Ai Weiwei and Marseille This is a highly political show—and highly personal, too. Much is about the artist’s relationship with his father (Ai Qing), whose ship from Shanghai in 1929 docked right next to where MuCEM is today. Indeed, it was France that inspired him to become a poet, a …

Here’s a suggestion for an interesting art lover’s outing, about an hour’s drive from Aix-en-Provence.  La Commanderie de Peyrassol is not only a successful Var vineyard producing 500,000 bottles of wine a year but is a fast-growing contemporary sculpture park. Continue reading here for details from Lynne’s visit to this vineyard’s modern …

I have always loved gardens, although I have to admit to not being a great gardener myself. A summer garden with deep herbaceous borders, filled with the scent and colour of roses is always a delight and we have some delightful ones around us in the UK, such as this …

Hemingway aficionados should put these books together on your summer reading list for an inside look at the man behind the words & Paris in the 1920s I’ve started to make my university students read a few Hemingway short stories each quarter as a means of teaching them how to …

Here is some information from two French teachers who have moved from the classroom approach in favour of walking around Aix, visiting the markets, having lunch together, and all the time having French conversations—with notes of new vocabulary being emailed to you later.   Destination Francais classes are geared toward children …

The Bastide Rose is the beautiful honey-coloured home of Poppy Salinger who was married to JFK’s press secretary, journalist and writer Pierre Salinger. It stands by the translucent river Sorgue and is the setting for an annual sculpture show. This year, its theme is Amour, in harmony with the MP2018 …

Where Passions Meet Wine and words. The idea for Olive and Sweetpea (Olive + Sweetpea), a new e-magazine, was hatched over a few glasses of wine. When Paula Kane and I scheduled a springtime lunch, we half-heartedly joked about the possibility of enjoying a meal on a sunny patio. After …

To add to my previous post, which concentrated on the opening weekend for the Picasso-Picabia exhibition at the Musée Granet, there will be a weekly guided tour of the exhibition in English on Fridays at 15:00 hrs (entry fee + 4 euros). French tours will take place Tuesday through Sunday …

NG Art Creative Residency Nicky Ginsberg has been engrossed in the world of art and emerging artistic talent for over 30 years. Born in the United Kingdom, Ginsberg ended up in Sydney, Australia after a stint in France. Over that period, her art history background, understanding of the commercial aspects …

During our last visit to Provence, I picked up a book called the “Legendes de Provence” by Eugene Bressy. This book is comprised of a series of short stories about the legends of Provence. In this series of posts, I will dive into some of these stories and let you decide …