Three Flower Festivals in May...and a Joke

April 19, 2013, 6:00 am

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So two older couples have dinner and afterwards the women go in the kitchen to clean up. Still at the table, one man says to the other: "Oh, we had such a wonderful meal the other night!'

The friend of course asks "Where?"

The first gentleman knits his brow, stares into space, is clearly struggling to remember the name. Silence, silence, silence. Finally, he's got it. "Rose!" he calls out.

"Rose?" his friend asks. "The name of the restaurant was Rose?"

"No!" says the firstman, then calls into the kitchen. "Rose! What was the name of that restaurant?"

Ever since I heard that one, that's what I think of when I hear the word 'rose.' And with that, here are three upcoming festivals you might enjoy...

1. At the Villa Eprussi in St. Jean Cap Ferrat...

The 4th annual Roses and Plants Festival at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild(two photos above) is May 10th through 12th. I recently visited the villa for the first time and it's wonderful in every way. So if you're anywhere near St. Jean Cap Ferrat during the second weekend in May, this would definitely be worth a detour. Thirty or so international exhibitors are expected: rose growers, nurseries and gardening professionals. The event attracted 10,000 visitors over its three days last year. The event pays homage to Baroness Béatrice de Rothschild, who was extremely passionate about flowers and plants; she created nine different gardens around her villa in 1912, with help of her architect/landscaper, Harold Peto. The Rose and Plant Festival will take place in the French garden. English roses, modern roses, exotic flowers, and all sorts of rare and Mediterranean plants will be on display, while the famous perfumer Fragonard, an event partner. will be sharing its rose-based fragrances. The weekend schedule includes garden visits, gardening workshops, presentations andtalks by the French rose society, the Société Française des Roses. If you've never visited the Villa itself, read TheHare with Amber Eyes before you go....a terrific read even if you're not about to visit one of the family's legendary homes. The Villa, its Tea Room and the Gardens are open from 10 am to 6 pm all weekend; it's 8 km from Nice and 12 kms from Monaco. Your entry ticket to the Villa gets you admission to the flower show as well.Full price tickets are 12.50€ and reduced rates (kids, families, students, journalists, unemployed, etc.) are available. For all the info, click here.

2. At the Palais des Papes in Avignon...

The Ninth Annual Alterarosa Festival of Roses(above) will be at Palais des Papes in Avignon from May 9 to May 12, 2013. In the prestigious Benoit XII cloister, at least ten major rose-growers from France and abroad will be showing off more than 2000 rosebushes and providing a sneak preview of new varieities. Some 20,000 visitors are expected. The weekend includes conferences, workshops and more. This year’s celebration of roses (always a fundraiser for charity) shares the spotlight with hydrangeas. The best place to park is the Parking Palais des Papes.Tickets: 7€ and 5€. The festival is open during Palace opening hours, which are 9 am to 7 pm. Last entry is at 6 pm. For the website in English, click here.

3. In the Village of Grasse...

The 43rd Annual International Rose Expo in Grasse will be May 8 to 12. To kick off the event, there will be concert of the music of Edith Piaf on May 8th at 8 pm in the Espace Chiris. (Concert tickets are 25€ and you can get them at the Tourist Office.) The Expo Rose takes place on the Cours Honore Cresp and in the gardens and rooms of the Villa-Musée Fragonard, the Grasse Cathedral and the Palais des Congrès. Expect to see more than 50,000 flowers! Grasse is a world perfume capital, with 20 farms cultivating flowers for scent. Additionally, the village has 30 or so perfume factories serving the global market and ingredients are sent here from all over the world to be transformed into perfume. In addition to the Expo Rose, Grasse hosts a Jasmine Festival every year in early August. Entry to Expo Rose is 5 € per person and it runs from 9:30 am to 7 pm. My peeps in the Grasse Tourist Office tell me a good place to park is on the Cours Honoré Cresp (just in front of Palais des Congrès) but that you'll also find parking in town (at Martelly and La Foux for example ). For more info on Grasse and the Rose Expo, click here and here.

*UPDATE: Reader Nathalie Delmotte was kind enough to remind me about another festival for plant lovers, this one happening this weekend (April 20-21) in Serignan du Comtat. It's the 15th Annual Rare Plants and Natural Gardens festival and the theme this year is “Mediterranean Variation.'' Louisa Jones, who's been writing about Mediterranean gardens for more than 30 years, is guest of honor. The aim of this 15th year will be to highlight plants and gardening activities best suited to the Mediterranean region (arid-soil plants, water savings, clean gardening methods etc.). Over 100 nursery collectors will be present, alongside Italian and Catalan experts. Scheduled for this year: in-the-field excursions, activities centered on practical themes, scientific workshops and fun for kids. All programs are in French. A 6€ ticket gives access to everything; kids under 15 are free. For info: plantes-rares.com.

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Yes You Can Do Cannes...Sort Of!

April 25, 2013, 5:48 am

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The 66th annual Cannes Film Festival is coming up May 15 to 26th and of course it totally takes over the town; this year 200,000 people are expected. Unfortunately, the screenings and parties are for industry insiders only...not for you. But there are definitely open-to-the-public events around townthat will let you feel the buzz, even if you can't actually hang with Woody Allen and the Jolie-Pitts. Here are two of them.

“Cinema de la Plage” is a free, nightly outdoor movie screening held on Macé Beach, next to the Palais des Festivals. Shows begin around 9:30 pm (''usually'') and no tickets are needed. Yep, just show up. And because your comfort is paramount to me, I inquired about seats and blankets and was told that both will be available. A schedule for Cinema de la Plage will posted on the festival website here shortly before the fest begins.

And once again, the American Club of the Riviera will be hosting their fabulous Film Festival Lunch in Cannes. I've never been but I hear it's tons of fun. It's May 18 at the Belle Plage Restaurant and all are welcome. Details will be posted on the ACR website and Facebook page soon. Or, contact BGintell@aol.com for info.

If you live in Cannes or own property there, my friend Jackie Pressman (who's been there 13 years) has some interesting info on her website here. For example, there are special invitations from the Town Hall for locals to come to certain red-carpet screenings...but you have to enter a drawing. It's the Mayor’s way of giving back to compensate for all the inconvenience of the traffic, crowds and commotion. "But it's so exciting!" Jackie says. "We all love it.And many non-industry people come just to soak up the great atmosphere.'' By the way, if you need an apartment or villa in Cannes or have property to rent out, Jackie can definitely help.

This year's Cannes Film Festival opens May 15 with Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, which will be shown in 3D. Steven Spielberg will chair the festival jury, while Frenchactress Audrey Tautou will preside over the opening and closing ceremonies. The full website in English is here.

Poster: This year's poster features Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, photographed during the shooting of A New Kind of Love by Melville Shavelson in 1963. The photo was remastered and redesigned by the Bronx Agency (based in Paris), who added a kinetic element, toying with the impression of movement and depth in order to enhance the cinematographic effect.

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Feeling Sheepish? Transhumance is May 20

May 1, 2013, 3:06 am

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Monday May 20th, 2013 is the annual Fête de la Transhumance in St. Remy, where local shepherds herd their flocks (roughly 3500 sheep and goats) three times around the village's circular "main drag" before taking them up to graze the green pastures of the Alpilles Mountains for the summer months. Transhumance is considered one of the 100 Prettiest Festivals in France and if you haven't seen it, it's great good fun. (My friend Philippe calls it ''sheep cooking in the streets.'') It starts officially around 10:30 am but arrive by 9:30 to find parking because it gets crowded and the streets are closed off. There's also an all-day flea market on the Place Republique, starting at 9 am. Up at the Plateau de la Crau at noon, there will be sheep-herding demonstrations and food being served. Other villages in Provence have Transhumance festivals as well but St. Remy's is one of the biggest and most popular. For more info, call 04 90 92 05 22 or click here.

Want to party like a shepherd? As in years past, the well-known St. Remy cooking school and country inn called Mas de Cornud will feature a special Transhumance day fête, kicking off at 12:30 with pétanque and pastis, followed by a "repast des bergers" (salade Camarguaise, gigot d'agneau a la broche, riz de Camargue, fromage et dessert). And of course there will be vin a volante--all the local wine you care to drink. Knowing owners David and Nito Carpita, you can expect a fun, international group of guests...and a party sure to go all day. The price is 100€ per person and you can email mascornud@live.com to reserve.

Thanks once again to Guy Butters for the four top Transhumance photos. You can visit Guy's website here and see more of his wonderful photography here and here. You can also follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. The bottom photo is courtesy of weloveprovence.fr

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Brocantes, Bistros and Baguettes in Paris

May 8, 2013, 8:22 am

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While on tour last year in the United States for her new cookbook, Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent, my sweet friend Ellise Pierce kept getting requests for tours of Paris, her adopted hometown.

