David Hockney's iPaintings

You still have time to see “David Hockney: Fleurs Fraîches,” an exhibit of images (flowers, places and people) created by the British artist on his iPhone and iPad.  It's at the Fondation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent in Paris until Jan 30th. With “Brushes” and other apps, Hockney used his thumbs and fingers to create full-color images directly on the device’s screen, modifying the hues and

The Top Ten Wine Drives in Provence

Bravo to Sheila Johnston and her website Marseille-Provence for yesterday’s post: The Top Ten Wine Drives in Provence. Sheila tells me it took the better part of a week for she and her husband, Robert, to produce…and I can see why. 
“Although there's a ton of info about wine on the net, it tends, I feel, to be very fragmented and confusing," she says. "We've tried here to consolidate and

Shangri-Ooh-La-La!

The Shangri-La Hotel Paris opens today, marking the Hong Kong-based hotelier’s European debut. As elegant as one would expect, the 16th-arrondissement hotel sits between the Place des Etats-Unis, the Place d’Iéna and the Trocadero--in the 110-year-old palais of Prince Roland Bonaparte, grand nephew of Napoleon. It’s walking distance from the Arc de Triomphe, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower

Kit Golson’s Design Tour de France

One of the many super-cool people I've met in the blogosphere is Kit Golson, a California-based interior designer who's crazy passionate about Provence. And now Kit tells me she's leading a Design Tour of Provence over Easter: April 22 to 27. If I didn't already live here, I'd sign up for this trip for sure. And I'm totally planning to schlep along one day if the gorgeous-and-talented Kit lets me

Provence Tours, Tailor-Made

Cecile Beillieu is the owner of Tours in Provence, a small company offering full and half-day tours for individuals and small groups. And since she recently decided to advertise on Provence Post (smart!), I'd like to introduce her to you. 


Cecile was born in Aix-en-Provence near the foot of the famous Mont St. Victoire. After earning a tourism degree from the University in Aix, she took off

From a Star Chef: Where to Go in Bordeaux

When I'm about to travel, I check in with industry friends to get advice. When it comes to food, for example, who better than a local chef to recommend the best markets, bistros, wine bars and restaurants in town? Often, these are places I'd never find on my own. So planning a little jaunt to Bordeaux (where the 2009 vintages are being called some of the best in the region's history),  I rang

Foodie Fantasy Trip to Lyon and Beyond

I've known Arlene Feltman for 20 or so years, from back when she owned and ran Degustibus Cooking School at Macy's in New York. All the top chefs taught there--it was foodie central. Arlene sold the school a few years ago and then quickly hung out her new shingle, leading food and wine trips to some the best culinary destinations in the world. Traveling with Arlene you get the benefit not only

Michelin Launches Food-Themed Vacations

Michelin has launched a new "experience" brand called Michelin Food & Travel, in conjunction with niche tour operator Roadtrips Inc. The idea is to give food lovers behind-the-scenes access to Michelin-starred restaurants; guests can enjoy cooking classes, guided excursions, food and wine tastings, truffle hunts and all sorts of other custom experiences that get them up close and personal with

New St. Tropez Hotel Scores with Michelin Three-Star Chef

Love Pierre Gagnaire's food?  You're in luck: The Paris-based Michelin-three star chef is in charge of the kitchen at the 37-room Hotel Sezz Saint-Tropez, which opened in mid July. In the 60-seat restaurant called Colette, Gagnaire says he has “gone back to his roots with simple Mediterranean dishes such as freshly caught fish, grilled steaks, and barbecues” but there’s no shortage of lobster

Adventures in Provence Food and Wine

The "refined-rustic" Crillon Le Brave  is one of the loveliest hotels in Provence. It's also one of the foodiest, offering a number of culinary and wine-themed experiences throughout the year. Here are the next three, coming up soon. 


The Vendange Package will be offered two different weekends, Sept 16-19 and Sept 30-Oct 3. It lets you participate in the annual wine-grape harvest, with three

Using Your US Cell Phone in Europe

Something I'm asked almost as often as "where should we eat in Provence?" is "what should we do about a cell phone on our upcoming trip?" Obviously there's no simple answer but BudgetTravel.com has taken up the topic so you might be interested in what they have to say. Click here for the first story and comments; here for the follow up.


Photo by Andy Hebden via Flickr. To see more of his work,

The Stress-less Côte d’Azur

Everyone loves the idea of the South of France in summer. But the reality? The crowds, the traffic, the high prices, the attitude? Not so much.
But at Club Med Opio in Provence--which reopened three years ago after a $40 million renovation--it's possible to avoid every one of those height-of-the-season hassles. Within an hour of my arrival, I felt blessed rather than stressed. Call it the

Oui, Chocolat!

You still have a week to take advantage of the Châteaux and Hôtels Collection's Chocolate Month Promotion, featuring all sorts of getaways, giveaways and goodies. There are cooking lessons, body treatments (chocolate oil massage anyone?), dinners, tastings, workshops, classes, tours and prizes such as a chocolate lovers trip to France and pastry and cake-making lessons at Valrhona. Chocolate

Your Parisian Pied a Terre?

Theo Dawson is looking to sublet his great Paris studio apartment in July and August, on a weekly or monthly basis, while he spends time at home in Provence. Located on the Rue Saint Antoine (in the Marais, in the 4th, between Bastille and St Paul Métro stations), it's 42 square meters (450 square feet), on the fifth floor - no lift - with a balcony and three large windows. Theo writes: "It has a

Traveling by Train?

Okay, so the SNCF has been on strike for 10 days now. But here are some bits of news that might interest you anyway....
First, Expatica reported that the SNCF, the French rail operator, is planning to run some sleeper trains during the day, starting May 21st--so passengers can catch a nap while traveling. The new service, called Téoz Eco, will run for a six-month trial on the line from Paris to

The Cocktail Drinkers' Guide to Gardening: April

Born in Hampshire, England, James Clay is an artist and sculptor who has lived in St. Remy for almost 20 years. There he has created a gorgeous one-hectare garden, filled with fruit, palm, pine and olive trees (he has 60 olive trees, all of them transplanted), plus many varieties of bamboo, flowering plants and shrubs. James knows pretty much everything about gardening in Provence. Plus, he

Road Scholar

Ron van Dijk has led bike trips in France for more than 30 years, first with Euro-Bike Tours and now with Austin-Lehman Adventures (which purchased Euro-Bike Tours in 2008). The Billings, Montana-based company was named the No. 1 tour operator in the world by the readers of Travel+Leisure in 2009; they're known for very personal service and first-rate guides. (Among their 47 adventures

Yes You Can Do Cannes...Sort Of

The travel website Jaunted has a post today about how regular folks like us can take part in the Cannes Film Festival, coming up next month. Go HERE.

The Cocktail Drinkers' Guide to Gardening: February

Born in Hampshire, England, my smart (brainy) and smart (elegant) friend James Clay is an artist and sculptor who settled down (somewhat) in St. Remy close to 20 years ago. Over the years, he lovingly created a gorgeous one-hectare garden, filled with fruit, palm, pine, and olive trees (he has 60 olive trees, all of them transplanted), plus many varieties of bamboo, flowering plants and shrubs.

Screamin' Ski Deals in the Southern Alps

The Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur Regional Tourist Office has published a terrific list of 10 ski resorts in the Southern French Alps where a lift ticket costs less €20 a day. To compile the list they chose smaller, traditional ski resorts where you'll find charming, authentic and reasonably priced places to stay. You can see the list by clicking HERE or just read on: I've pasted it below.

So how