Samantha Mureau Trendline Europe
Carolyne Kauser-AbbottExploreLocals Travel Tips

Samantha Mureau Designing a Perfectly Provence

Samantha Mureau’s career in search of the latest fashion and style trends brought her to Europe on too many occasions to count. Now, she runs Trendline Europe from Aix en Provence in the South of France. You can read more about Samantha and Discovering Designers an event that she recently …

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Les Deux Garcons Cours Mirabeau #AixenProvence @PerfProvence
ExploreProvencal History & TraditionsThe Unexplorer

MFK Fisher’s Cours Mirabeau: Unchanged Over Time

Reading MFK Fisher’s Two Towns in Provence, you might be surprised that it was written so long ago. The Cours Mirabeau, the cultural center of Aix, looks much like it did when Fisher and her two daughters sought solace at Les Deux Garçons or ambled down the boulevard so many …

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Cezanne #AixenProvence
Artists Inspired by ProvenceInspire

Over My Dead Body: Musée Granet Fulfills Its Destiny with Cézanne

You can believe there was a lot of competition and jealousy among artists in Aix. In fact, the poster boy for Aix-en-Provence, Paul Cézanne, was spurned by fellow artist and curator of The Museum of Aix from 1892 to 1925, Henri Pointier. Pointier, who never excelled to the degree that …

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Hotel de Caumont Aix-en-provence
Carolyne Kauser-AbbottExploreVillages Towns and Cities

Step back in time Hotel de Caumont in Aix

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 …

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Real Luberon Lacoste Village
ExploreSophia van Woensel-Mose

Provence: Falling for the Real Luberon

Before we moved to France I had read Peter Mayle’s account of his idyllic year in the Luberon region of Provence, and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, when planning our great escape from the grey-skied rat-race that is the City of London we never contemplated moving to the Luberon. Somehow it …

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Var Provence
Carolyne Kauser-AbbottExploreVillages Towns and Cities

Need 5 Reasons to visit Cotignac

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, …

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Les Baux de Provence
Books on ProvenceInspire

Thomas Jefferson in France ~ Part Two

Thomas Jefferson, Minister to France began his southern France travels in 1787 from Paris and that initiated his love for the region. Jefferson visited St Remy de Provence and Les Baux, learning about agriculture and antiquity. Jefferson tested the famous Roman-era baths in Aix-en-Provence. Read more on Ginger and Nutmeg’s …

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Hotel Caumont Aix en Provence @culturespaces
ExploreGuest Post

Aix’s Stunning Hotel Caumont

We locals have been watching the ongoing work on the 300-year-old mansion, the Hotel Caumont, for two years as workmen repaired the roof, stonemasons worked on the ancient façade, and lorries drove in and out of the garden area. You can almost hear the clip-clop of the horses’ hooves maneuvering …

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Pavillon de Vendome #AixenProvence @PerfProvence
InspireProvencal History & TraditionsThe Unexplorer

Pavillon de Vendome the Pleasure Palace of Provence

The thing I love about Provence is that it’s not Paris. What I mean is: Paris is obvious. There’s the Tour Eiffel, l’Arc de Triomphe, a whole slew of “must-see” tourist destinations. But Provence, on the other hand, still has a lot of hidden secrets that the average tourist is …

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Discover Provence Sarah and Rick Steves @AboutProvence
Carolyne Kauser-AbbottExploreGuided Holiday Tours

Discover Provence Tours with Locals

It must have been a bit of a letdown for Sarah Pernet, the founder of Discover Provence, to meet with travel guru Rick Steves one week and myself the next. It is obvious why Discover Provence (established 2012) is on Mr Steves’ radar, this young company has achieved the number …

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