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 …

The Debate One of the favourite pastimes of the Aixois is fervently discussing the town’s many qualities. They cite the climate, culture and architecture; rave about the shopping and surrounding countryside; and compare notes on their favourite Luberon village, Mediterranean beach, local wine and restaurant. When we first moved here, …

At the heart of French culture — not to mention community and architecture — is the place, or square. Every town, big or small, has its fair share of places that have overseen festivals, markets, and families for centuries. Here are 6 worth finding in Aix-en-Provence. 1. Place des Martyrs de la …

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 …

Contributor blog post by aixcentric: Anyone who has been living in Aix for the past ten years will have witnessed the strong growth of restaurants in town, and specifically the increase in casual eating. La Provence recently reported that there are now nearly 700 places to eat in the commune …

By aixcentric We locals have been watching the ongoing work on the 300 year old mansion, the Hotel Caumont, for two years now as workmen repaired the roof, stonemasons worked on the ancient façade, and lorries drove in and out of what would be the garden area. Twenty million euros …

By aixcentric Have you seen the newly-razed ground next to the Rotonde where Cézanne has been left standing looking bemused and besieged by tourists wanting to pose with Aix’s famous son? I read that the town authorities are trying to decide what to do with the area. Well here’s an …

Contributor blog post by aixcentric: Celebrating 30 years of bringing contemporary dance to Aix, there is an exhibition of photography of the Ballet Preljocaj which is running until 20th September. There will be photos from the archives but also those taken by three photographers, one of whom is Jean-Claude Carbonne …

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 …

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 …