Whether fiction or not, Nutmeg thinks it is appropriate that Casanova the infamous Venetian writer, gambler and reputed womanizer is weaved into the history of les Jardins d’Albertas. This garden, owned by the Albertas family, is located just a few minutes outside of Aix-en-Provence in the town of Bouc-Bel-Air, where the ancient …

November in Provence. Bring on the chestnuts! We’re currently in Corsica and it seems that roasting them in your front yard is the thing to do. Love it. Are you in the holiday spirit yet? The massive amounts of high-quality chocolate boxes at the supermarkets are tempting me… Has anyone …

There were just a few paintings still to hang when I left Lourmarin in late September. Before departing—and two days before the opening–I popped by to see Jacqueline Bricard, proprietor of the naïf art gallery bearing her name and curator of the “Regard Naïf Européen” exhibition. She was in the …

I’ve just been to a wonderful exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. It was called Matisse in the Studio, and it shows how the objects that Matisse surrounded himself with appeared in his art. Henri Matisse was a collector: He had an array of vases, chairs, carpets, furniture, …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: Happy Halloween! Halloween, usually celebrated on 31st October each year, has slowly been gathering steam since I first moved to France, but for expats who are used to lots of activities and events during Halloween you’ll have to remember that it isn’t a traditionally …

The Penitents refers to a Christian movement dating back to the 4th century. During this time, those who confessed a grave sin were assigned a penance, a means by which your sin could be forgiven. This penance, assigned by a Bishop, could assume the form of repairing a church, helping the poor …

Contributor blog post by Victoria Koning @Mirabeau Wine During our visit to the Fragonard perfume factory in Grasse, we were quite impressed by the similarities between creating perfumes and creating wines. It’s especially poignant in the art of blending Provence rosés, which is incredibly technical to make. Our oenologists can …

Contributor blog post by Michel: Our favorite Roman ruin in the South of France is the Pont du Gard, the aqueduct bridge that crosses the Gardon River in the Gard Department of Languedoc-Roussillon about 60 km (37 miles) from our home in Sablet, between Remoulins and Uzès. The Pont du Gard …

It is a time of anniversaries. World War I’s centennial commemorations have dotted the globe. Canada celebrated its 150th. Even Lolo’s summer camp in the woods of Ontario proudly handed out t-shirts with “100” on them. World War II anniversaries cannot yet claim three digits. Partly because of the war’s …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: The 18th Phot’Aix is about to begin, both with a major exhibition and a trail which leads people around town from venue to venue. The major exhibition this year, Regards Croisés, features 5 contemporary Chinese and 5 French photographers working on similar themes: at the Cloitre …