By aixcentric 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 …

We hate being treated like tourists when we visit another place, and yet sometimes it’s our actions that send up a red flag that we’re strangers. Here are 5 ways you might be tipping your cards about being a tourist (and how to get a poker face). You Walk Around …

Find out why Jill finds Saint Tropez seductive… The little ferryboat slowly makes its way across the glittering bay toward the historic Saint Tropez, from Port Grimaud where I’m staying.  It’s my favourite way to arrive.  Past all manner of sleek motor boats, one aptly named ‘one more toy’… Say’s …

What better way to welcome in summer in Uzes than with music all around town? June 21st was the Fête de la musique à Uzès with music ranging from flamenco guitar to folk music, to rock. Stages were set up on street corner and plazas throughout the historic area with …

By aixcentric 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 …

It must have been a bit of a letdown for Sarah Pernet, the founder of Discover Provence, to meet with travel guru Rick Steves one week and myself the next. It is obvious why Discover Provence (established 2012) is on Mr Steves’ radar, this young company has achieved the number …

By David Taylor The warm dry weather conditions are perfect for the lavender and olive trees. The lavender is showing its first shimmering of colour, which will be in bloom in a matter of weeks whilst the olive trees are full of young flower buds that will soon become our …

It’s a pretty big honor to be the first Roman Catholic church in a region where around half of the population is Catholic. Back in the 12th century, Église Saint-Jean-de-Malte served as a hospice and chapel for the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem of the Order of Malta.  This group was formed …

By aixcentric 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, …

By aixcentric Thanks to Claire (@clairewords) for alerting Aixcentric to the new rules governing car-hire. It seems that, from today, we Brits no longer need to carry the paper part of the driving licence which records offences and endorsements; all that information is going online instead. Holidaymakers who hire cars …