“For eight years while living in Paris," she says, "I was either in the kitchen developing recipes for my book or my Cowgirl Chef column in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, shopping at the flea markets for vintage tableware, or relaxing over dinner at one of my favorite bistros. And it occurred to me that a tour that included all of these elements would be just the sort of tour I’d love. I figured others might love it too.”

So this fall, Ellise--who hails from Denton, Texas--will launch a month’s worth of her new three- and four-day Brocantes, Bistros and Baguettes tours, each offering an itinerary filled with eating, shopping and cooking in Paris…and plenty of champagne-sipping along the way.

The tours kick off in September, after la rentrée, when Parisians return to work after their summer holidays. “The city fills up, the restaurants and bistros are open again, it’s warm enough to sit outside, and the flea market season is in full swing," Ellise says. "It’s the perfect time to experience Paris – like a Parisian.”

Paris has more than 70 open-air food markets, and both the three- and four-day tours include shopping at one of her favorites, President Wilson Market in the 16^th arrondisement, where fourth generation farmer Joel Thiébault sells some of the prettiest veggies in town (he also sells to many Michelin-starred restaurants). With fresh goat cheeses, a stand that sells only mushrooms and potatoes, and a booth that makes fresh crêpes (stuffed with Nutella, jam, or ham and cheese), it’s one of the city’s best places to buy and nibble. Both the three- and four-day tours include shopping at this market, then returning to Ellise's apartment for a cooking class lunch, based on the just-bought ingredients.

The highlight of the four-day “Ham I Am/Brocantes, Bistros and Baguettes” tour is the Chatou Ham Fair and Brocante, an 800-plus vendor flea market just outside of Paris that’s been around since the Middle Ages. “I always find something surprising and wonderful at this brocante,” Ellise tells me. “I’ve picked up vintage garden furniture and bed linens; old jam jars and blue-striped grain sacks that I’ve made into pillows. Plus the ham sandwiches are not to be missed.”

The three-day “Brocantes, Bistros and Baguettes” tours include hitting some of the city’s local neighborhood brocantes (which often have some of the same vendors as the Chatou fair) and the biggest flea market in the world, at Clignancourt, followed by lunch at Philippe Starck’s new bistro La Cocotte, located in the middle of the market.

Besides the flea markets, both tours include cooking classes, bistro dinners, and lots of other shopping: wandering around Les Halles; shopping at E. Dehillerin, where Julia Child bought her copper pots; and picking up vanilla beans and chocolate at the pastry supply store, G. Detou, to name a few. There will be plenty of time for simply strolling the pretty city streets and ducking into whatever shop, wine bar or patisserie looks interesting along the way.

“These are tours for people like me--who like to go junking, eat wonderful food, sit around the kitchen table (with a glass of Champagne) and cook together--then shop some more!” Ellise says.

So wouldn't y'all think, that with a cookbook to promote, a successful blog, a newspaper column, cooking classes and catering gigs on both sides of the pond and now, this new tour business, Ellise would feel her plate was full? Nope--she's cooking up a bunch of other super fun projects as well. Such as? Well, she recently partnered with a Fort Worth, Texas boot maker to create a line of Cowgirl Chef boots that will come out in the fall. She's launching a collection of vintage-inspired aprons and she's working with a Dallas coffee roaster to develop her own Cowgirl Chef coffee blend. (If you read Ellise's blog, you'll know she's a coffee fanatic.) She's also writing her second cookbook and developing a cooking show. I'm tired just writing this! Go Cowgirl Go!

For all the info on the Brocantes, Bistros and Baguettes tours, go to Ellise's blog here. To see what I wrote when Ellise's book came out, click here. To buy the book on Amazon, click here.

Photos: Ellise in one of her favorite places (the market), doing one of her favorite things (eating)....her recent cookbook...and some of her favorite market finds.

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Days of Wine and Truffles

May 15, 2013, 1:48 am

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Very quickly after I launched my new company Provence Post Travel---arranging amazing vacations in Provence for couples, families and groups of all sizes--I learned how much my clients love activities that get them up close and personal with real life in Provence….the special experiences I arrange for them with artists, farmers, fishermen, winemakers, bread bakers, chefs, guides and more. Travelers these days definitely want to meet interesting locals who love to share their passions.

For example? At our local goat farm, clients love seeing the animals and then tasting the fresh goat cheeses with the farmer who just made them. They love biking with a charming chef who provides a gourmet picnic along the way. They've loved meeting artisan food-makers in Aix and walking in Roman footsteps with an American blogger in Arles. They’ve experienced vineyard barbecues with winemakers and olive oil-tastings with the young woman who tends hundreds of her family's trees and presses award-winning oils. I’ve sent clients out wine tasting with a charming sommelier...to bake croissants and make nougat at a traditional boulangerie…to slice and dice with Michelin-starred chefs…to comparison-taste homemade honey with a third-generation beekeeper…to ride gorgeous horses on a windswept Camargue beach...to tour lush, hidden gardens and learn about the visionaries who created them. I’ve sent private chefs to prepare special dinners in scores of rental villas…and sent kids to sculpting class with my favorite local potter. This week some clients sipped chilled Pastis in the sunshine while learning to play boules on the village pitch. Loved it!

So now that I know what how appealing these activities are, I’m working on a Menu of Delicious Provence Experiences that I’ll be publishing here soon. In the meantime, here’s one that I just couldn’t wait to share.

Lisa and Johann Pepin are a Franco American couplewho moved to the South of France from Chicago in 2003 to take over the Pepin family vineyard and find a better quality of life. (That’s the press release version of the story. What really happened is that Johann’s grandparents really missed him and were dying for him to come home … so they bribed the younger couple by offering up the family farmhouse as a gift. How sweet is that?)

So just like on Green Acres (remember?), the Pepins traded in their high-flying jobs in finance and PR for fresh air, starry skies and organic farming in the bucolic Luberon region of Provence. That was ten years ago. Today their 11-hectare farm Les Pastras (in Cadenet, near Lourmarin) produces grapes, olives, apricots, cherries, plums, apples, pears, pomegranates, figs, almonds, hazelnuts and—wait for it--black winter truffles. Yes, la famille Pepin must have done something right in a past life because they own 50 mature olive trees and another 320 trees (that they they planted themselves—yikes!) and a stand of oak that regularly produce the prized tuber melanasporum, AKA truffes noirs, AKA Black Gold. They also produce tuber aestivum--white summer truffles--as well.

“Most foodies are familiar with the famous Perigord truffle,” Lisa tells me, “but what they don’t know is that those pricey morsels are the same sort that you find at Les Pastras and across Provence, which is where 80% of black truffles are produced. The Perigord region has just done a vastly better job of marketing themselves to truffle lovers.”

The olive oils, meanwhile, are 100% organic, extra-virgin and cold pressed, made with olives from trees that were grown in the wild and have never been treated with chemicals of any kind. Also, they don't plump their olives unnaturally using a water-wasting irrigation system; any extra water their trees need comes from collected rainwater.

Because they are just totally cool people all around, Lisa and Johann decided early on that they would give 50% of their olive oil and truffle oil profits to the One Family Orphanage in Dargout, Haiti, where their close friend Kelsey works. For the time being, the oils are sold only at the farm and online, but they’re currently working on distribution in the U.S. and beyond. So if you visit, be sure to take a bottle or two home! Or order from the website here.

So here’s where the experience comes in: Lisa and Johann are now offering seasonal tours, tastings and truffle lunches. All tours come with a free wine tasting and olive oil tasting. Depending on timing and weather, they may also include olive picking, grape harvesting, a game of boules or even a truffle hunt.

You currently have two options, both offered during Winter (January 1 to March 10) and Summer truffle season (May 1 - Sept. 30).

#1. Take a tour of the truffle plantation, learn how truffles are cultivated and truffle dogs are trained, and then sniff out some of your own, with professional hunters who know all the tricks. You'll be regaled with stories of success and sabotage, and learn to tell the difference between a real Provençal truffe and its Chinese and Italian cousins (which the French of course deem far inferior.) Tours are conducted in English. Then, enjoy a glass or two of Champagne (made by Johann’s cousins) and a generous sampling of truffles on toast with salted butter. Price: 50€ per person. Includes: Hunting tour, Champagne, truffles on toast. For 4 to 12 people. Available: 11 am Saturdays and Sundays during winter and summer truffle seasons.

#2. Do all the above and then stay for lunch, to try a fabulous foie-gras stuffed truffle burger and truffle fries, plus dessert, coffee, petit fours and all the regional wine you care to drink. (Lisa, a hard-core foodie, based her burger recipe on the famous one created by New York chef Daniel Boulud.) Price: 85€ per person winter, 75€ summer. Includes: Truffle-hunting tour, Champagne and truffles on toast, lunch with truffle menu and wine. Tours available: 11 am Saturdays and Sundays during winter and summer truffle seasons. Guests: 4-8 in winter, 4-12 in summer.

