Laurianne @toctocMarseille
Carolyne Kauser-AbbottExploreGuided Holiday ToursLocals Travel Tips

Holiday Planning and Guided Tours in Marseille

As France’s second-largest city after Paris, Marseille appears overwhelming with well over 1 million people in the greater metropolitan area (1,831,500 January 2011 census). Marseille has been a port city since 600BC when the Greeks established a trading base in this location. Positioned on the Mediterranean Marseille has long been …

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Nice #Nice06 #CotedAzur @PerfProvence
Carolyne Kauser-AbbottExploreGuided Holiday Tours

Touring Nice on Two Wheels

Take a stroll along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice and you can be almost guaranteed of a couple things all year long: sun and plenty of people watching. The song Nissa la Bella (Nice the Beautiful) makes lots of sense for this coastal city on the Mediterranean where the …

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Touring Lost in Arles Colours of Arles #Arles Heather Robinson @LostinArles @HeatherRobinson
Carolyne Kauser-AbbottExploreLocals Travel Tips

Touring Heather Robinson’s “Lost in Arles” Perfectly Provence

Trailing her degrees from Yale and the University of New York, former actress Heather Robinson changed careers to become a travel writer. She has been living in France for over 14 years with her photographer companion. You can read more about Heather’s favourite spots in Arles and her “Lost in …

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Context Travel Walking Tours
ExploreGuest PostGuided Holiday Tours

New Walking Tours by Context Travel

Context Travel, already operating across Europe, Asia and the Americas, have just added Provence to their list of city-tours. Their difference is that their guides are scholars or specialists: architects, art historians, environmentalists, classicists for instance, thus bringing an academic perspective to the tour.

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Visit Arles Provence @LostinArles @HeatherRobinson
Carolyne Kauser-AbbottExploreLocals Travel Tips

Ask a Local: Why Visit Arles?

Much like her decision to follow a good looking French photographer to his native land. The couple were struck by a coup de coeur (love struck) when they spent one fateful night in Arles in 2003. You can read the full story in Heather’s blog post here. Whether you are …

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Edible Heritage #App #AixenProvence @EdibleHeritage
ExploreGuest PostProvencal History & Traditions

Aix App – For Walks in the Town

Carolyne Kauser-Abbott of Edible Heritage has created a self-guided walking tour of Aix that takes you to all the best places in town. It brings to life the monuments, fountains, buildings of centre ville along with stories of the lives of famous local figures. But it’s more than just a …

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Vaison fountain #VaisonlaRomaine @JanetHenderson
ExploreGuided Holiday Tours

Provence History in Motion: let the stones talk while you walk

Almost anywhere in Provence a casual glance around oneself will reveal a proliferation of Roman ruins, medieval hilltop fortresses, Renaissance châteaux and Romanesque cathedrals, for this is a  region steeped in history (not to mention myth, legend and folklore). Yet much of that history remains maddeningly elusive for the Anglo-Saxon …

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Food Tour Nice Rosé Pissaladiere Cote d'Azur Provencal Baking Tarts Cakes
Carolyne Kauser-AbbottExploreGuided Holiday Tours

Traditional Food Tour in Nice

Let’s just say it had been a few years since I had spent any time in Nice. My last visit was during an era when backpacks with external frames were acceptable, walkmans were hip, travel on $20 a day was possible and the Euro had not been invented. I was …

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Patina #Arles Heather Robinson @LostinArles @HeatherRobinson
Carolyne Kauser-AbbottExploreGuided Holiday Tours

Getting Lost in Arles a Guided Tour

We had barely walked 3km from our meeting point, but we were utterly lost in the architecture and history of Arles. My husband and I were in Arles for our annual trip to the sous-prefecture to request the forms for the renewal of our long-stay visas. This process involves getting …

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Place des Precheurs #AixenProvence
ExploreThe UnexplorerVillages Towns and Cities

6 Must-See Squares in Aix-en-Provence

At the heart of French culture — not to mention community and architecture — is the place, or square. Every town, big or small, has its fair share of places that have overseen festivals, markets, and families for centuries. Here are 6 worth finding in Aix-en-Provence. 1. Place des Martyrs de la …

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