When most people think of the Côte d’Azur, they visualize elegant, glittering cities like Cannes, Nice, St. Tropez or Antibes. Grand hotels and opulent beaches. Extravagant villas, splendid boulevards and stylish promenades. Of course, all of this is true but what many people who never venture very far from the …

Chanel’s Riviera: Glamour, Decadence, and Survival in Peace and War, 1930-1944, by Anne de Courcy, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 2019. Book Review by Mary-Jane Deeb About the Author Despite her French name, Anne de Courcy is a British writer, biographer and journalist who lives in London and Gloucestershire. She …

Winter Festivals and Events in Provence Winter in Provence. What are the colder months like in the South of France? Is it a good time to visit? So many images of the Provence and the Côte d’Azur are summer scenes with ribbons of blooming lavender fields, glasses of rosé with …

Citrus and the French Table Citrus has had a place in French cuisine, in decoration, and noble gardens since at least medieval times. As both written and iconographical sources have suggested, several species of citrus were consumed, traded and maybe even cultivated in the gardens of the medieval French elite: …

One of the more challenging aspects of moving to France for my wife was losing her garden. In Nashville, where we lived for almost twenty years, we had an acre of property with lots of room for her to plant multiple gardens. Here in Vence, we live in an apartment …

Luxury river cruising offers the best of what seasoned travellers want; stress-free, all-inclusive travel, dining, and daily guided excursions, all onboard a 5-star boutique river ship, while slowly plying Europe’s beautiful waterways. Rhône River in Provence On a very hot day in August, embarking on a European river cruise ship …

Whether you arrived in Nice, France, by air, train, ship, or car, why not stretch your legs with a walk along the coastline? Generally, the following seaside walks are moderate and not too strenuous. Your reward with little effort is a collection of fabulous vistas. Coastal Walks Near Nice Maps …

Provence is rich in history. Visitors to the region are often interested in seeing ancient Roman ruins like those in St-Remy-de-Provence. But there are many places where you can find contemporary architecture in the south of France. Read below as we highlight some locations where you can find the works …

At first blush, many visitors may not realize that the Alpes-Maritimes department expands from the beaches of the French Riviera to the ski resorts of the southern Alps to the Italian border. Surrounded by the Var and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the Alpes-Maritimes has densely populated urban areas, famous Côte d’Azur cities, …

The Alpes-Maritimes department stretches from the French Riviera beaches to the southern Alps ski resorts to the Italian border. Surrounded by the Var and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the Alpes-Maritimes includes densely populated urban areas and famous Côte d’Azur cities. However, from vineyards to hiking trails, plenty of untouched wilderness is waiting …