Mag’ to help visitors this coming summer: there are details of events, music, markets, lavender fields tours, where to play golf, the Cézanne map, where to picnic and key …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: Van Gogh was so incredibly productive that, while in Arles and in Saint-Remy, he produced some 500 works; so it’s always seemed sad that there was, until recently, only one of his paintings in Provence (in Avignon). Two more have arrived (one in Aix and …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: If you love Provence, you will love this exhibition. Charles Camoin was born in Marseille and spent his later years living in Saint-Tropez and painting all along the Mediterranean coast. The Musée Granet’s exhibition, ‘Camoin dans sa Lumiere’, has wonderful examples of his works showing Marseille, Cassis and …

By Aixcentric: At last a chance to try Segond, the patisserie run by Philippe Segond who is apparently the only ‘meilleur ouvrier de France’ in action in Aix. At the top of the Cours Mirabeau, it is in the building which used to be ‘Riederer’, a family of Swiss origin …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: I hadn’t heard of Raphaël Ponson before visiting the exhibition at Marseille’s Musee Regards de Provence but thoroughly enjoyed seeing his work produced during the 19th century; it gives us an insight into the region in its pre-modern tranquillity. The Vieux Port is shown as …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: It’s not really necessary to have a reason to visit Sanary which is such a pretty little port but it’s a plus if there is an interesting event happening. Which there is from 26th May – 19th June. Photomed is a multi-location exhibition of images …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: ‘Cézanne et Moi’ (Filming took place near the Cathedral), which has been filmed in Aix, Paris and the north of France, will have its launch in Aix on the 12th September, rather than the usual Parisian launch. With Guillaume Gallienne and Guillaume Canet as the …Continue …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: Colour is the very essence of Turner’s art. This exhibition ‘Turner et la Couleur’ brings to Aix over 100 works, lent by UK museums as well as private collections. Turner (1775-1857) was from a working class family in London’s Covent Garden but his father encouraged …