The repaving of the area outside the tourist office has been completed and I was really hoping for something a bit more attractive and tourist-friendly – some benches for instance wouldn’t go amiss. And why has Cezanne just been plonked down on the ground? The Cezanne statue and the market …

This doesn’t take place until June but, if you are into this kind of event, it might be worth putting on the calendar now. Dozens of planes will converge on the Istres Air Base for this show, which takes place every five years. There will be Mirage jets, drones, and …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: Is it just me or does anyone else feel a slight lull after Festival February that saw some major events here on the French Riviera – Nice Carnival, Fête du Citron, Fête du Mimosa etc?? Personally, I enjoy that each month there is always so …

Things are starting to feel decidedly spring-like here in Provence. There are orchids in the grass, the almond blossom has just waned in time for the pear trees to start budding. We’ve had, as seemingly everywhere, a mild winter. We haven’t had anywhere near as much Mistral wind (though I …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: With all the major festivals on during February, some of the nicest events to take your children to are the smaller local carnivals. Next weekend on Saturday, Villeneuve Loubet is hosting a free ‘Carnaval for Kids’ between 1pm-5pm with entertainment including: Music from Jazz Band …

2016 and Provence gets its very own cycle-race, for the first time. It will be taking place over three days, 23, 24 and 25 February and will be contested by 18 teams of 8 professional cyclists. Here are the stages: 23rd Aubagne to Cassis, 175km, mainly climbs 24th Miramas to …

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 …

‘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 …

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 such as homelessness and …

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 how this work, “Made …