For more info or to book, see the Les Pastras website here. To reach Lisa or Johann directly, email: pepin@lespastras.com. And for more fabulous Provence experiences you can share with family and friends, stay tuned….

Photos: Lisa and Johann do their best American Gothic; Green Acres and black truffles at Les Pastras; 50% of olive- and truffle-oil profits go to an orphanage in Haiti so order often and order lots!

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Whale Watching in the Med Starts June 9

May 21, 2013, 9:44 am

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Ok, I admit it: Until I wrote about this last year, I had no idea there were whales in the Mediterranean! Or that you could get up close and personal with them on day cruises. So I was delighted to find out that every Sunday,Decouverte du Vivant offers Naturalist Discovery Cruises aboard the boat La Croix du Sud V. During the nine-hour voyage you're likely to see striped dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, Risso's dolphins, pilot whales, sperm whales and the second largest animal on the planet, the fin whale. You can also expect to encounter seabirds, sunfish, loggerhead turtles, bluefin tuna, bonito and swordfish. The season opens June 9 and runs through October 20, 2013. Cruises depart from Sanary sur Mer in the Var at 9:30 am and return at 6 pm. Prices are 55€ (under 13), 66€ (students and teens), 78€ (adult) and on demand for groups. For more info or to reserve, click here or call 06 10 57 17 11 or email to: info@decouverteduvivant.fr.

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This Weekend: A Big Celebration in the Sky

May 23, 2013, 12:00 pm

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The prestigious Patrouille Acrobatique de France (PAF), the precision aerobatic team of the French Air Force, has its 60^th anniversary this year. And to celebrate, they’ll be strutting their best stuff in a big air show over Salon de Provence on Sunday May 26. I happened upon them practicing the other day and what I saw--three planes trailing red, white and blue smoke across the sky in a beautifully choreographed ballet--looked awesome. The nine pilots fly red, white and blue Dassault-Breguet/Dornier Alpha-Jets, with the gun fittings replaced by smoke generators. They have a support crew of 35.

As part of the show, the PAF, in association with “weightless choreography specialist” Kitsou Dubois, will present a specially coordinated duo that took several months to prepare. The aim of this highly challenging and daring blend of aeronautics and dance is to bring an additional artistic dimension to the team’s considerable flying skills.

Other French and international flight teams (Poland, Spain, Belgium, UK, Italy) will be participating as well. A full schedule for the day is here.

The show runs from 10 am to 6 pm, and if you’re anywhere near Salon you’re likely to see them in flight; another good vantage point will be the hills of Lancon de Provence, which overlook the PAF’s headquarters: Air Base 701 in Salon.

But the best way to experience this will be to go to the base itself…and entry is free all day. The Salon Tourist Office tells me that many events and exhibitions are being planned so bring the family and hang out all day. Reservations are not required but you must show a valid ID to get in…and folding chairs would be good too.

On Sunday, all the parking lots in Salon will be running special shuttle buses (navettes) to and from the base…so leave your car in town.

Now here’s the thing: all the main access roads to Salon will be closed as of 7.30 am. I can’t quite visualize how that will work but far be it from me to argue with the French Air Force! If you click here, you can see an access plan that should help. Real-time traffic info will be broadcast on France Bleu Radio Provence: 106.6 FM.

The 60^th Anniversary Celebration of the Patrouille de France is part of the year-long Marseille-Provence 2013 Celebration. A special show just for sponsors and personnel will be held on Saturday May 25.

For more info on the celebration, go to the PAF website here. I couldn’t get the English pages to load properly but maybe you’ll have better luck! If you have questions, you can call the Salon Tourist Office (04 90 56 27 60) or email them at accueil@visitsalondeprovence.com. For a schedule of all the Marseille-Provence 2013 events happening in Salon, click here. And for the full Marseille-Provence 2013 website in English, click here.

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Fireworks to Light Up the Pont du Gard

May 28, 2013, 5:36 am

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Les Fééries du Pont - Pont du Gardby pontdugard

The 2,000-year-old aqueduct called the Pont du Gard is one of the most magnificent sites in Provence; I never get tired of gazing at it, tromping around on it, photographing it. (I've yet to kayak the Gard River underneath it but hope to soon.) And my favorite Roman relic is even more spectacular when she’s all lit up with video, light, flame and fireworks as she is each summer during a popular evening sound-and-light show called “Les Féeries du Pont’’ (Fairies of the Bridge).

This year’s show is called Ulysses in Wonderland. It will be presented four times in June, on Friday and Saturday evenings: June 7, 8, 14 and 15, 2013. Showtime is 10:30 p.m or at dusk. But definitely arrive early as there are some "animations" before the main event, probably starting around 7 p.m.

Once again, the producer is Groupe F, the internationally acclaimed pyrotechnicians known for shows at the Eiffel Tower, Versailles and the Olympics. If you want a smile, have a look at their website; their work is over-the-top wonderful. I think the Romans would love it!

The Pont du Gard site will be open all day, as usual, but separate tickets are required. Seating will be on the right bank of the river so if you arrive on the left bank, you must be in by 9:30 pm in order to cross the bridge; the gates to the Pont du Gard park will close at 9:30. Bring cushions, chairs and blankets or you'll be sitting on the ground; the shops on site also sell seats if you forget. My best advice is sit as close to the bridge itself as possible. ''And don't forget to bring also warm wears,'' my contact at the Pont du Gard sweetly tells me.

Tickets for the Les Féeries show range from €14 to €20. You can buy them online here or at the Pont du Gard box office at any time. They're also available at FNAC, Virgin, Carrefour, Cultura and France Billet. Children under six are free and group rates are available (for group rates call 04 66 37 51 10). If you have an annual pass to the Pont du Gard, you get a discount. Parking is free.

Still not sure? You can see another video from a previous year, click here.

So what about dinner? Casual food will be sold on site or you can bring a picnic in with you. There's also a restaurant called Les Terrasses that serves excellent Mediterranean cuisine (04 66 63 91 37). A special Féeries du Pont menu will be offered at Les Terrasses but the restaurant fills up very quickly so reserve early.

My pals at the Pont du Gard also wanted me to let you know that on July 11 and 12, they'll be hosting “Lives au Pont,’’ an electro-pop music festival For the third year, the French group IAM will be the headliner. Other bands performing are Woodkid, Asaf Avidan and Jamie Lidell. For info, click here.

For all the info on the Féeries du Pont show or on visiting Pont du Gard at other times, click here. For historical info, click here. To contact the Pont du Gard directly: contact@pontdugard.fr or 04 66 37 50 99....and yes, they speak English.

If you want to catch a Groupe F fireworks show at another time, go to their site here and click Rendezvous to see the 2013 schedule. After Les Féeries du Pont, they’ll be staging shows in Provence on the following dates:

July 5: Avignon
July 6: Martigues
August 8: Port St. Louis
August 17: Port St. Louis

Finally, if you plan to be in Paris this summer, you can get a taste of Groupe F at the Chateau de Versailles, where they're once again staging their musical fountain display called ''Les Grandes Eaux Nocturnes.'' It's on certain evenings until September 14 and the schedule is on the Versailles website here.

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One New Provence Restaurant I Love

June 3, 2013, 6:19 am

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After many years on a prominent corner next to the cinema in St. Remy, the restaurant La France gasped its last breath this winter…probably because locals avoided it like la peste. This spring, a well-known local couple—John and Laetitia Vergnaud -- took it over and transformed it into a lovely Italian restaurant called Da Peppe…named for Laeticia’s grandfather, Giuseppi. To run the kitchen, they lured chef Maurizio Scalia over from Sicily and chances are you’ll find him paddling pretty pizzas in and out of the vast, round Morello oven, the first thing you see when you step through the door. John calls the stainless-steel oven—fueled by wood and gas, operated digitally and equipped with a rotating stone “refractory” bedplate that holds ten pies at a time—“the Rolls Royce, the Bentley, the Ferrari of forni!”

“Quantoè costato?” I asked the chef, impressed by its gleam, its glowing controls and how cool it feels to the touch; Maurizio’s pizzas bake to crispy/chewy perfection at 380 degrees C (700-plus F) in just two to 2.5 minutes.

“Tres cher!” was all he’d say, with a big smile.

I also noticed the oven creates no smoke or smell, thanks to a serious system of venting. Obviously this is key when you decide to plant a spaceship-sized, fire-breathing behemoth smack in the center of your dining room. So I went to the Morello website to learn a bit more. “Never again lawsuit against neighbours and/or burning chimney !!!” the company proclaims proudly. "Morello Forni can offer antipollution-water filters enabling to clean wood oven smoke, stop chimney fire risks and mainly to avoid noising quarrel versus neighbours!!!!”

