Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: Camili Books and Tea I stumbled across this bookstore and tearoom only a few months ago despite the fact that I had been living 20 minutes away from Avignon for a year. I had always gone to Aix en Provence for my English books. …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: This is the new novel, set in Aix, from local writer M.L. Longworth, and I have been glued to it for two days. It’s a real page-turner and I love all the familiar locations: a patisserie in the cours Mirabeau, a body found in rue …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: Menton on the French-Italian border is blessed with high sunshine hours and it is this climate that supports the growth of citrus fruits, in particular the famous Mentonnais lemon. Each year in February the town celebrates its citrusy wonders by hosting Fête du Citron, literally …

The following article is by first-time novelist Sophie Claire. Enjoy the read! Although I’ve lived most of my life in England, my mother’s side of the family is French and we spoke French at home – so it wasn’t a surprise that I set my first novel, Her Forget-Me-Not Ex, …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: Returning to Aix last week, it was good to see the textile market stalls back together in the Cours Mirabeau after being scattered around during the Christmas period; but further changes are afoot from June onwards and the stall holders are not happy. All three markets …

How is Valentine’s Day celebrated in France? As it turns out, the day is actually is quite linked to French historical customs.  As far back as the middle ages, the belief was that birds started mating in the middle of February. Evidence from the 14th century, stressed a romantic theme …

Writer Alphonse Daudet described his affection for the town of Fontvieille and its windmills as follows: “Ce coin de roche qui m’etait une patrie et dont on retrouve la trace – êtres ou endroits – dans presque tous mes livres” The translation: This corner of rock was a homeland to …

‘Les Couleurs de la Vie’ is a delightful exhibition of Chagall’s litho-prints which are on show at the Centre d’Art La Malmaison on Cannes’ swish La Croisette. Visiting Cannes from Aix really is like dropping into another world: palm trees, mimosa, orange trees; ladies dripping gold, fur coats and little …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: Next week sees the start of a month of Ken Loach films at the Institut de l’Image (at the Cité du Livre). The British film-maker is known for his realistic directing style and for his socialism, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: This really is one of MuCEM’s more esoteric offerings which we found a little baffling. The first few rooms are devoted to how the country was mapped, and some of the beautifully precise work by various draughtsmen. The commentary (English panels as well as French) explains …