I am a big fan of Cézanne. I visited his studio a dozen times. I like his story and his paintings. I often offer this visit to my students coming for French immersion in Provence. The visit lasts 30 minutes. It can be done with a guide in French, with …

How can you capture the spirit of a city in perfume? That was likely the question that Magali Fleurquin-Bonnard, the founder of Rose et Marius, a luxury perfume creator, asked herself. In collaboration with the Office de Tourisme d’Aix-en-Provence (tourism office), Rose et Marius created a unique fragrance that is …

New to Aix’s dining scene, and therefore new to me, Le Singe Vert presents a stylish terrace, all rattan furniture and fresh flowers, to passers-by at the bottom end of the cours Mirabeau. Stepping inside from the bustling sunny terrace felt like a quieter, more intimate dining experience which provided …

Visit the lavender fields near Aix-en-Provence! Terre Ugo is a 7-hectare family farm located on the outskirts of Aix in Puyricard. In 2017, the family planted 30,000 organic Lavandin Grosso plants on a portion of the property. Now, during the peak of the flowering season, you can visit Terre Ugo …

It’s 8:30 am and I’m walking west on the Cours Mirabeau toward the Fontaine de la Rotonde. The Cours is temporarily lined with wooden stalls for vendors working the holiday market — santoniers with their clay nativity figures, clothiers, toymakers, specialty food vendors, artists. The stalls are beginning to open, …

First published in 2013, Aix-en-Provence The Inside Story was updated and reprinted in colour in 2021. In this book, author Lynne Alderson shares the history of this attractive city and its colourful inhabitants. The Author Lynne Alderson studied English Language and Literature at Edinburgh University. Her career encompassed journalism and …

Delighted to say that my book Aix-en-Provence The Inside Story is being re-issued, brought up to date and now in colour throughout.  It‘s eight (8) years since it was first published, and I believe I am right in saying that it’s still the only book to cover the story of …

Artists and the Sacred Mountain Mont Sainte-Victoire was a recurring subject in Paul Cézanne’s paintings. The painter born in Aix-en-Provence completed over 30 canvases, in oil and watercolour, of the mountain situated to the east of the city. On the other hand, Pablo Picasso chose to not paint “Cézanne’s Mountain” …

After 18 years in Aix, I only realized that it’s actually someone’s job to clamber up narrow staircases and reach across the void inside the Tour de l’Horloge to manoeuvre the four (4) statues around every 3 months when the season changes. It’s down to (or should we say up …

Delphine, the owner of Crêpes, Cidre et Companie, in Aix en Provence, is a lovely blend of Spanish roots and a childhood spent in northern France. She recreates her Bretonaise recipes daily at 23, rue de la Cépède in Aix. Her crêpes and galettes (savoury crêpes) are made with love. …