Replacing the steep, narrow and dangerous staircase in our house with a space-effective spiral staircase was always part of our renovation plan. We looked online at beautiful industrial era staircases from Britain and compared those to the rickety plastic structures available at the local DIY stores. As always, it was …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: Jazz e Brasil will inject some Latino rhythm in your afternoon on Saturday 30 April when the Cannes Bel Age Orchestra pairs with the Rio Ao Vivo Orchestra to bring a concert of jazz, Brazilian music and swing alongside capoeira and dancers. 3pm, Espace …

What is your favourite fish soup? Residents of Marseille are adamant that French fishermen eked basic sustenance from their unsightly leftover fish bits concocted this fish broth/soup/stew on the shores of the now sprawling metropolis. The name for this dish is derived from two actions bouillir (to boil) and abaisser …

So we’re currently lying on the couch holding our bellies after we have been testing their limits all weekend in France’s gastronomic capital. Lyon is a city full of surprises and delicious specialties. I wasn’t expecting the buildings to be so colourful. As it’s so close to the Alps, I …

Though my husband and I enjoy spending our time together in meandering villages while in Provence, he feels a constant tug at his heartstrings luring him away toward something else. Being a cyclist and being in France, a cyclist’s dream, he is constantly enticed by the sight of Mont Ventoux …

I was intrigued when I first saw the publicity for a rosé wine bearing an image of the iconic chaise bleu of the Promenade des Anglais on Nice’s Côte d’Azur waterfront. The launch of this new label Prose was at the lovely Plage Beau Rivage, by the Promenade des Anglais in …

Contributor blog post by Victoria Koning @MirabeauWine: I have been drinking wine for decades, but only in recent years have I really started tasting it. Looking at the colour, swirling the liquid nectar in my glass, sniffing the aromas deeply, taking a sip and swirling it in my mouth, letting …

Tarte aux fraises, tomates confites et tapenade olives noires – a pastry base with sweet tomatoes, strawberries and fennel tapenade. This dessert does have several components but in the end it is not complicated.

If you are lucky enough to be in Provence in time for the traditional movement of sheep and livestock (spring and fall) you might catch a transhumance as the animals head to greener pastures. Although, this is really for tourists and kids now it remains something worth seeing. The practice …

Contributor blog post by Liz Gabay: Elizabeth Gabay Master of Wine attended Vinisud 2016 in February – a three day exhibition in Montpellier focusing on wines of the Mediterranean. She selected her top-10 white wines from the event, including several from Provence… This is a vast fair, making it impossible to taste …