French Riviera Hikes Hikes near Saint-Raphael: There are many reasons why we love the Cote d’Azur. One of them is because of the hiking possibilities. Part of our family loves the mountains, and part of our family loves the sea. On the French Rivièra, and particularly near Saint-Raphael, these two are …

By Jemma: It’s all about the ants. I’ve never forgotten the advice from one of my earliest writing teachers. You can go on a glorious picnic – the food, conversation, and the weather all perfection – but you have no story until the ants arrive. They invade your blanket and …

In February, Author Gayle Padgett and her husband Ralph drove to the Côte d’Azur to visit friends who live near Menton.  There are many reasons to visit this coastal city. The citrus festival (Fête du Citron) is a big draw for visitors in mid-winter. The rest of the year, as …

This article by Amy Lynne Hayes is from the French Quarter Magazine. The French Riviera. The phrase conjures up images of crystal blue waters and golden sunshine. Beautiful people are strolling down the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, and the ladies are looking effortlessly chic. Surely there is someone famous hiding …

A Guest Post Renata Haidle is a Billings, Montana-based travel, architecture, and fine art photographer. She travels to Europe regularly, mainly to France and England, where she photographs beautiful architecture and snippets of everyday life. Her travel photos have been featured online and in print by various travel outlets and …

Contributor blog post by Jemma: I couldn’t write this post until things had been resolved – or mostly resolved, as the case would be. Even then, I didn’t know if I should bother. It’s France. Everyone expects home maintenance problems. And how can anything be a problem, really, if we’re talking …

Contributor blog post by Jemma: French Lessons has survived a summer that one local friend dubbed “un agenda de ministre.” Even for us non-government ministers, the French expression seemed an appropriate way to characterize our schedule in a country where public spending(as a % of GDP) continues, shall we say, to …

I thought it was due time to update my previous blog post about playgrounds on the French Riviera. If you have children, the region has lots of options for playground fun. I have included mostly free public options. …Continue reading here for playgrounds and where kids can play for free …

Contributor blog post by  Jemma: French Lessons has stumbled on Hogwarts School of Miraculous Strings, and it’s right here in the heart of the Côte d’Azur.  How surprised and charmed – and humbled – we are . . . “The cello matter is more complicated than I thought,” a local friend emailed …

Where are the vegetables? Do you find yourself grappling with the “myth” of French gastronomy? French Riviera Green Cuisine Expecting to eat mightily well in France, I think the most commonly penned critique among omnivores, is the lack of vegetables. Frustrating of course, and even more so for visitors who are …