Monday, January 31st, 2011 at 9:29 am
Grillonis one of the four towns in the Pope's Enclave, a “bubble” of the Vaucluse isolated in the Drôme Provencal, once ruled by the Popes of Avignon.
The little fortified village of Grillonis perched on a bump of stone, surrounded by vineyards and farmlands. In the 18th century, gunpowder was manufactured in caves hollowed out beneath the village.
By Russ
Sunday, January 30th, 2011 at 8:55 am
TheMedieval village of Taulignanis online in Beyond. Located 25 km southeast of Montélimar, and just north of the Popes' Enclave of the Vaucluse, the village sits amidst lavender fields, vineyards and farmlands. Taulignan is a fortified, walled town, with much of the 13th-century walls and defensive towers still ringing and protecting the old village.
Taulignan was a trade-route town, and a passage point for early invaders as well as pilgrims on their way to C
By Russ
Saturday, January 29th, 2011 at 2:36 am
Destination sun & ski: it’s time to head south
When you think of a holiday on the French Riviera what springs to mind? Summer fun, beaches and bars perhaps? Or the azure Mediterranean Sea? Rarely is vacationing in the South of France associated with being knee deep in powder, chalets in the mountains or chi-chi aprés-ski: you may come south for sun and sea but for snow and ski you head further north into the high Alps – to Chamonix or Megève or Méribel. Yet for many living in Provence, it is no secret that the foothills of Europe’s bigges
Laura Ashley house in Provence for sale
Laura Ashley and her husband vowed to ‘work like hell, become successful and buy the most incredible home in St Tropez’.
Now, their lavish, historic estate is for sale at £9 million. According to theTelegraph: “Located just 13 miles from the glitzy bustle of St Tropez – and a mere five minutes from the beach as the Augusta helicopter flies – the estate is slightly reminiscent in feel of Marie Antoinette’s Petit Hameau, the mock farm she had constructed in the grounds of Versailles, where
Rail disruption in Alpes-Maritimes this weekend
There will be widespread disruption of the rail network in the Alpes-Maritimes this weekend, with limited services due to works.
Four Seasons facials
Now you can get posh facials at the Four Seasons, Fayence.This woman Vaishalylooks after Elle Macpherson, Sophie Dahl and Nigella Lawson. Set amid fragrant fields of thyme and lavender in the Provencal hills near the town of Grasse, the Four Seasons is a world away from the hustle and bustle and now you can get a Signature Facial there for £216. Bargain?
Transport hike set to hit Alpes-Maritimes
The cost of transport throughout the Alpes-Maritimes is on the rise, as national rail operator the SNCF and the highway agency Vinci are set to increase prices from the 1st of February.
Mons matchstick models (en Provence)
I am reminded of one on Mons’ special treasures. The Mons schoolbus driver, M. Audibert, has been building matchstick models for more than half a decade. Mostly ships. The largest sailing ship he has made uses 32,000 of them. It’s quite astonishing
to see the attention to detail and love that goes into these creations which have occupied the artisan for close to 60 years.
My favourite production is the scale model of Mons, which you can see below courtesy of Provence Beyond. Every street, pa
Friday, January 28th, 2011 at 8:50 am
We've added theMedieval fortified village of Grignanto Beyond. Fortified since the 12th century, Grignan is walled around the Renaissance castle, Chateau de Grignan.
Our photo here is of the Sévigné Fountain, with the statue of the Marquise de Sévigné, made famous from the many letters she wrote.
Grignan is located in the southern Drôme (Drôme Provençal), near the Popes' Enclave withRicherenchesandValréas, and about 40 km north ofOrange.
By Russ
Thursday, January 27th, 2011 at 8:46 am
We've added a page forSaint Paul-Trois-Chateaux, a Medieval walled town in the Drôme departement, that will be a stage for the 2011 Tour-de-France cycling race.
The town has a lot of interesting sites, including some nice gargoyles on the 12th-century cathedral. Saint Paul-Trois-Chateaux was not named for “three castles”, but probably as a bad translation of “Tri-castin”, the name of the Pre-Roman tribe that resided in this area.
This is the region of truffles,
By Russ
Monday, January 24th, 2011 at 8:32 am
We made a weekend visit to the Drôme department this weekend, suffering a biting cold winter wind to visit the villages of St-Paul-Trois-Chateaux, Clansayes, Chamaret, Grignan, Grillon, Valréas and Taulignan (see the area map). In the tiny village of Chamaret we found this lovely sundial, quite unusual in that it's made from ceramic rather than the usual carved stone or 19th-century paint.
Bright colors and a village scene, with details such as a cyclist, picnickers and petanque players.
We
By Russ
Monday, January 24th, 2011 at 2:29 am
Ex-Tunisian President wanted in connection over Riviera property
The anti-corruption group Transparency International has filed a complaint this week with the French Chief Prosecutor against the recently disposed Tunisian president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and his wife Leila Trabelsi.
Laura Ashley house in Provence for sale
Laura Ashley and her husband vowed to ‘work like hell, become successful and buy the most incredible home in St Tropez’.
