Vivre C�t� Sud is June 3 to 6 in Aix

The 18th edition of the popular design fair called Vivre C�t� Sud takes place June 3 to 6 in the Parc Jourdan in Aix. As
in years past, the exhibitors (250 or so of them) will be organized by theme, the cumulative effect being a delicious, over-the-top paradise of beauty, creativity, craft and taste. To see all the themes, click here. It's like Disneyland for Design Lovers!

The event is organized and hosted by the magazine
Maisons C�t� Sud, widely known and loved for its focus on celebrating the
Mediterranean style and lifestyle.  (The magazine's tenets: "a
search for beauty, a respect for talent, a desire
for authenticity.")  Vivre C�t� Sud, the organizers
say, brings the pages of the magazine to life offering thousands of
products and ideas for the home, garden, kitchen and more.

This year's overall theme is "nature" and everything
that nature's beauty and diversity inspires. You'll see it expressed in
gardens, materials, eco-design, on fabrics, wallpapers, carpets...in paint
tones, furniture, ceramics and much more. The design of the Parc's lounge was
this year been entrusted to Fanny Piriou Desvignes while other talented
designers, landscape designers and stylists oversaw the creation and decor of
other.

For professionals such as architects and interior designers, there's a special area called C�t� Sud Projets. Every day there will be an informal conference (for pros and consumers) on trends in residential and hotel design.

This year the show will be open two evenings, with dinner
available on Friday night.

As in years past, attendees can sign up for
coaching sessions in decor and garden design. Sign up in advance and be
sure to bring your plans, photos or videos. 

Everyone who
signs up for deco coaching takes home a shopping list along with
recommendations for colors, materials, furniture and accessories. One-hour
appointments are 89�. (For info or to book: info@vivrecotesud.fr or +33 1 75 55 43 66.)

Garden coaching will once again be offered by
Thomas Gentilini and his team, with their particular expertise in the
vegetables and plants of the Mediterranean. They're happy to help with any
project, including maintenance, renovation, garden creation, pools, pergolas,
terraces, etc.  One-hour garden coaching appointments are 59�.
(For info or to book: contact@thomasgentilini.com or +33 4 42 02 56 86.) 



The cooking demos at Vivre C�t� Sud are always a big draw. Among the top local chefs participating this year are Marc de Passorio (L'Esprit de la Violette, Aix),  Jany Gleize (La Bonne Etape, Ch�teau-Arnoux), Ronan Kernen (C�t� Cour, Aix), Edouard Loubet (Bastide de Capelongue, Bonnieux), Alexandre Mazzia (AM Restaurant, Marseille), Micka�l F�val (Restaurant Micka�l F�val, Aix), Lionel L�vy  (Intercontinental H�tel-Dieu, Marseille), Guillaume Sourrieu (L'Epuisette, Marseille), Nadia Sammut (Auberge La Feni�re, Lourmarin), Ludovic Turac (A Table au Sud, Marseille) and Glenn Viel (Oustau de Baumani�re, Les Baux). See the website for the schedule, the dishes and more.



Vivre C�t� Sud is at the Parc Jourdan in Aix, Friday June 3 through Monday June 6th. The show opens at 10 am daily and closes at 11 pm Fri, 9 pm Sat, 8 pm Sun and 6 pm Mon. Tickets are 10� (full price) and 7� (reduced). The website in French with decent English translation is: vivrecotesud.fr

Photos: A taste of Vivre C�t� Sud over the years...and some of what's to come.

Van Gogh Show Opens in Arles May 14

This
summer the Fondation Vincent Van Gogh Arles will hold its
third retrospective devoted to the famous Dutch artist who lived in Arles in
1888-89. 

Opening on Saturday, Van Gogh in Provence: Modernizing Tradition is considered an
exceptionally important show with regards to both the number of paintings and
to their "dialogue" within the exhibition space, which has been redesigned specially for the occasion. Thirty-one original works by Van Gogh
will, the museum says, "allow us to comprehend how deeply his painting is
anchored in the traditional genres to which he never ceased to lend new
expression." 

