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” …

The mighty Rhône River —the “King of Rivers”—follows an unusual path. It begins high in the Swiss Alps, sourced by the Rhône Glacier, then gathers more water as it makes its way through Switzerland’s canton of Valais. Finally, it gushes into Lake Geneva. Most rivers would end there, but not …

With non-essential travel to France restricted due to Covid-19, soulmates Catherine Karnow (National Geographic photographer) and Gilles Portaz (geography and history professor) spent a year apart. Finally, thanks to the “love visa,” a compassionate entry permit for non-married couples, they were reunited in Provence in November 2020. They got reacquainted …

Fascinated with France since her childhood, Raina Stinson visited the country for the first time in 2014. That trip was a career turning point for this long-time nurse from Portland, Oregon. Shortly after that journey, she decided to take early retirement and combine her two passions, portrait photography and the …

In recent years, my husband, Alain Poirot, discovered a passion for photography. Although he has travelled extensively, one of the many benefits of living in Provence is that nature is literally outside our door. Nature Nearby Photographic passion is a little more than the iPhone snap. It means making multiple …

What is the Mistral Wind? Most of us who have lived or even visited Provence have experienced the mistral, that riotous and mysterious wind that blows down the Rhône Valley, usually without warning. Think back to the opening scene of the movie “Chocolat,” watching the wind move the mother and …

Recently, Montana based photographer Renata Haidle published a French Riviera her first book. Well perhaps not exactly true, she says she has done a few photo books for her kids in the past. This book – French Riviera – includes 92 stunning images from Haidle’s travels around the region. Narrowing …

A Quick Visit to Marseille Guest post and photos by Renata Haidle: Not sure the above is a thing, but every time I visit a place for a very short time I think of speed dating. The anticipation. The pressure. Showing your best assets in a very limited time. Not …

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 …

Provencal Coastline Images Even a photographer born in Provence, Camille Moirenc, a South of France native who has spent 30 years photographing the region and has published the same number of books, was surprised at the math. His most ambitious project to date might be “Exposition 438, Notre Littoral” a …