Noising quarrel versus neighbours in Provence? Never!

The menu at Da Peppe is a la carte only, with a lunch-time plat du jour priced at 13€. John tells me his best-selling main courses right now are the Risotto St. Jacques “a l'encre de seiche” (Squid Ink Risotto with Scallops) and the Saltimbocca alla Romana (veal with ham and sage, rolled up and cooked with white wine and butter).

But pizzas are far and away the most-popular choice, with the Pizza Nona--scallops, arugula, truffle oil, olives, crème fraiche, mozzarella—currently in the lead.

And for dessert? “Our Tiramisu is excellent, our guests’ favorite dessert by far,” John says. “We make it the right way, with not a lot of liquid underneath, and very-nice Pavesini biscuits from Italy.”

My friend Lorraine and I shared a Pizza Decima (tomato, fresh buffalo mozzarella, gorgonzola, cherry tomatoes, basil, olives), a Pizza Settima (tomato, gorgonzola, pecorino, fresh ricotta, olives) and the Salad Burrattina (tomatoes, Burrata cheese, arugula, pine nuts, balsamic syrup). I thought all three were terrific. And Lorraine, who happens to be a bit pizza-obsessive and has always been staunchly loyal to Pizzeria Brun in nearby Maussane, proclaimed everything bellissima emolto bene! Or something very funny-sounding that meant that.

The atmosphere in Da Peppe’s dining room is warm and welcoming; the staff young, handsome and professional . (Don’t be surprised to see Jean-Pierre Ricci, the owner of nearby L’Áile ou la Cuisse, helping out; he’s Laetitia’s father.) The vibe is casual—jeans are fine—but in the evening the crowd makes an effort to kick it up a notch, clothes wise. Dining all around us I saw dating couples, young families, foreign tourists, familiar local faces and a large gaggle of girlfriends sharing pizzas, carafes of wine and laughter. Da Peppe has a handful of sidewalk tables and a terrific rooftop terrace too, with views of the Place Republique (that sounds so much better than saying ‘the big parking lot,’ no?) and our enormous church, with bits dating to the 14^th century.

Da Peppe is a much-need addition to the dining scene in St. Remy and I’m so happy to have them in my quartier. All hail chef Maurizio, the new Prince of Pizza in Provence!

Prices: Pizzas are 12.50€ to 14.50€. Meat and fish main courses: 19€ to 22€. Pasta and risotto: 12.50€ to 23€. Desserts: 7€. There’s a small selection of Italian specialties and sweets for sale at the door. Hours: Open for lunch and dinner every day but Tuesday; dinner is served from 7 to 11 pm. Parking: On the street or on the Place Republique. And as always, please tell them I sent you…

Da Peppe, #2 ave Fauconnet (next door to the cinema), St. Remy, 04-90-92-11-56, venezmanger@dapeppe.fr, no website.

Photos: John and Laetitia Vergnaud; tucking into a Pizza Prima; at Da Peppe you can eat indoors, on the sidewalk or on the rooftop terrace.

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Sculpture Classes for Kids & Adults

June 10, 2013, 1:26 am

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Bob Appelmans is a charming Belgian-born sculptor living and working in St. Remy. He’s been in Provence almost 30 years now and is very active and beloved on the local art scene. Fully bi-lingual, Bob loves to welcome visitors into his studio but it’s easy to miss: he’s hidden away in a pretty courtyard off the main traffic circle. Bob’s work takes many forms but I especially love his whimsical caricature busts; there are two above but many more on his website and in his studio. Bob accepts commissions so if you don’t see the one you want, he’ll happily make it for you.

Bob’s sculptures range in price from 30€ to 1500€.

Bob is also a terrific teacher who offers hand-sculpting classes for all levels: kids and adults, tourists and locals, and groups of up to ten people. He’ll teach children as young as four, charging just 15€ per child for a 1.5 to 2-hour session. Your little monsters will come home with clay under their ongles and a fun new skill. For adults, Bob offers one two-hour class for 35€ or four sessions for 130€.

Group prices are available and Bob will work around your schedule.

To find him: Enter the courtyard using the pathway in between the shop called Tectona and the one called Les Jardins Van Gogh, which is opposite the Campus gas station and down just a bit. Or follow the signs to the restaurants Chez Fanny or La Medina. The square is called Place Mireille Moatti and Bob’s address is #34 blvd. Mirabeau, St. Remy. And while you’re back there, consider La Medina or Chez Fanny for lunch or dinner…both are very nice options for casual dining.

L'atelier de Bob, 06 75 08 13 58, bobappelmans.com, bob13210@hotmail.fr

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You're Invited...

June 17, 2013, 4:17 am

≫ Next: Food, Fun, Fireworks: 4th of July in Cannes

≪ Previous: Sculpture Classes for Kids & Adults

I received a very nice email the other day from my friend Stephane Guiran, an extremely talented sculptor in Eygalieres. We met last year when other friends commissioned a piece from him and I wrote about him here. Then all of a sudden we started seeing each other at all the same parties…isn't it funny how that happens? Anyway, the email was an invitation to Stephane’s studio, for a new ‘’happening’’ called L’Atelier. I thought that this might interest some of you and Stephane said I could share the info. The general idea is this: Stephane’s studio will be open all day and evening on Fridays: for conversation, for connecting friends and strangers, for reading, for looking at art…and for a meal. Anyone who pays 5€ to join the association Les Amis de l'Atelier is welcome.

The goal, Stephane says, is to welcome anyone who enjoys art and feels like spending a few hours in cool surroundings, with terrific food, top regional wines and interesting chat. While the conversation is bound to be primarily in French, Stephane and his wife Ghislaine speak English and so do many of their friends. I love the idea and I’m sure it will be a huge hit.

Meals will be prepared by Céline Villard, who sold her company a few years back to focus on yoga and cooking. Stephane describes Céline’s food as very natural, often organic, made with fresh local produce and lots of veggies. ‘’But here in the village,’’ he says, ‘’we also love when she cooks the traditional dishes: pistou, bourride, pot au feu, pieds et paquets...’’

Lunch is 15€ and dinner is 25€. Timing is loose: lunch starts around 12:30 and dinner around 8 pm.

The lunch menu for Friday June 21 will be spinach and ricotta canelloni with fresh salads and a fresh red-fruit croustade with lime cream and a fresh-berry pavlova, The dinner menu for June 21 is the same except the main course will be slow-cooked lamb with fresh vegetables. Both meals start with grignotage (best translation: hors d’oeuvres or nibbles).

Fresh organic juices and wine will be available for purchase. “I’ve made a selection of wines from the South of France,” Stephane says, “from Ampuis (Condrieu) to Perpignan (Cotes du Roussillon). The idea is to propose good wines at affordable prices. I’ve got Yves Cuilleron's wines from Condrieu and St Joseph, Alain Voge from Cornas, Vieux Telegraphe, Rayas, Roc d'Anglade, Mas Jullien, Peyre Rose... and of course some great local wines (Eole, Trevallon...)’’

“People can come have tea/coffee and read art and poetry books,” Stephane continues, ‘’visit the exhibitions, and then have lunch or dinner if they book ahead. I will be here every Friday, working on the first floor. This is not a restaurant, it's an association mixing art and food. It’s quite confidential, open one day a week, for 25/30 people max. There are no signs outside, no publicity, only word of mouth. The venue is intimate and seating is limited.’’

So there it is. Pop in on a Friday, pay your 5€ membership, then hang out and enjoy. If you plan to have lunch or dinner, be sure to reserve; the first L’Atelier, on June 14, filled up quickly. The studio is one block off the main street in lovely Eygalieres, on Avenue Leon Blum, and will be open from 9:30 am to 11 pm. To reserve: stephane@guiran.com or 06 85 98 26 24.

To see more of Stephane’s beautiful work, his website is here.

Finally, I wanted to quickly mention Les Nuits des Patios, a annual festival of art and music in Eygalieres next month. This increasingly popular program features art, installations and most notably, three terrific concerts on ‘’patios’’ around town . Concerts are scheduled for July 19, July 22 and July 24; the one on the 24th is in the garden of Stephane and Ghislaine’s home. For all the info on Les Nuits des Patios: lesnuitsdespatios.com.

Photos: One of Stephane's sculptures in the garden of his studio in Eygalieres. Stephane photographed by Bruno Suet. The studio from the street; there is no sign or number address. It's 100 meters from the Cafe de la Place and if you can't find it, ask at the Cafe.

