Posted in Miscellaneous on November 20, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Paul Taylor, a popular British/Irish comedian who performs mainly in France, has a show in Aix next week.
At the Pasino, 25th November, 20.30. Tickets from 26 euros. Lots of video streams via Google if you want to check him out first. Thanks to Sophie for the heads-up on this one.
Posted in Miscellaneous on November 2, 2021| Leave a Comment »
As January 1st 2019 dawned, St Remy-resident Ralph Padgett, was brimful of enthusiasm for a very special challenge: he planned to spend the year spotting 200 birds in France. Having given his wife Gayle solid support for her year researching and writing ‘Passion for Provence’, charting the American couple’s establishment of their new French life, now he was asking for solid support for his project.
Gayle writes: ‘ I envisioned staying in charming inns, enjoying gastronomic delights and sipping local wines. I’d roam quaint villages, find inventive artisans and discover unusual festivals’. Markets and spas were on her agenda too.
But were these places that birds hang out? Or do they gravitate to sewage treatment plants, landfill sites, marshes or wind-swept mountain sides.
Living near the Carmargue, home was a good place to start, and the first month went so well with 76 birds spotted; but of course these were the easiest to see, and as the months rolled by, the challenge grew as the more secretive species were sought. The couple visited the Pyrenees, St Jean de Lux, Aix, Barcelonette, the Cote d’Azur as well as Erquy in the north.
So…did Gayle find charming inns and markets? And did Ralph track down 200 of his feathered friends?
‘The Birdwatcher’s Wife’ is a fascinating mix of travelogue and the hidden world of birdwatchers. I think it would make an interesting and welcome Christmas present for Francophiles and nature-lovers alike.
Now available in bookstores and also online at Amazon, print and Kindle.
Posted in Miscellaneous on October 1, 2021| 28 Comments »
It’s hard to believe but it’s ten years since Aixcentric began: (more…)
Posted in Miscellaneous, News, Patrimoine on June 23, 2021| Leave a Comment »
The new Frank Gehry designed tower opens to the public on Saturday 26 June.
Long-time Aixcentric followers will have read about the development of the old SNCF railway sheds and shunting yards into LUMA Arles, a stylish arts centre, funded by Swiss industrialist and art-lover Maja Hoffman.
Hopefully the photo below will give you an idea of the scale of the ‘Parc des Ateliers’ site: the large building with the blue-grey roof was a factory for making engines, and has been open for a couple of years for exhibitions. Then there are various industrial buildings which were being converted when we visited, and past them (to the left of the photo), the new tower designed by US Architect Frank Gehry. The whole 20-acre site will be a centre for studios, workshops, research, exhibitions, and link into the annual ‘Les Rencontres d’Arles’ photography show which takes over every square inch of space in the old town each summer, barring pandemics.
Reservations are necessary.
Full details are here: https://mailchi.mp/ae2aa955220b/j-8806802?e=22370d79db
Posted in Miscellaneous on June 22, 2021| Leave a Comment »
On Sunday, MSC Seaside set off for Sicily with an experimental group of 339 passengers instead of the usual 5000.
All being well, cruise ship holidays can resume in France on 30 June (Italy restarted in May), and the first boats leave Marseille on 4 July. MSC say that they are strictly observing all protocols for passenger safety.
The dockside shops and ‘petit train’ operators must be heaving sighs of relief.
Posted in Miscellaneous on June 2, 2021| Leave a Comment »
For its fourth season, the Villa Carmignac presents The Imaginary Sea (La Mer imaginaire), an ideal subject for this idiosyncratic gallery: part of it is housed in an old building with views to the sea below, while the other part is underground, a modern exhibition space beneath a glass-bottomed pool. The water casts magical ripples across the gallery walls.
See a review from my visit in 2018; https://aixcentric.com/2018/09/20/fondation-carmignac-at-porquerolles-not-to-be-missed/
Visitors this summer will see works from its collection: Bruce Nauman’s fountain with a hundred bronze fish, Miquel Barceló’s subaqueous fresco and Jeff Koons’s sculpture of a lobster perched on a chair, among others. Plus there are several loans of works by French and international artists such as Henri Matisse, Gilles Aillaud, Mathieu Mercier or Gabriel Orozco, complete the ensemble along with new productions by Bianca Bondi, Miquel Barceló, Lin May Saeed, Kate Newby and Hubert Duprat, which were created for this occasion.
It’s such a special place to visit. The boat-ride over to the island itself is memorable as is the picturesque port.
The gallery is a short, 15 minute walk up from the landing stage.
Obviously pre-booking is necessary now under the new sanitary regulations, but it always was needed as only 50 people are admitted every half-hour.
Lots of details here: https://aixcentric.com/2018/09/20/visiting-porquerolles/
And after all that ‘Mer Imaginaire’, what nicer than to swim in the real sea at the nearby Plage Notre Dame, so often listed in ‘Europe’s Top Beaches’ articles.
Plage Notre-Dame, one of Europe’s top beaches…at Porquerolles
Posted in Art, Children, Miscellaneous, News, Patrimoine on May 29, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Wise communities are shifting their emphasis on to the outdoors this summer – here are two current shows you might enjoy. (more…)
Posted in Miscellaneous on May 28, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Aéroport de Marseille Provence.
Photos d’illustration.
© Claude Almodovar
Fancy a flight? The management at Marseille Provence Airport certainly hope so as they are planning flights to 115 destinations this summer, with Ryanair servicing 51 routes once Morocco reopens. All being well, they are hoping for 50% of their usual passenger numbers.
For UK followers, here are the British/Irish destinations:
Posted in Miscellaneous on May 16, 2021| Leave a Comment »
After some months of absence, Aix’s cultural ‘Agenda’ has made a welcome return. For May, it will be digital only, but the plan is for the June issue to be printed as normal.
Download here: https://www.aixenprovence.fr/IMG/pdf/agenda_mai_2021.pdf
Posted in Miscellaneous on April 24, 2021| 2 Comments »
If you fancy a trip in the fresh air, the Martigues tourist office have organised a programme of three different boat trips exploring the canals, or the Cote Bleue or the Etang de Berre. Perfect if you live nearby, but they are booking until 15th May when travel restrictions may be relaxed.
The area is a favourite for TV and film companies: Provence Studios is currently producing several TV shows and 3 new episodes of Camping Paradis are being filmed on a nearby beach.
The South of France. Enchanted by the deep blue of the Mediterranean, the olive trees, poppies, irises and that dazzling light, artists found their creativity flourished under the hot sun. My new book takes you on a journey visiting museums and galleries as well as artists’ studios and their favourite painting spots. From Van Gogh in Arles, to Signac in Saint-Tropez; from Cézanne in Aix, over to Nice for Renoir and Matisse, the story unfolds of artists who knew each other and painted together in the warm south. Prepare too to meet colourful local artists who captured their beloved Provence for us to enjoy.
Buy: in Book-in-Bar, Aix, or online. Please click here: /art-in-the-south-of-france-the-inside-story/paperback/product-23586102.html
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