If you’ve been searching for French property for a while and find the system confusing, then you’re not alone. On the face of it, things in France seem to work the same way as in the UK, Australia, America or the Netherlands. Maybe you contacted an estate agent assuming that …

House purchase negotiations are a delicate process anywhere in the world. Tempers quickly flare, and communications can break down because of misunderstandings or hurt feelings. When you don’t speak French fluently and don’t know the ins and outs of French customs and the French real estate market, then things could …

House Search in the Alpilles Not everyone would have the vision and know how to transform a tiny 17th-century farm building into a bright, inviting pied-à-terre. The house was in poor condition, its last renovation dated from the 1970s as evidenced by the orange and brown colour palette. However, it …

By Paula Kane Here it is, the last full weekend of my stint in Provence. The time always whips by and it’s hard to believe I’ve been here just over two months already. This stretch is often punctuated with a wide range of emotions, and this year has been no …

By Aixcentric: Long before the A8 autoroute came along with its thundering heavy traffic, it was easy for Paul Cezanne to wander across to the plateau at La Constance from the family bastide at Jas de Buffan, to paint the Mont Sainte-Victoire, the Pilon du Roi and the new viaduct …

Contributor blog post by Paula Kane: My first week here has gone by in a flash. Perhaps because summer is always like that, or perhaps it was my fuzziness and lack of focus most of the week due to some lingering vertigo. Either way, it went by quickly with dinners and …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: It’s well over 2 years now since we finally picked up the keys and opened the door to our little house in Provence after so many years of dreaming about it. We couldn’t afford a perfect house with elegant gardens and a pretty pool and …

EU Imports Need to Know As a fully-fledged member of the European Union, it’s fair to say that the economy of France has benefitted considerably from the freedom of movement and continued migration. France is an attractive location for individuals looking to work or live in, one of the EU’s …

One of my summer highlights is the chance to catch up with author Patricia Sands during her annual visit to Provence. Sands is a remarkable person. She is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, photographer and a possiblitarian. Yes, for Patricia Sands, it is possible to achieve anything in life if …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: The town is at a perfect storm of roadworks right now, according to La Provence, (le chantier est a pleine puisssance) but they say that things should start to improve from here on. Work on the 7.2km Aixpress bus-route is taking place along its full length, …