Carolyne Kauser-Abbott of Edible Heritage has created a self-guided walking tour of Aix that takes you to all the best places in town. It brings to life the monuments, fountains, buildings of centre ville along with stories of the lives of famous local figures. But it’s more than just a …

This is a special period for people in Provence.  The sun is still shining but the tourists have gone back home and the kids are back at school.  Time to quickly make the most of the countryside before the weather turns cold and winter sets in. We’re on borrowed time!

This event, being held this year on Saturday, 17th October, gets booked up early, so don’t delay! 2015 sees the 10th anniversary of the awarding of AOP to this attractive area which you will explore as you drive from cave to vineyard following clues – you do need a fluent …

Since 1969, Arles has established itself as a European focus for the art of photography. The vast Recontres d’Arles festival sprawls across town with 60 different exhibitions in museums, chapels, halls, showing the work of masters of the art – and new practitioners.

This restaurant is 2 miles outside Jouques and feels quite remote, lost in Provencal trees and garrigue. But the interesting thing is that when we went for Sunday lunch, it was packed. I have since learned that it has a very enthusiastic local following.

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.  

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.

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 …

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.

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 …