Marseille has managed to improve its image in the last few years, from seedy French port to European Cultural Capital in 2013. A financial infusion of several hundred million Euros did a lot for cleaning up the heart of the tourist area and expanding the city’s museums. The last major infrastructure project of this magnitude in Marseille was the post WWII reconstruction of the Vieux Port and le Panier district.

Marseille’s cultural transformation has been significant, including the recently renovated Palais Longchamp home of two galleries the Natural History Museum and the Musée des Beaux-Arts.

Tags: History of Marseille, Palais Longchamp Marseille, Provence Travel, Travel in France

This entry was posted on Monday, May 26th, 2014 at 6:00 am and is filed under France, Provence, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Salty cobalt-blue waters of the Mediterranean slip into the Port of Marseille under the careful watch of two stoic limestone sentries, Fort Saint-Jean and Fort Saint-Nicholas. In 1660, King Louis XIV ordered the construction of Fort Saint-Nicholas and the reinforcement of existing structures at Fort Saint-Jean. The justification for these monumental building projects was to improve the defense capabilities of the old port. The reality was likely more a show of military force to encourage calm among Marseille’s rebellious citizens than against the threat of external attack, the forts’ cannons faced the city.

Tags: Fort St Jean Marseille, History of Marseille, Provence Travel, Travel in France

This entry was posted on Monday, May 19th, 2014 at 6:00 am and is filed under France, Provence, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Nutmeg loves France and Ginger tolerates her passion. The way they manage to find moderately stable ground within the quicksand of their personal interests is in those moments when friends come to visit. These encounters are an anchor with the familiar, and the ballast that settles a slightly rocky boat. Sometimes, they are able to convince those friends to explore with them.

One recent occasion was a group bike trip through the now tranquil Dordogne, a region of France that once was the subject of violent tug-a-wars between French and English forces. Either, these were good friends or they were desperate for a vacation as the general descriptions for each day were as follows:

• Moderately hilly
• Mostly hilly
• The odd flat section
• Steep hills

Maybe, it was the draw of history or the promise of wine, but they all came to discover historical Dordogne.

Tags: Beynac, Collonges-la-Rouge, Confit de Canard, Dordogne Travel, French Food, French Walnuts, Rocamadour, Sarlat History Tours, Travel in France

This entry was posted on Monday, May 12th, 2014 at 6:00 am and is filed under France, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

The bubble gum colours of Klari Reis’s art are a perfect contrast to the nearby salty, wave-splashed coastline. California may not be her birthplace, but there is absolutely no question that this state is where she wants to domicile.

Tags: Klari Reis, Klari Reis Art, Mixed Media Artist, Petri Dish Paintings

This entry was posted on Monday, May 5th, 2014 at 6:00 am and is filed under Art & Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.