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Food, Fun, Fireworks: 4th of July in Cannes

June 21, 2013, 12:20 am

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In the USA, it's not Independence Day without fireworks. And this year, the folks behind the annual Cannes International Fireworks Festival have graciously complied...by opening this year's festivities on the evening of 4th of July. In conjunction, the American Club of the Riviera will be organizing a reception and dinner starting at 8 pm at a centrally located Croisette beach restaurant. From here, guests will be perfectly placed to take in the spectacle; the fireworks will be launched from barges in the bay facing the Croisette, with the music coming from speakers just in front of the restaurant. I've yet to see the Cannes Fireworks Festival but I'm told that the synchronization of music and fireworks is extraordinary. The evening begins with an 8 pm cocktail reception, followed by a three-course dinner with wine, water and coffee. The fireworks concert lasts about 30 minutes, beginning at 10 pm. Dress for the evening is ''beach smart casual'' and all-inclusive prices are as follows: 80€ members, 85€ for non-members, 40€ for children's menu. Full event details are on the American Club of the Riviera's website here or contact: bgintell@aol.com.

After July 4, the Cannes Fireworks Festival continues on Sunday July 14, Sunday July 21, Monday July 29, Wednesday August 7, Thursday August 15 and Saturday August 24. For all the info, click here.

And while we're feeling patriotic, you might enjoy seeing the homage one young French artist paid to America here...

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The Easy Way to Do Marseille

June 25, 2013, 10:41 am

≫ Next: A-Part Art Festival Starts Friday July 5

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Marseille, as you may know, is at the center of the European Capital of Culture for 2013 and the city has been getting ready for its close-up for years. Almost all of the shiny new sites, museums, monuments and attractions are fully up and running and just a few are still to come. Marseille is teeming with excited travelers, anxious to experience the best of the old and the new. Traffic has been re-routed; a new shuttle bus is zipping people around the Old Port; some wonderful new hotels, restaurants and shops have opened; new parking lots have popped up.

And now that the city is all spiffed up, a series of visionary--and slightly crazy--events have been organized. On two evenings last month, all the lights on the Old Port went out to make way for thousands of glowing candles and braziers. Earlier this month, 3,000 sheep (plus hundreds of horses, goats, cows and even donkeys painted to look like zebras) swarmed through the center of town led by a female "centaur" riding three black horses. Later this week, a section of the Old Port is will be briefly transformed into a giant lavender field (more info on that below). The Tour de France will pass through the city on July 3rd while EuroPride happens July 10 to 20. And an impressive schedule of other shows, exhibits, performances, workshops and installations is creating an energetic, festive vibe throughout the entire summer.

But here's the but: Marseille was never an easy city to navigate and none of that has changed. The city has always been crowded and now it's even more so. And since many of the new sites have acronyms or numbers as names--MuCEM, J1, J4 and FRAC are just four examples--you don't really know, at least at first glance, what it is they offer.

Bottom line? If you have just a day or two to explore Marseille you may find it a bit of a struggle. So what to do? You hire Sheila Johnston for a tour, of course!

Sheila has lived just outside Marseille, in one of the pretty western calanques, for more than 12 years and she edits a tourist guide to Marseille and Southern Provence called marseille-provence.info. The girl knows her stuff! Sheila offers walking tours around the Old Port and the winding streets of the Panier (Old Town, with its shops and galleries and craft shops), taking in the Vieille Charité, the Hotel Dieu and the aforementioned MuCEM: Marseille's bold and dazzling new world-class museum and the historic Fort Saint Jean, which has become its annex.

Depending on timing and your preferences, she might take you to visit some of Marseille's colorful street markets...the Maison du Pastis, which stocks 95 different types of Provence's iconic aperitif... a workshop/museum of santons (terracotta Christmas crib figures)...and a navettes bakery where the city's traditional, boat-shaped biscuits are made.

A full-day tour could also include a ferry trip across to the other side of the Old Port. On this side, the attractions are Notre Dame de la Garde (Marseille's iconic and much-loved "Bonne Mère," with its fantastic views of the city and bay), the beautiful, ancient Saint Victor Abbey and the Jardin du Pharo (with yet more spectacular views across the Old Port). A likely stop en route is the Bar de la Marine, the haunt of Provence's famous writer Marcel Pagnol (and the setting for the climax of the rom-com Love Actually).

Sheila can also create tours for special interests, such as food and wine, art, architecture, ancient history or football/soccer (Marseille is the home of the legendary Olympique de Marseille).

Private walking tours with Sheila start at 150 € for half a day and 250 € for a full day, excluding lunch and (if needed) local transport. For more info or to book, contact Sheila directly: sheila@marseille-provence.info.

To see the schedule in English for Marseille Provence 2013 (European Capital of Culture), click here.

And finally, what about that lavender? As part of the program for MP 2013, a sea of 4,000 lavender plants will bloom on a section of the Old Port in front of the Town Hall in Marseille from Friday June 28 to Sunday July 7, courtesy of the Manosque-based cosmetics company L'Occitane en Provence. Major photo opp! The plants will be sold at the end and the proceeds will go to L'Occitane's foundation for the preservation of lavender against pests and diseases.

Top photo courtesy of the London Evening Standard, from an article about Marseille-Provence 2013 here. Bottom photo: Sheila Johnston (sheila@marseille-provence.info ) loves to share the Marseille she loves with travelers.

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A-Part Art Festival Starts Friday July 5

July 1, 2013, 2:42 pm

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The fourth annual a-part contemporary art festival (yes, it's called "a-part") is a-bout to begin, bringing a wide range of exhibits, events, performances and installations to various venues throughout the Alpilles region of Provence. This year's fest features 50 artists showing in 25 venues in seven towns and villages.

As in year's past, most of the exhibits launch with their own vernissage (opening) and the artist or artists are almost always in attendance. All vernissages and shows are free and open to the public. So if you love art...or meeting artists...or just feel like enjoying a glass of wine and a nibble with like-minded people in a pretty place...jot down these dates. And be sure to check the a-part website for a map so you can take in as many of the shows as possible as you toodle around Provence. Don't forget to bring your checkbook because you're sure to find something you love! Virtually all the exhibits run until August 25 and all the info is on the a-part website here. You can emailinfo@festival-apart.com with questions and you can see the full schedule here.

Friday July 5 at Maussane-les-Alpilles: 7 p.m. Opening Ceremony of the Festival at the C.C.V.B.A (on the Ave. de la Vallée des Baux, behind the Mairies), with artists Ana, Daniel Aulagnier, Gérard Fromanger, Frédéric Fourdinier, Jeronimo Hagerman, Tessa Joosse. Also, in front of the Mayor’s Office: artist Christian Gaillard. At Le Lavoir: Jean-Blaise Picheral

Saturday July 6 at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence: 11:30 a.m. inauguration at Les Antiques with artists Philippe Chitarrini and  Yoann Crepin.

Sunday July 7 at Saint-Étienne-de-Provence: 7 p.m. picnic at Altavès with artist Jeronimo Hagerman. More info to come soon.

Monday, July 8 at Les-Baux-de-Provence: 7 p.m. Vernissages at:

*Post Tenebras Lux (on Main Street or Grand-Rue), with artist Mounir Fatmi.

*Hôtel de Manville (The Mairie, on Main Street), with artists Frédéric Coché, Philippe Druillet, Demián Flores, Liberatore, Ilan Manouach, ORLAN, Pleks, Daniel Spoerri and Ma Tselin.

*On the walls of the village with artist Bertrand Gadenne.

*La Cure (Place Saint-Vincent), with artists Ji Dahaï and Alexandre Rocca, Stéphane Guiran, Marie Piselli, Pascal Schmitt and Elizabeth Wejebe Iberri.

Tuesday, July 9 at Les-Baux-de-Provence: 7 p.m. projections at Les Carrieres de Lumières with a discussion with philosopher Philippe Serres and artist Bertrand Gadenne.

Wednesday, July 10 at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence: 7 p.m. Vernissage at the Château des Alpilles with artists Frédéric Fourdinier, Francis Guerrier, Jeronimo Hagerman, Scenocosme, Vincent Scali and Barbara Thaden.

Thursday, July 11 at Tarascon: 5 p.m. inauguration at the Jardins de Payan (at the Mas de Payan on Chemin Mannoni), with artists Daniel Aulagnier, Jean Daviot, Marc Nucera, Constantin Rusu. This will be followed by 7:00 p.m. vernissages at:

*The Chapelle de la Persévérance (#8 Rue Proudhon), with artist Claude Lévêque.

* Les Cordeliers (on Place Frédéric Mistral), with artists Claire Becker, Anne-Catherine Becker-Echivard, Régine Cirotteau, Jesus Diaz De Vivar, Caroline Minjolle, Jeronimo Hagerman, Natalie Luder, Pleix, Julie Tanit, Daniel Spoerri and Elizabeth Wejebe Iberri.

Friday, July 12 at Eygalières: 7 p.m. Vernissage at the Église Saint Laurent with artist Chiharu Shiota and L'Atelier at Studio Stephane Guiran (on Avenue Leon Blum) with artists Halida Boughriet, Eric Bourret, Hayoun Kwon, Christophe Lucien and Enrique Ramirez.

