Being born into the French aristocracy in 1864, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec could have luxuriated in a life of country comforts at the family chateau in Albi, in the idyllic south-west. Instead, he immersed himself in the seedy demi-monde of gritty Montmartre, producing artworks of astonishing originality, perception and intensity that reflected the lives of the outcasts and bohemians he chose to live among. In his teenage years, Toulouse-Lautrec was marked as being physically different in a highly visible way. He emerged from an upper class that was notoriously inbred – his parents were first cou ..read more

One of the glories of France is its cuisine, and each region has its own delicious specialties. Along the country’s Mediterranean coast, you’ll find three culinary cousins to tantalize your tastebuds. They are made from the same ingredients, but in very different ways. Panisse, cade, and socca are found from Marseille to the Italian border, and they share a common ancestor: Italy’s farinata. Centuries ago, Italian workers from Liguria brought this poor man’s dish with them as they labored in France. Some say that they first came to Toulouse at Napoleon’s request, to repair French navel vessels ..read more

The cycle route that runs from Paris to Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy is wheely superb says travel writer and keen cyclist Amy McPherson… Just an hour from Paris by train, brought me to the heart of the Perche Regional Nature Park in Normandy where I planned to cycle part of the Veloscenic route, la Véloscénie in French. This 450KM cycle route runs between Paris and Mont Saint-Michel, winding its way through three nature parks and five UNESCO listed heritage sites. Along the journey you dip in and out of towns and villages that seem to step back in time, and it’s a great way to slow down and ..read more

There is something romantic about the idea of a night train from Cannes to Paris, with the elements of intrigue, of a time gone by, of the film noir school of danger just off in the shadows – and there were dramatic shadows. The gare was beneath an overhead highway dividing New (resort) Cannes from Old (working class) Cannes. John Pekich shares his night train experience… Several trains came as I stood on the quay at the station in Cannes waiting for my train to arrive. The waiting crowds thinned as their trains arrived. Then, gradually, more people came for the night train to Paris. The enti ..read more

In recent years, the West has been gripped with a heated debate about ‘cultural appropriation’ – the cross-cultural adoption and expression of original stylings. It’s a vexed issue today, but in the European-centric world of the late 1800s, cross-cultural interplay, inspiration, referencing, homage, borrowing or theft (choose your own term) raised no critical concerns whatsoever. In fact, many European artists vied with each other to incorporate the most exotic elements into their European painting styles and traditions. Visual and cultural references to ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Biblical ..read more

The town of St Denis des Murs was built with the purpose of being forgotten. Four hours south of Paris, an hour east of the city of Limoges, the tiny hamlet is nestled among rolling rivers and stunning vistas. It is easy to miss, even by those looking for it. There is a Medieval church, a mayor not quite as advanced in years, and a few dozen houses dotting the landscape, the slope of their earthen roofs bending to match the curves of lush green hills, as if the tiles grew native to the region alongside pear shaped trees and wildflowers. Here, traffic yields to umber cattle shuttling from one ..read more

Some gifted artists are justifiably garlanded with honours for their work, while others of comparable talent might be shunned by polite society for being ‘difficult’ in their subject matter and beliefs. The French painter, Maximilien Luce, placed himself defiantly the outcast camp during the late 1800s. Growing up in working-class Montparnasse, Luce became an ‘anarcho-socialist’ in political outlook. Luce was not an ‘armchair activist’ but saw himself as a dedicated fighter for the French working class. He was known to authorities as a notorious ‘trouble-maker’ and was jailed for forty-two da ..read more

“I know now that what you said in “Tender is the Night” is true. Only the invented parts of our life – the unreal part – has had any scheme, any beauty.” Gerald Murphy to F. Scott Fitzgerald after the death of Gerald and Sara’s son, Baoth. It was a warm July afternoon, with the intense blue Provençal sun overhead, wisps of clouds seeming to disappear as soon as they arrived! To my left was the Mediterranean Sea with fishing boats, pleasure craft and passenger cruise ships slowly moving offshore. On the beach, sun-tanned children played in the crystalline sand while parents and adults relaxed ..read more

‘The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away’ – Pablo Picasso Ray Bradbury, the extraordinary writer of science fiction, fantasy and psychological horror wrote an insightful story entitled “Season of Calm Weather” in which a visitor to the French Riviera encounters a man looking much like an older Picasso. It is a warm afternoon on the beach as the visitor watches the man draw images in the sand, then in minutes sees that work erased by an incoming tide. Imagine you are the observer. In a fascinating way, you preserve the washed-away work in your memories ..read more

Like many parts of France, Provence has traditions that go back centuries. Many of them surround Christmas, the most important holiday of the year. Let’s look at a few. Sainte-Barbe’s Wheat The Provençal Christmas season begins on December 4, Saint Barbara’s day. This is when families fill three small dishes—three representing the Trinity—with wet cotton balls sprinkled with wheat seeds. These are kept moist in the hopes that the seeds will sprout. Twenty days later, on December 24, if the wheat has grown straight and green, it is said there will be a good harvest the following year. But if t ..read more