
Aix – Changes Happening in Spades
The number of large cranes gives us a clue to the scale of the construction projects going on in Aix at the moment. Thirty projects are underway on just ten of them, including the building of a great new music venue, a new centre for digital industries and start-ups, a …
The number of large cranes gives us a clue to the scale of the construction projects going on in Aix at the moment. Thirty projects are underway on just ten of them, including the building of a great new music venue, a new centre for digital industries and start-ups, a …

Aix Mansions Sale Update
Last autumn, it was announced that two mansions in centre ville were for sale. The town authorities wished to divest themselves of buildings which weren’t functional and cost too much to maintain. Now there is some progress to report on one. The Hotel de Valbelle, currently the sous-prefecture, in rue Mignet, …
Last autumn, it was announced that two mansions in centre ville were for sale. The town authorities wished to divest themselves of buildings which weren’t functional and cost too much to maintain. Now there is some progress to report on one. The Hotel de Valbelle, currently the sous-prefecture, in rue Mignet, …

Cézanne’s Statuein Aix-en-Provence
The repaving of the area outside the tourist office has been completed and I was really hoping for something a bit more attractive and tourist-friendly – some benches for instance wouldn’t go amiss. And why has Cezanne just been plonked down on the ground? The Cezanne statue and the market …
The repaving of the area outside the tourist office has been completed and I was really hoping for something a bit more attractive and tourist-friendly – some benches for instance wouldn’t go amiss. And why has Cezanne just been plonked down on the ground? The Cezanne statue and the market …
Street Art in Aix-en-Provence
Aix-Centre-ville has been graffiti-free since Madame le Maire waged war on the taggers, paying a company to remove them within 48 hours. And she was surely right to do so, as much of it was just a mess. But increasingly, resourceful shop owners are decorating their store fronts by using …
Aix-Centre-ville has been graffiti-free since Madame le Maire waged war on the taggers, paying a company to remove them within 48 hours. And she was surely right to do so, as much of it was just a mess. But increasingly, resourceful shop owners are decorating their store fronts by using …

Massive Air Show at Istres
This doesn’t take place until June but, if you are into this kind of event, it might be worth putting on the calendar now. Dozens of planes will converge on the Istres Air Base for this show, which takes place every five years. There will be Mirage jets, drones, and …
This doesn’t take place until June but, if you are into this kind of event, it might be worth putting on the calendar now. Dozens of planes will converge on the Istres Air Base for this show, which takes place every five years. There will be Mirage jets, drones, and …
Lunch in the Countryside Near Aix
Here’s a recommendation for lunch, which will take you right off the beaten track and far away from tourist groups. Don’t read on if you are looking for fine dining and sophistication. Chez-le-Garde won’t offer you that. But for me, it was a truly Provencal experience a great lunch place …
Here’s a recommendation for lunch, which will take you right off the beaten track and far away from tourist groups. Don’t read on if you are looking for fine dining and sophistication. Chez-le-Garde won’t offer you that. But for me, it was a truly Provencal experience a great lunch place …

Maison Cangina – Exciting Fooding in Aix
The traditional cafes in the Cours Mirabeau rarely serve patisseries with their morning drinks… and I never have the nerve to produce one out of a bag, which is what you can do in so many French villages. So I am often on the lookout for somewhere to get a …
The traditional cafes in the Cours Mirabeau rarely serve patisseries with their morning drinks… and I never have the nerve to produce one out of a bag, which is what you can do in so many French villages. So I am often on the lookout for somewhere to get a …

The Art of Learning French in Aix en Provence
‘L’art d’apprendre le francais’ and ‘l’art de vivre en Provence’ are combined for those signing up for courses with Destination Francais. It’s an Aix-based company started by two French teachers, tired of the classroom-based teaching methods they’d been tied to in the traditional system. They felt that learners need more …
‘L’art d’apprendre le francais’ and ‘l’art de vivre en Provence’ are combined for those signing up for courses with Destination Francais. It’s an Aix-based company started by two French teachers, tired of the classroom-based teaching methods they’d been tied to in the traditional system. They felt that learners need more …
Marie Georgette NYC Style Menus to Aix
‘Marie Georgette’ is tucked away in Aix’s Passage Agard, just off the Cours Mirabeau. It’s the creation of two brothers whose stated aim is to offer ‘specialities new-yorkaises et londoniennes’ adapted to French tastes and based on quality local ingredients. The menu has lots of creative burgersit is atempting restaurant …
‘Marie Georgette’ is tucked away in Aix’s Passage Agard, just off the Cours Mirabeau. It’s the creation of two brothers whose stated aim is to offer ‘specialities new-yorkaises et londoniennes’ adapted to French tastes and based on quality local ingredients. The menu has lots of creative burgersit is atempting restaurant …

Collection of the Prince of Liechtenstein Fake Paintings
Thinking about the question marks over the authenticity of the Venus (from the art collection of the Prince of Liechtenstein), which was on show at the Hotel de Caumont, I was reminded of an experiment last year at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London. It’s the world’s oldest gallery.
Thinking about the question marks over the authenticity of the Venus (from the art collection of the Prince of Liechtenstein), which was on show at the Hotel de Caumont, I was reminded of an experiment last year at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London. It’s the world’s oldest gallery.