Saturday, July 13 at Les-Baux-de-Provence: 7 p.m. projections at the Carrieres de Lumières with Bertrand Gadenne.

Sunday, July 14 at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence: 11:30 a.m. Brunch at the Mas de l’Amarine with artist Natalie Luder. More info to come soon.

Sunday Aug. 11 at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence: 11:30 a.m. brunch at Mas de l’Amarine in St. Remy with artist Anne-Catherine Becker-Echivard.

Monday August 12 at Saint-Etienne-du-Gres: 5:30 p.m. Guided tour/visit with artist Frederic Fourdinier.

Monday August 12 at St. Remy: 6:30 p.m. Vernissage for Picnic-Invasion by Jeronimo Hagerman at Agence Bosc Architects (#38 blvd. Victor Hugo).

Thursday August 22 at St. Remy: 7 pm musical performance soiree with Jacopo Baboni-Schillingi at Mas de lÁmarine.

Friday August 23 at Les Baux de Provence: 10 pm Auction of selected a-part Artworks at Hotel La Cabro d'Or.

Saturday August 24 at Mouries: Tasting on the Grass from 5 pm to 8 pm with artists Ana, Frederic Fourdinier and Francis Guerrier.

Photos: (1) A video installation by Bertrand Gadenne, who will be showing his work at the Carrieres de Lumiere and on the city walls in Les Baux. (2) A photo by Regine Cirotteau, who is exhibiting at the Cloitre des Cordeliers. (3) Marc Nucera's ''Poisson-ivre, 2012,'' made from Douglas Pine. Photo by Michel Jouve. Nucera will be exhibiting at Les Jardins de Payan in Tarascon. (4) A seriograph by Jesus Dias De Vivar, called ''Martha cocotte, what becomes a legend most.'' You can see Diaz De Vivar's work at Les Cordeliers in Tarascon. (5) A photo called La Lecon d'Anatomie, 2003, by Anne-Catherine Becker-Echivard, who'll show her work at Mas de l'Amarine in St. Remy and the Cloitre des Cordeliers in Tarascon. (6) ''Picnic Invasion'' by Jeronimo Hagerman. You can sees this installation in St. Remy at Agence Bosc Architects. Hagerman will also have installations at Les Cordeliers in Tarascon, Chateau des Alpilles in St. Remy and C.C.V.B.A. in Maussane.

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A Gorgeous New Hotel in Provence

July 5, 2013, 11:00 pm

≫ Next: Nice Celebrates Matisse Until September 23

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The impossibly stylish Jocelyne Sibuet has done it again. Yesterday she openedDomaine de la Baume, a 15-room hotel in Tourtour, a hilltop village in Provence ranked as one of “The 100 Prettiest in France.’’ The 100-acre estate—with formal French gardens, ponds, a waterfall and chapel-- is about halfway between the Gorges du Verdon and the Riviera. The 18^th-century bastide was the home of the painter Bernard Buffet until he died in 1999. The property’s olive groves, bee hives, fruit trees and vegetable gardens supply the restaurant, where exec chef François Martin is cooking serious, seasonal, ingredient-driven Provencale cuisine. Martin hails from Montpellier and worked previously with Michel Lentz,Marc Veyrat, Michel Del Burgo and the Pourcel brothers. His pastry chef is Elodie Martin, his wife.

Restaurant manager Emmanuel Bellanger was most recently at Les Jardins du Palais Royal (Paris) while the GM, David Gouy, was in Lyon running Restaurant Christian Tetedoie.

Each of the hotel’s 15 rooms looks completely different but all are stylish and colorful reinterpretations of 18^th-century design. Rooms range in size from 300 to 800 square feet and have all the luxe amenities you’d expect. Each is named for a painting by Bernard Buffet.

The property also has red-clay tennis courts, an open-air spa and horses you can ride.

When I say Jocelyne Sibuet has done it again, I mean that Madame already has a rather remarkable portfolio of exquisite hotels in some of France’s most desirable destinations. For example? Maisons & Hotels Sibuet owns the Bastide de MarieandDomaine de Marie Winery (in Menerbes, in the Luberon region of Provence) and the Villa Marie (in Ramatuelle overlooking St. Tropez). Then there’s the Cour des Loges (Lyon), four hotels and a group of luxury chalets in Megeves (in the French Alps) and the five-star Altapura in Val Thorens (also in the Alps).

Rooms at Domaine de la Baume begin at €236 (breakfast included) and €440 for half-board (breakfast and dinner included). It’s 1h15 from the Toulon Hyeres Airport, 1h40 from the Marseille Marignane Airport and 1h25 from the Nice Cote d’Azur Airport. The Les Arcs/Draguignan Train Station is roughly 40 minutes away.

And what would one do around Tourtour? You’ll want to explore the town itself, which I hear is quite pretty, with eight fountains, two chateaux, a maze of narrow streets, flower filled squares and lots of pretty galleries and shops. Then I’d head straight for the Gorges du Verdon; I’m crazy about it and so is everyone else. It’s often called the Grand Canyon of France and Trip Advisor ranks it the #1 most-popular site in Provence. This is Europe’s deepest canyon, with oddly bright green waters flowing through its narrow walls. The water spills into the lovely Lac Saint Croix, where you can swim, canoe, pedalo, kayak, hike, fish…or just drive around and enjoy the gorgeous scenery. The pretty nearby town of Moustiers is famous for its colorful pottery and of course La Bastide de Moustiers, chef Alain Ducasse’s elegant country inn with its highly regarded restaurant.

All of Provence is known for its summer music festivals and three that might interest you during a stay at Domaine de la Baume are the Verdon Jazz Festival (July 14 to 22, 2013), the Aix-en-Provence International Lyrical Art Festival (through July 27, 2013, featuring opera concerts and recitals) and the Thoronet Medieval Music Festival (July 16 to 21, 2013), which celebrates Medieval music in a famous Cistercian Abbey. And while we’re at it, check out the Soirees Estivales, a free summer-long festival now ongoing in scores of villages up and down the Cote d’Azur. More than 400 performances (voice, music, dance, etc.) are scheduled this year, in Nice, Biot, Grasse, Breil-sur-Roya, Beulieu, Eze, St Jennet, Saint-Paul-de-Vence and many more.

A list of other things to do in the region is here.

Want to stay at the Domaine de la Baume? Who wouldn’t! To contact the hotel directly: Domaine de la Baume, +33 (0)4 57 74 74 74, contact@domaine-delabaume.com.

Or, let me do it for you. I’ll be happy to check room categories, rates and availability…and handle the booking as well. How easy for you is that? (For that matter I can book any hotel in Provence you like…and help you pick one.) Just drop me a note : juliemautner@aol.com.

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Nice Celebrates Matisse Until September 23

July 13, 2013, 3:12 am

≫ Next: Another French Book Giveaway + A Trip

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On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its Musée Matisse, the City of Nice is presenting, for the first time, eight simultaneous exhibitions celebrating Henri Matisse and his work.

From the heights of Cimiez to the Promenade des Anglais and passing through Old Town, the eight exhibits are being presented simultaneously in eight local galleries and museums: the Musée Matisse, the Musée d’Archéologie, the Théâtre de la Photographie et de l’Image, the Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain, the Palais Lascaris, the Galerie des Ponchettes, the Villa Masséna and the Musée des Beaux-Arts.

Nice ranks #2 in France after Paris, for the numbers of visitors to its city museums; close to 700,000 people visited in 2012. The city wanted to highlight the diversity of these museums and, at the same time, celebrate on a suitably grand scale the character, work and legacy of this legendary painter who so loved the Côte d’Azur.

In September 1905, the art critic Félix Fénéon bought Matisse a train ticket so he could discover Cannes, Nice, Monaco and Menton. Matisse was from the North, born in Cateau-Cambrésis in 1869. Twelve years later, in December 1917, Matisse returned to Nice and settled into a small room in the Hôtel Beau-Rivage. He set up his workshop a few meters away, on the Quai des États-Unis, at 24, Rue Saint-François de Paule. He spent nearly 40 years in Nice and the surrounding area, until his death on November 3^rd, 1954, and throughout this time he “honoured the Côte d’Azur with unwavering fidelity and passion’’ which included, of course, the creation of numerous masterpieces. He is buried in Cimiez Cemetery.

To create the show, called A Summer for Matisse, pieces have been loaned from a wide range of French and foreign museums including the Centre Pompidou, the Château de Versailles, the Musée d’Orsay, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Andy Warhol Museum. There have also been numerous loans from Musées de France, especially from those museums located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur region, as well as from private collections.