Selected by curator Sjraar van Heugten, one of
the world�s foremost Van Gogh experts, the 31 paintings offer a panorama of
seven years of intense activity, culminating in the artist�s time in Provence,
during which he produced some 500 works. This is a major show for the city and it's expected to be a
huge success.

Van Gogh is a huge presence in Provence but few
of his paintings actually stay here in permanent museum collections. (At present I know of just one, in Avignon.) The
Fondation Vincent Van Gogh, which opened in 2014, was created to underscore
and celebrate the inseparable link between Van Gogh's work and the city of Arles,
by showing his paintings alongside the work of contemporary artists. (My
story about the creation of the museum and the people behind it is here.) 

The Fondation Van Gogh is located at the H�tel
L�autaud de Donines,  a 15th-century building elegantly restored by Guilaume
Avenard and Herv� Scheider of the architectural firm Fluor, who said that the light of Arles was their
�guiding thread.� It's located in the heart of the city's historic
center, a setting classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The
Fondation has more than 1000 square meters of exhibit space spread over two floors.

The museum is currently closed while the new exhibit is being installed. Van Gogh in Provence: Modernizing Tradition opens Saturday May 14 at 11 am and runs until Sunday September
11, 2016. Hours will be 11 am to 7 pm, seven days a week; last entry is 6 pm. All the info is on the website here and on the press release, which you can read in
English here.

Photos: (1) The entrance to the Fondation Van Gogh,
which opened in the heart of Arles in 2014. Not visible in the photo is the
15th-century building that houses the exhibit spaces. (2 - 6) From the show:
 Self Portrait with Grey Felt Hat (1887), Fishing Boats on the Beach at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
(1888), Still Life with Absinthe (1887), Field with Irises near Arles
(1888) and An Old Woman of Arles (1888). (7) Front of the Fondation,
 gates closed. 

Avignon Rose Festival is May 5 to 8

The
glorious rose festival called Alterarosa happens in Avignon every two
years...and it starts Thursday. It's an extremely popular spring event for
families, with a huge rose garden blooming in the majestic cloister of the
Palais des Papes plus lots of new events around town including a "pink
tour" pedestrian circuit with a contemporary art exhibit at the �glise des C�lestins (map above). Everyone is invited to a "Pinknique Picnic"
at the Rocher des Doms on Sunday at 12:30, with a concert for 100 voices at 1 pm. (Bring your own picnic or buy the pre-packaged ones at the Les Halles market; only drinks will be sold on site...and yes, they'll have ros�!). Shops all over town will be selling rose-themed products.

This is a
great opportunity to meet top French rose breeders as they'll be
presenting their latest creations at the Palais des Papes (make sure to vote for the People's Choice!). The French
Rose Society will be leading seminars and there will be classes and
workshops for all ages. There are special garden
tours (see below) and a special Rh�ne river cruise. 

This
year, a guided exhibit and garden tour will be offered in English as well as
French. The tour includes the gardens atop the Rocher des Doms (where Avignon
was first settled), the recently restored Church of Notre Dame des Doms and its
private gardens (except on the Thursday tour) and the elegant garden of the
five-star Hotel La Mirande, once the home of a 14th-century
Cardinal. This tour is available in English on Thursday May 5 at 2:30 pm
(cathedral gardens not included on this day), on Friday May 6 at 2:30 pm and on
Saturday May 7 at 10 am. More info and ticketing is on the Avignon Tourist
Office website here.

For the Alterarosa website, click here or find them on Facebook here. Tickets for Alterarosa at the Palais des Papes are 5.50� for Avignon residents and kids (age 8-17) and 9� for adults. Kids under 8 are free. Tickets can be bought online, at the Tourist Office (41 Cours Jean Jaur�s) or at the Palais des Papes.  

For help in English, you can also
call the Avignon Tourist Office at 04 32 74 32 74 or email: officetourisme@avignon-tourisme.com.