Last summer, on a wine-tasting visit to Bellet in the hills above Nice, I tasted and bought some of Domaine de la Source’s delicious pâte d’olives made with the local chillier black olives.   The French term for this little treat in a jar translates into English as the somewhat …

Before my recent trip to Provence, I didn’t know much about the area other than it was known for its lavender and pastis. It’s only 3.5 hours from Marseille to Nice, so I figured it couldn’t be that hard to find a place to stay. Despite its relatively small size …

seafood recipe comes from Elizabeth Bard’s latest book Picnic in Provence: A memoir with Recipes. The Monkfish (lotte in French) is prepared with fresh tomatoes and peas for a simple and elegant main course.

You can almost hear the clip-clop of the horses’ hooves maneuvering their master’s carriages on the cobblestones. Glance through the majestic iron gates into the cour d’honneur at l’Hôtel de Caumont and let the elegant limestone façade transport you to another era. The grand entrance was unique even in the …

Cotignac’s permanent population hovers around 2,300 people. The official count swells on a sunny Tuesday when throngs of visitors appraise market stalls on the main street — Cours Gambetta. A column of plane trees provide welcome shade to vendors watching their stands that are heaving with tempting melons from Cavaillon, …

When we travel, we usually shun hotels. Sure, there’s a lot to be said about room service and having someone make your bed every day, but with the advent of Airbnb, HomeAway, and other vacation rental websites, we’ve opened our eyes to a new way to live like locals.  Why …

By aixcentric There weren’t of course any cameras around in 18th century Rome, London or Venice but right now in Aix, we can get a fairly accurate view of what these cities looked like thanks to careful and colourful paintings by Antonio Canaletto. Although some of his work on show …

There have been a fair few changes up at Château de Bellet, in the hills of Nice, over the past few years. The vineyard, so synonymous with the appellation itself, boasts a history dating centuries and a winemaking tradition passed down through the generations of Barons of Bellet who have …

My friend Delphine who runs Crepes Cidre et Co gave me a flyer Frédéric Paul’s walking tours of Aix-en-Provence in June 2014…then the summer got away from me. It was June 2015 before I stumbled across this #LeVisibleEstInvisible and remembered Frédéric’s unique tours of Aix-en-Provence and beyond – Le Visible …

To me, Liguria splits in two at Genoa. West of which, along the coastal stretch known as the Riviera Ligure di Ponente (the coast of the setting sun), is easily accessible by day trip from Nice and more than familiar. Head east of Genoa, however, along the Riviera di Levante. …