Now, their lavish, historic estate is for sale at £9 million. According to theTelegraph: “Located just 13 miles from the glitzy bustle of St Tropez – and a mere five minutes from the beach as the Augusta helicopter flies – the estate is slightly reminiscent in feel of Marie Antoinette’s Petit Hameau, the mock farm she had constructed in the grounds of Versailles, where
Will Nice ever be able to say it has an Ikea?
After twenty long years of waiting, Nice, France’s fifth largest city, has still not been chosen as the site for the area’s first Ikea store.
Four Seasons facials
Now you can get posh facials at the Four Seasons, Fayence.This woman Vaishalylooks after Elle Macpherson, Sophie Dahl and Nigella Lawson. Set amid fragrant fields of thyme and lavender in the Provencal hills near the town of Grasse, the Four Seasons is a world away from the hustle and bustle and now you can get a Signature Facial there for £216. Bargain?
Behind closed doors: victims of domestic violence speak
On the 25th of November 2010, people around the world came together for the annual International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Three days later, on the 28th of November 2010, in the residential Saint-Pancrace quarter of Nice, a woman was beaten to death by her partner; she was 33-years-old. Reports from police called to investigate the disturbance, describe an unimaginably horrific scene: blood splattered from floor to ceiling and on the bed a half-naked, broken body, from w
Mons matchstick models (en Provence)
I am reminded of one on Mons’ special treasures. The Mons schoolbus driver, M. Audibert, has been building matchstick models for more than half a decade. Mostly ships. The largest sailing ship he has made uses 32,000 of them. It’s quite astonishing
to see the attention to detail and love that goes into these creations which have occupied the artisan for close to 60 years.
My favourite production is the scale model of Mons, which you can see below courtesy of Provence Beyond. Every street, pa
Sunday, January 23rd, 2011 at 8:25 am
While the Riviera is generally known for its sun and warmth, this winter has been exceptionally wet and dark. We went nearly two months without seeing blue skies or dry ground. This week it’s gotten better, and today was chilly but clear. While walking to a store this morning, I passed our Notre Dame, which was recently renovated for Nice’s 150th anniversary as part of France. There was a protest in front of it, not sure what for, but with my cameraphone’s blocky colors, it made for an interesting play of contrasts with the sun, sky, cream church, bronze-windowed shop building and black-winter-coat crowd.
The fact that I have French citizenship has finally been sinking in these past two weeks. No more yearly visits to the prefecture to renew residence; no more need to declare changes of address with them; no more running every decision through the filter of “as a non-EU citizen, do I have the right to do this, will it be more complicated, will it cause any proble
By fraise
Wednesday, January 19th, 2011 at 2:03 am
Laura Ashley house in Provence for sale
Laura Ashley and her husband vowed to ‘work like hell, become successful and buy the most incredible home in St Tropez’.
Now, their lavish, historic estate is for sale at £9 million. According to theTelegraph: “Located just 13 miles from the glitzy bustle of St Tropez – and a mere five minutes from the beach as the Augusta helicopter flies – the estate is slightly reminiscent in feel of Marie Antoinette’s Petit Hameau, the mock farm she had constructed in the grounds of Versailles, where
Tourism in Nice gains a new identity
For some time now Nice has been a city that has claimed to have it all – beaches, mountains, culture, sport and festivity. As a result, the city has a reputation as one of the most outstanding destinations for holiday makers, young and old and from all over the world. Now, Nice’s position as one of France’s top holiday spots for families has been officially recognised by being awarded the coveted ‘Famille Plus’.
Four Seasons facials
Now you can get posh facials at the Four Seasons, Fayence.This woman Vaishalylooks after Elle Macpherson, Sophie Dahl and Nigella Lawson. Set amid fragrant fields of thyme and lavender in the Provencal hills near the town of Grasse, the Four Seasons is a world away from the hustle and bustle and now you can get a Signature Facial there for £216. Bargain?
Estrosi puts his foot down
After the fiasco of the Nice-Paris LGV project, when construction plans for the TGV line passing through Paris-Marseille-Nice was delayed, Christain Estrosi has staunchly put his foot down at a recent meeting in Marseille and demanded that a similar Nice-Italian LGV (high speed rail line) be financed or he will withdraw his support.
Mons matchstick models (en Provence)
I am reminded of one on Mons’ special treasures. The Mons schoolbus driver, M. Audibert, has been building matchstick models for more than half a decade. Mostly ships. The largest sailing ship he has made uses 32,000 of them. It’s quite astonishing
to see the attention to detail and love that goes into these creations which have occupied the artisan for close to 60 years.
My favourite production is the scale model of Mons, which you can see below courtesy of Provence Beyond. Every street, pa
Tuesday, January 18th, 2011 at 11:42 am
| Town: |
La Turbie |
| Department: |
Var |
| Region: |
Provence |
| Price: |
€ 2,300,000
|
Superb 187 m² architect’s villa situated between La Turbue and Eze, close to Monaco, in a quiet area, benefiting from a view on the sea and the mountains, it offers a vast 280 m² teck terrace with pool.
More Photos and Details: Architect Villa