Steve Wilkison is a web designer, writer and photographer who lives in Vence, France, with his wife Carole Richmond and their dog Myla. Originally from southern California, he first became enchanted with France when he backpacked throughout Europe at the age of 18. He fell in love with Vence the …

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 …

“Night Nurse Needed – Should be young and pretty.” This was the ad Henri Matisse placed with the nursing school in Nice, France in 1942. He was seventy-two years old and still working while recovering from a serious surgery. He required constant care and needed someone to fill in while …

By Sophia Mose: Buying Property in Vence versus St Paul-de-Vence Vence is a pretty medieval market town in the hills north of Nice on the Côte d’Azur. About 20 minutes from Nice airport, it has a population of about 19 000 people. The town is often overshadowed by its more …

By aixcentric If you are inspired to visit Tourrettes Sur Loup (see last post) you should have time to call in to see Matisse’s famous chapel at nearby Vence which the artist called his ‘masterpiece’. Recovering in Nice from cancer, Matisse had hired young Monique Bourgeouis to nurse him, and …