Cézanne’s Studio Like most young artists learning to paint, I was attracted to and inspired by most of the impressionistic and post-impressionistic painters. I loved the work of Monet, Renoir, Matisse, Gauguin and Cézanne and many more. When I arrived in Aix-en-Provence for the first time, I rushed up the …

Provencal Dreams Come True My most ardent life dream has always been to live and teach art in France. Just like my favourite art masters, many of my creative inspirations have come from my art sabbaticals to Europe. I fell in love with France at a young age, my very …

There’s a new obsession running around in my head: “visit as many of France’s ‘Les Plus Beaux Villages‘ as I possibly can.”  So far, I’ve seen only 10 out of some 156 “authentic” Les Plus Beaux Villages. I have a lot of travelling to do. Les Plus Beaux Villages There …

What’s On? During the summer in Provence and the Côte d’Azur, daytime temperatures range from warm to hot. So, you don’t need an excuse to laze by the pool. At this time of year, the lavender is in bloom and the sunflowers put on a spectacular floral show. From music …

Spring Events in Provence Spring in Provence is absolutely lovely. As is the case with most of the year, the sun shines brightly, but expect the odd rain storm. Moisture in this period is critical for the grapes, olives, and almonds to start their growing cycles. In March and April, …

Marseille’s super Musée Regards de Provence has been inspired by the MPG2019 Year of Gastronomy programme and is serving up two foodie exhibitions. L’Art Mange l’Art (until October 31, 2019) has a wide range of contemporary works, all food-themed; there is some witty photography (eg behind the scenes in restaurants) and …

Author, Mary Lou Longsworth writes: Toulon: Discovering Something New in Provence We’ve been living in the countryside south of Aix, close to the Mediterranean, for five years. We miss Aix and our friends, and the almost-twenty years of memories we had there, but have no regrets. Aix isn’t far, and …

“A Year to Savour” is the tag line for a year of culinary highlights cooking under the banner of Marseille Provence Gastronomy 2019 (#MGP2019). The Bouches du Rhône tourism group (Provence Tourism) together with a team of devoted food ambassadors in the region have crafted a program of events to …

Did Mary Magdalene Live in Provence? A crippled ship bobs helplessly on a storm-tossed sea and those on board face certain death…but then a miracle occurs. Guided by the hand of God, the ship arrives safely on the shores Provence. Out steps Mary Magdalene, ready to spread The Word throughout …

Spring is Upon us! Or, at least, it is here. The almonds are blooming and it’s about 20 degrees in the sun. I remember growing up in Montréal when you could smell the spring mud and ice thawing, there would always be one last snow generally right before my birthday …