Author Archives: noconbach
MAMAC, a very NICE modern art museum
New York has MoMA and Nice has MAMAC, Musée d’art moderne et d’art contemporain. Although it’s just plain azure at the moment, the facade often features brilliant light installations turning the entire entrance into a work of art. The French artist … Continue reading
Grasse, the city of flowers and perfumes
Grasse is another town in southern France with buildings washed in pastel orange and pink under roofs of terracotta tiles. Streets are narrow and winding. Mountains loom in the distance beyond the bell towers. It looks a bit like Menerbes or … Continue reading
Antibes, with Picasso and purple jellyfish
We visited Antibes, another beautiful old town on the Cote d’Azur. It was an important port and fortification during Greek and Roman days and later a home to bishops, but it was eventually seized by barbarians. Now it is seized only by … Continue reading
Villefranche-sur-Mer, a nice town near Nice
Just east of the very large city of Nice is the harbor and smaller town of Villefranche-sur-Mer, named “Free City on the Sea” when it was declared a free port in the 13th century by the Count of Provence. It … Continue reading
Posted in Travel Journal
Tagged Auguste Maicon, Fort Mont Alban, fortress, France, Glenn Curtis, Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer
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The perfect little town of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
We love the little town of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The name is almost bigger than the village! It has an old town center with narrow streets, lovely little shops, flowers, and statues. We are definitely in France. Many people here do speak English … Continue reading
Avignon, where popes once reigned
For 68 years during the 1300s, Avignon was the center of the Catholic world. Seven popes reigned from this Provencal location, nearly 600 miles from Rome…and they were French, not Italian. The Palais des Papes, papal palace, still stands as a glorious … Continue reading
Posted in Travel Journal
Tagged Avignon, France, Palais des Papes, Pont Benezet, Pont d'Avignon
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Ménerbes and l’Isle-sur-le-Sorgue, truffles and treasures
Ménerbes is the small village nearest the spot where Peter Mayle (and his wife!) spent A Year in Provence. We read the book and wanted to see what the appeal was. It’s a beautiful old walled city high on a hill. This area … Continue reading
Posted in Travel Journal
Tagged antiques, church, France, l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Menerbes
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Roussillon, a very colorful town!
Roussillon is north of our home base of Saint-Remy-de-Provence in the Luberon region of Provence. It’s another small town, but it has a unique and colorful history. For many year’s, this was one of the main sources of “ocre,” the red or … Continue reading
Posted in Travel Journal
Tagged church, France, Luberon, mistral bell, ocher, Provence, Roussillon
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Van Gogh’s Asylum, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
He was the thief of sunflowers, gathering them via rapid brushstrokes. Vincent van Gogh was one of the most prolific and influential of the Post-Impressionist painters, producing over 2,000 paintings and drawings in just over 10 years in the late … Continue reading
Posted in Travel Journal
Tagged art, France, painting, Saint-Remy-de-Provence, Vincent van Gogh
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A Day in Provence – Wednesday Market at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
After Peter Mayle wrote A Year in Provence in 1989, Francophiles the world over yearned to relive his experiences enjoying the excellent markets, fascinating people, and delicious food of Provence. So here we are. Nous sommes ici! Our home base for a week or … Continue reading
Posted in Travel Journal
Tagged A Year in Provence, chocolate, France, French gastronomy, L'aile ou la cuisse, market, Saint-Remy-de-Provence
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Finger Lakes to Lavender Fields 