Are you scratching your head to find the right Christmas gift this year? Most of us have plenty of clothes, sporting goods, electronics and other gadgets. Consider giving a brain-enhancing present that improves cognitive function, builds multitasking skills and makes you smarter. Give the gift of French language lessons. According …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: The Zone B school holidays over the Christmas period run from 22 December and finish 7 January so it’s a good time to use the fortnight’s break to partake in some festive activities. As well as the usual Christmas markets that pop up each year …

There are hardly more historically significant towns in France than Aigues-Mortes. Within the walled city, legends and facts reveal a rich history of conquering heroes and suffering martyrs. Today the place has transformed into a popular destination for travellers, filled with souvenir shops and sidewalk cafes. Visit with me inside …

The Heart of Darkness or Niger Focus (later Nerluc) might have been an appropriate name for the hamlet located on the shores of a murky, swampy river. The muddy, opaque waters fueled rumours cultivating the nightmares of residents who asked was the beast: A huge serpent? A dragon? A fierce …

You may know the traditional Biblical Christmas story, but in Provence, there is a bit more to it. The Provence Christmas story is told in a Nativity play called a pastorale. It incorporates the main details of the traditional Nativity but sets it in a nineteenth-century Provençal village. …Continue reading here …

Please no! Anything but that. Upon visiting Provence this past June, with the unusually high temperatures of 95-100 degrees, my pasty white, sun-deprived skin went into shock. I developed hives or eczema all over! What to do? I finally stopped in at the pharmacy in Bonnieux—the French pharmacy is the …

Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: December Events in Provence 2017 Snow in Provence! For once we might get a white Christmas! There are many Christmas markets this month in Provence. This is the time to binge on delicious nougat, foie gras, pink champagne and oysters. Yes, that is basically a …

Sébastian and Agnes Krier shared the following about their architecture and design boutique, “Ce lieu ne pouvait que s’appeler Ouvrage: ce qui est produit par l’ouvrier, l’artisan ou l’artiste, le résultat du travail de ses mains et donc son œuvre.” This place could not be called anything but “Ouvrage.” The …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: ‘Cézanne at Home’ and a retrospective of the painter Tal Coat have recently opened at the Musée Granet, both worth a visit. ‘No painting by Cézanne will ever enter this museum’, proclaimed Henri Pontier who was curator in 1900.His attitude is made even worse by …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: If you’re in Provence, you will probably have already bought your little pack of seeds to plant today to mark the feast of Saint Barbara (Sainte-Barbe), and hopefully with some warmth and sunshine, they will be ready for Christmas. The local saying is: Quand le blé …