More than 700 Matisse works are currently on display in themed shows ranging from The Music in the Work’ (Musee Matisse), On the Subject of Swimming Pools (Musee d’Archeologie) and Matisse: The Jazz Years (Palais Lascaris). Matisse on the Bill (Galerie des Ponchettes) delves into advertising poster art while Palm Trees, Palm Leaves and Palmettes (Musee Masena) explores these recurrent motifs.

All shows are ongoing until September 23, 2013.

A 10€ pass allows one adult entry to all eight museums for seven consecutive days. You can buy the pass at any participating museum.

For more details and a list of what’s where, click here. There’s additional info in English on the press release here. The official site is here but the pages are only in French.

For lots of other great Nice info, check out the Nice Cote d’Azur Tourism website here.

And for wonderful photos of the artist, click here.

Photos: (1) A pochoir print of Matisse’s “Polynesia.”(2) Purple Robe and Anemones, 1937. (3) Poster from a Matisse show in Nice, 1950. (4) Le Cirque, planche II. (5) Poster from a Paris show in 1956. (6) Self portrait in a striped T-shirt, 1906. Matisse, like Bonnard, loved cats. He lived at Villa le Rêve with Minouche and Coussi. (7) This 12 x 11-foot ceramic-tile Matisse mural called La Gerbe (The Sheaf) was commissioned in the early 1950s; read a story I wrote about it here.

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Another French Book Giveaway + A Trip

July 18, 2013, 12:04 pm

≫ Next: Win the Chance to Drive a New Ferrari

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Usually the giveaways I do here are French cookbooks…or memoirs about life in France….or books on French design and décor. So here’s something a bit different, for those of you who love fiction. And the cover says it all…this is one for the gals!

You can read all about The Promise of Provencehere. The tale encompasses love, expectation and betrayal; aging parents and the war; a lab named Picasso and plenty of lavender; charming Frenchmen, a rich Australian and lots of colorful locals. The action takes place in Canada, the Ukraine, the Luberon, Paris…and brings us finally to a fisherman's cottage, ancient and captivating, in Antibes on the Cote d’Azur.

Author Patricia Sands lives in Toronto. With a happily blended family of seven adult children and, at last count, six grandchildren, she knows a thing or two about relationships and the human heart! Patricia calls herself a travel fanatic and says she can pack a bag and fly anywhere in a flash …especially if it’s the South of France. Her love affair with France began more than 40 years ago when she spent a year backpacking with friends and the passion has continued to grow. For the last 15 years, she and her husband have returned frequently for extended stays that allowed time “for exploration and valued connections with French friends.” Her most recent visits included three months near Biot and then five months in Antibes in 2011. She says she’s counting the days until their arrival in Nice this September.

This is Patricia’s second book. Her debut novel, The Bridge Club, was a finalist in the Foreword Reviews 2010 Book of The Year (general fiction), 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (First Novel) and 2012 Indie Excellence Book Awards. The Promise of Provence came out just over a month ago and as soon as I heard about it I knew it make a perfect giveaway. So I rang her up and she graciously offered us three copies, either print or e-book format.

So if you’d like to enter to win a copy, just leave a comment under comments, below. The more creative the better, of course, and if you share thoughts, memories or even fantasies of Provence, that's a plus! Winners will be chosen by Patricia so do your best to capture her fancy. And be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you win; signing in with your Google account is not enough.

If you’d like to go ahead and buy the book, you can do that on Amazon here. To learn more about Patricia, her website is here and her blog is here. If you’d like to meet her, she’ll be having a book launch party at the English-language shop Antibes Books (also called Heidi’s English Bookshop) in late September or early October so check her site and theirs for details. The books should be in stock by early September.

Finally, Patricia will be leading two tours, loosely based on her novel, of the Cote d’Azur and Provence in June and July, 2014. The groups will number 14 people each—all women--and at press time the first trip had just one spot left. To see all the info, click here.

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Win the Chance to Drive a New Ferrari

July 23, 2013, 8:19 am

≫ Next: Discounts on Last-Minute Provence Rentals

≪ Previous: Another French Book Giveaway + A Trip

The mountain and coastal roads of the Cote d’Azur are considered some of the most gorgeous drives in the world. Now imagine taking their hairpin turns and breath-taking stretches behind the wheel of a convertible Ferrari F430 F1 Spider. Now imagine doing it free.

Yep, here in the South of France, you can enjoy an exhilarating Ferrari ride next to a professional instructor or drive the car yourself (with a co-pilot instructor). And for my newest giveaway, the company that offers these drives, Liven Up, has given me a gift certificate for €115, good for a 15-minute drive-yourself Ferrari experience from Eze village anytime in the next year. If you've ever driven up that way, you know the beauty that awaits you! Prices for other packages range from 59€ (for a 15-minute ride as the passenger) to 790€ (for three hours driving yourself), with trips starting from Eze, Monte Carlo or Nice. So if you want a longer trip, just add the money and extend it. A camera at the rear of the car will record everything and you can have a copy of it on an SDHC card for 49€...perfect for boring your friends silly when you get home.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below, under ''comments.'' Make sure to leave us your email address so we can contact you if you win. (Signing in with your web URL is not enough, sorry!) In your comment, tell us about the best drive you ever took...or tell us about the drive of your dreams. Or just tell us why you should be our winner!

Meanwhile, to book your own Ferrari ride--or send a gift certificate to a friend--contact: nath@livenup.fr. The company also offers a wide range of sightseeing tours, chartered boat trips and more, all of which you can see on their site here. Bonne Chance!

Joy Riding in a Ferrari
The mountain and coastal roads of the Cote d’Azur are considered some of the most gorgeous drives in the world. Now imagine taking their hairpin turns and breath-taking stretches behind the wheel of a convertible Ferrari F430 F1 Spider. You can enjoy an exhilarating ride next to a professional instructor or drive the car yourself (with a co-pilot instructor). Prices range from 59€ (for a 15-minute ride as the passenger) to 790€ (for three hours driving yourself). You can start your trip in Eze, Monte Carlo or Nice. Whether you want to be pilot or co-pilot, this is an experience you won’t forget! (And to make sure you don’t, a camera at the rear of the car will record the whole drive and you can have a copy of it on an SDHC for an additional 49€.) To give a Ferrari ride or drive a friend, gift certificates are available. To book: provenceblog@aol.com.

- See more at: http://theprovencepost.blogspot.fr/p/w.html#sthash.OyWh9rrF.dpuf

Joy Riding in a Ferrari
The mountain and coastal roads of the Cote d’Azur are considered some of the most gorgeous drives in the world. Now imagine taking their hairpin turns and breath-taking stretches behind the wheel of a convertible Ferrari F430 F1 Spider. You can enjoy an exhilarating ride next to a professional instructor or drive the car yourself (with a co-pilot instructor). Prices range from 59€ (for a 15-minute ride as the passenger) to 790€ (for three hours driving yourself). You can start your trip in Eze, Monte Carlo or Nice. Whether you want to be pilot or co-pilot, this is an experience you won’t forget! (And to make sure you don’t, a camera at the rear of the car will record the whole drive and you can have a copy of it on an SDHC for an additional 49€.) To give a Ferrari ride or drive a friend, gift certificates are available. To book: provenceblog@aol.com. - See more at: http://theprovencepost.blogspot.fr/p/w.html#sthash.OyWh9rrF.dpuf

oy Riding in a Ferrari
The mountain and coastal roads of the Cote d’Azur are considered some of the most gorgeous drives in the world. Now imagine taking their hairpin turns and breath-taking stretches behind the wheel of a convertible Ferrari F430 F1 Spider. You can enjoy an exhilarating ride next to a professional instructor or drive the car yourself (with a co-pilot instructor). Prices range from 59€ (for a 15-minute ride as the passenger) to 790€ (for three hours driving yourself). You can start your trip in Eze, Monte Carlo or Nice. Whether you want to be pilot or co-pilot, this is an experience you won’t forget! (And to make sure you don’t, a camera at the rear of the car will record the whole drive and you can have a copy of it on an SDHC for an additional 49€.) To give a Ferrari ride or drive a friend, gift certificates are available. To book: provenceblog@aol.com.
- See more at: http://theprovencepost.blogspot.fr/p/w.html#sthash.OyWh9rrF.dpuf

oy Riding in a Ferrari
The mountain and coastal roads of the Cote d’Azur are considered some of the most gorgeous drives in the world. Now imagine taking their hairpin turns and breath-taking stretches behind the wheel of a convertible Ferrari F430 F1 Spider. You can enjoy an exhilarating ride next to a professional instructor or drive the car yourself (with a co-pilot instructor). Prices range from 59€ (for a 15-minute ride as the passenger) to 790€ (for three hours driving yourself). You can start your trip in Eze, Monte Carlo or Nice. Whether you want to be pilot or co-pilot, this is an experience you won’t forget! (And to make sure you don’t, a camera at the rear of the car will record the whole drive and you can have a copy of it on an SDHC for an additional 49€.) To give a Ferrari ride or drive a friend, gift certificates are available. To book: provenceblog@aol.com. - See more at: http://theprovencepost.blogspot.fr/p/w.html#sthash.KKZ3rrk0.dpuf

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Discounts on Last-Minute Provence Rentals

July 30, 2013, 11:07 pm

≫ Next: A St. Remy Tour for Foodies

≪ Previous: Win the Chance to Drive a New Ferrari

This time of year, I often get emails from villa owners and rental agencies looking for help filling up empty weeks. Sometimes it's because of a last-minute cancellation; other times it's because the owner changed his plans. Sometimes it's just because. And because I'm exceedingly gracious, I always try to help...but first I (ungraciously) ask them to offer my readers a discount to make things, as the French say, ''more interesting.'' So here are a few wonderful houses you can rent during August and September, with original and discounted prices. And of course all of these houses are available at regular prices the rest of this year and next. Book early and book often!

