Family Day at the Sea A trip to Les Goudes, the tiny fishing port on the eastern edge of Marseille, is delightful. However, it isn’t particularly child-friendly. Some days, you want a bucket-and-spade day where little ones can scoot their scooters, pedal their trikes or ride along in prams. Suddenly, …

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 …

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 …

By Elizabeth Gabay: Tasting the wines of Provence has been a bit erratic this year. While Cotes de Provence had a stand at both WineParis (11-13 February) and Prowein (17-19 March), the 2018 vintage had often only just been bottled and were still quite young and closed. My preferred time …

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, …

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 …

Getaway to the Alps A road trip to the Alps delivers a combination of excitement, outdoor sports, beautiful vistas and alpine weather. Several mountain resorts are closer than you might think from Provence providing an excellent destination for travellers and sportspersons alike. The Alps stretch 1,200 km across Europe through …

“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 …