Contributor blog post by Jill Cowdry: As days become warmer, it’s impossible to resist the urge to get out – attention turns to more exercise and a spring swim in the med.  A short drive from Aix en Provence or Marseilles the magical Calanques are a special place to walk, breath …

It is too bad that some visitors shy away from France’s second biggest port, scared off by Marseille’s somewhat edgy reputation. In the past, they might have been right, but now it would be a crying shame to miss the museums and the shopping in Marseille. When you go this …

What is your favourite fish soup? Residents of Marseille are adamant that French fishermen eked basic sustenance from their unsightly leftover fish bits concocted this fish broth/soup/stew on the shores of the now sprawling metropolis. The name for this dish is derived from two actions bouillir (to boil) and abaisser …

It has been almost a century since this boutique hotel first opened its doors on the shores of the Mediterranean. Germain Passedat purchased the Villa Corinthe in 1917 and chose the name “le Petit Nice” as a tribute to the villa’s stunning location on the azure shoreline. Even today, 100-years …

Recently, author and Perfectly Provence contributor PJ Adams visited the Strasbourg Christmas Market. PJ wrote this article following her trip to France where she compares the seasonal holiday traditions between Alsace and Provence. Keep reading for PJ’s tasty Christmas post on sauerkraut, gingerbread, calissons and nougat. Strasbourg France, the “Capital …

Tasha Powell says she reinvented herself after a corporate career in product development for sporting goods. That might not be entirely accurate. It could be that Tasha is finally allowing her Francophile foodie to rule the day. From Allentown, Pennsylvania and Penn State University to living in Provence while she …

Journalist/Writer Anne-Marie Simons and her husband Oscar (retired international banker) have lived and worked in the US and Europe. They could have chosen anywhere to retire but decided on sunny Aix-en-Provence. Anne-Marie says, “Our choice of Aix-en-Provence was a bit of a stab in the dark but has worked out …

By aixcentric Oh no Bateaux! …problems in port. Apparently the popular batobus, that runs from the Vieux Port down to Pointe-Rouge in one direction and up to L’Estaque in the other, is losing money big-time. It’s taken 1 million euros in ticket sales but has cost 3.6m euros to operate. …

It was hardly a race back to Europe. Anne-Marie Simons moved to the United States (US) in the fall of 1966, for one year. And, stayed for 32 more. From her birthplace of Maastricht (the Netherlands), Anne-Marie’s studies in French language and culture took her to Paris and then to …

By aixcentric It cost 73 million euros and its stated purpose was to provide a focal point for meetings, conferences, films and exhibitions on matters Mediterranean; but it’s now been revealed that the upkeep and running costs for the Villa Mediterranée were 4.4 million euros last year, paid by the …