From JustFrance.com:

La Tourelle (top photo) is located in Sarrians, between Vacqueyras and Beaumes de Venise... and near Vaison-la-Romaine. This Wine Country home is available August 17 to 31. It has five bedrooms and four baths in the main house and one bedroom, one bath in the guest house. All bedrooms have AC and the pool can be heated. Original price per week: $10,200. Discounted price $9,200. Note: This is for the main house only for up to 10 guests. An additional reduction is available for smaller groups. That means, you get $1,500 off for up to 6 people; $1,750 off for up to 4 people and $2,000 off for 2 people. The guest house can accommodate two guests max for $1,200 per week. For more info, click here.

La Perle de Goult (photo #2) is in Goult, in the Luberon, and is available August 17 to September 14. It has three bedrooms and 3.5 baths. The company writes: ''This house is extremely popular and already firmly booked for late August through mid October of 2014." Original prices for one week: $7,000 a week in August, $6,200 a week in September. Discounted prices: $6,000 a week in August, $5,200 a week in September. For more info, click here.

La Maussanaise (in Maussane, near Les Baux) has four bedrooms and three baths. It's open from August 31 to September 14. Original price for two weeks: $16,000. Discounted price for two weeks: $15,000. That means: if you rent the house for two weeks or more, you get $500 off per week. For info, click here.

From Just-Provence.com:

La Gallardo (photo #3) is within walking distance of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and sleeps ten. It has an alarmed pool for safety, 3000 square meters of landscaped gardens and its own petanque pitch. The house is available from August 17 to 31. The original rate is 5,640€ per week; the discounted rate is 4,680€ per week. For info, click here.

Mas des Florettes (photo #4) is within walking distance of Bonnieux, in the Luberon. It sleeps 15 in seven bedrooms. Normal weekly rates are 5,995€ (September) and 4,795€ (October). The discounted rate is 7,195€ for a 2 week booking in September or October, subject to availability. For more info, click here

Mas du Temps, between the historic perched villages of Ménerbes and Lacoste, has four bedrooms, a heated pool and lots of other nice amenities. For the first three weeks of September, the company is offering the house at 3,650€ per week instead of 4,560€ per week. For more info, click here.

From Owners:

Mas La Belugo (photo #5) is located in Mas Blanc, 10 minutes west of St. Remy. The house has five bedrooms, three of them with en suite bathrooms, a family bathroom and a guest bathroom. English-language TV with DVD library, WiFi, iPod docking station, laundry room, high-end kitchen (two ovens, two American-style fridges, etc.), large pool and secure parking are a few of the nice amenities. The week of September 7th is now €2950 (normal price €3950) and any week after October 20th until Christmas is €2150 (normal price €2950). For info, click here.

Charming village house in Eygalieres, with three bedrooms and two baths, is available Aug 3 to 24. Normally $1800 per week. Now $1300 a week or $2500 for any two-week period within those weeks. For info, click here.

This brand-new duplex "eco" home called Appartement Insolite (photo #6) was completed just a month ago and sits in the heart of the village of St. Remy. Perfect for a single or couple (3 people max!) it has a small terrace with dining table, fully equipped kitchen, small living room with fold-out couch, bedroom and tiled bathroom with shower. It has lots of light, gated parking, washer/dryer, AC and WiFi. Insolite is available the week of Aug 24, the week of Aug 31 (590€ per week, Saturday to Saturday) and the week of September 21 (350€). October, November and December (except Christmas week) are also 350€ per week. For info, call +33 (0) 6 10 92 64 87. Or, as the owner's email is currently kaput and she doesn't speak English well, email me at juliemautner (at) aol.com and I'll be happy pass your message along to her.

*Note if you have empty space in your Provence rental property for August or September, feel free to leave the info as a comment below. Make sure to include a link so readers can see your property online.

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A St. Remy Tour for Foodies

August 7, 2013, 12:03 pm

≫ Next: Deadline for Dora Maar Fellowship is Oct 15

≪ Previous: Discounts on Last-Minute Provence Rentals

Very quickly after I launched my new company Provence Post Travel---arranging amazing vacations in Provence for solo travelers, couples, families and groups of all sizes--I learned how much my clients love activities that get them up close and personal with real life in Provence….the special experiences I arrange for them with artists, farmers, winemakers, bread bakers, chefs, guides and more. Travelers these days definitely want to meet interesting locals who love to share their passions.

So to make these activities more accessible, I created a Menu of Delicious Provence Experiences: wonderful activities of all types that you can book and enjoy during your stay in Provence. You can see the menu here.

Having been a food writer for the past 30 years--the last 14 of them mostly in Provence--I'm often asked to arrange or lead foodie tours around the South of France. Some people want to work in restaurant kitchens and visit outdoor markets; others want to learn the secrets behind making the flakiest croissants or perfect crusty baguettes. Virtually all want to visit artisinal producers making food in traditional ways...and of course to taste the delicious results. Luckily, my village, St. Remy, has more than its share of these artisans, many of them third or fourth generation.

My friend Philippe, one of the most-popular guides in the region, has been in St. Remy as long as I have and he knows all these producers well. So taking clients around to taste in their workshops has been a particular joy for him. And of all the different tours on my Menu of Delicious Experiences, this one day Tour for Foodies is our most-popular outing by far.

Philippe will pick you up at your hotel or rental villa around 9 am…or rendezvous with you in St. Remy. And then you'll hit the rue running! First stop: a visit to the only olive mill in St. Remy, where fifth generation brother-and-sister farmers tend 5,000 trees and make a wide range of fantastic products. We’ll comparison taste the various olives and oils…plus tapenades, anchoiade, sun-dried tomato spreads, confitures and all sorts of other homemade goodies. Then we’ll head back to the village where we’ll roam from shop to shop, tasting artisan chocolates, cookies, candies, nougat, macarons, flavored salts from all over the world, honey from the region and more.

After a break for lunch in one of our favorite local spots, you'll head over to an excellent local patissier for a two-hour hands-on class where you’ll learn to make popular French treats such as croissants, pain au chocolat, macarons, lemon tart or other goodies. Then we'll pop in at our favorite goat farm, the place where top local chefs buy their cheeses. We’ll meet the goats (three adorable babies were just born), possibly see them being milked and taste a few of the delicious award-winning cheeses; they make as many as 50 different types.

If there’s time, we’ll slip in a visit to a historic local winery, to learn a bit about the varietals and wines of the AOC Les Baux and be led in a short tasting, by the winemaker himself if possible. The day ends around 7 pm.

Note: this fully escorted one-day food tour can be expanded to multiple days…or you can skip the baking class and we’ll replace it with other visits and tastings. It's available year round. The price is 300€ per person for adults, which includes lunch, a two-hour baking class and all tastings. Under 18s pay 150€ but the minimum age is 14, please. The maximum is six people per tour. Sorry, we can’t go out with fewer than two people but if your schedule is flexible, we’ll pair you with other fun foodies and knock 100€ per person off the price. If you like the idea of doing this tour with others, we'll be doing group tours (six people max, 200€ per person) on Thursday August 22nd, Tuesday August 27th and Thursday August 29th. Other individual and group dates are available upon request. For more info or to book, email me (provenceblog@aol.com), tell me your preferred dates and how many in your group.

Photos: My new best friend at our local goat farm, where they make some of the best chevre around. Your guide Philippe. A selection of Provence’s famous rosé wines. Yes, we'll taste olives, like these in our local market. Yes, we'll taste macarons...and maybe even make our own. And of course we'll taste chocolate...and bakery...and other goodies...and visit a store that sells salt and spices from all over the world. Somewhere in there, we'll break for lunch at a pretty restaurant like this one. At the Calanquet mill, we'll learn all about how olive oil is made and taste all their other homemade products. And maybe you'll even learn a few words of Provençal, the traditional language spoken here back in the day. All photos (except Calanquet exterior) copyright Julie Mautner.

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