One Friday a few months back, we had a date for a rendezvous with cousins Jean-Marc and Christine for dinner. It was my responsibility to choose a restaurant somewhere between Montpellier and Sablet. After making some calls, I landed on Le Bistrot du Paradou. I was informed they had one …

Patience, vision and exquisite taste converted a run-down 250-acre agricultural property, outside of Maussane des Alpilles, into a luxury resort — Domaine de Manville. Edith and Patrick Saut purchased the land and associated ragtag collection of farm buildings in 2007. Seven years later and with a multi-million Euro budget, this …

Local photographer Jean François Galeron shared that taking photos for his book Lumières des Alpilles was not difficult. Completing a photo journal dedicated to his corner of Provence was a project he had contemplated for over 30 years. The hard part was culling thousands of images into a stunning 212-page collection. …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: As the current annual son-et-lumiere show at the Carrieres de Lumieres in Les Baux de Provence draws to a close, (Bosch, Breughel, Arcimboldo ends Jan 7th, it’s always interesting to see what is next on the agenda. And the theme for 2018 is…Picasso et les Maitres …

If you have the impression that finding affordable wine in France is hard – it is definitely time to revisit that stance. My husband and I have taken several road-trips through France, meeting winemakers and tasting wine – much of it high-quality, AOP wines with price-tags that need to be …

Many of us love the Alpilles, the “little Alps” that rise between the famous Provencal towns of St-Rémy-de-Provence and Les Baux. Their craggy beauty dominates the surrounding landscape. But outside of taking an airplane ride, it is impossible to appreciate them from the air. Until now. Gilles Lagnel’s new book, …

It took seven years, 50-million Euros and loads of patience before Domaine de Manville could achieve its 5-star rating. Edith and Patrick Saut are the visionary owners behind this new luxury “Palace Rural” situated in the heart of the Parc Naturel Regional des Alpilles.

Fall Events and Festivals in Provence As the temperatures drop in Provence during the autumn, restaurant menus move towards heartier dishes. Enjoy slow-roasted meat (lamb, wild boar, bull (taureaux), rabbit, fowl) with herbes de Provence and seasonal root vegetables. These recipes pair well with well-balanced red wine blends from the …

When students join me in Provence for a French immersion stay, I want to make sure that they improve their language skills and also get a chance to visit the region. Below are a few excursions from Aix-en-Provence that I have taken with students during their visits. Some of these …

Carrières des Lumières, the fabulous immersive art show held inside a giant cavern near Les Baux-de-Provence, usually features a significant artist like Vincent van Gogh or Paul Cézanne. Works by the artist are displayed along with music in a brilliant choreography. But this year, the organizers decided to do something …