The Good Life France Magazine




The Good Life France Magazine brings you the best of France - inspirational and exclusive features, fabulous photos, mouth-watering recipes, tips, guides, ideas and much more...


Published by the award winning team at The Good Life France

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1 year ago

Autumn 2022

Discover Aix, the ‘Little Paris’ of Provence, the historic region of Beaune, a land of wine and castles. Beautiful Bordeaux and Normandy. The stork villages of Alsace and the pickled-in-the-past, post-card pretty perched town of Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert. Breath-taking Lavender fields in Provence, castles in the air in Dordogne. Exquisite Villefranche-sur-Mer and Nice. Discover what’s new, the best tours, recipes, a language lesson, practical guides and much, much more…

eautiful shady garden.

eautiful shady garden. This is one of the best kept secrets of the locals who love to pop in for a coffee, glass of wine, lunch or fabulous cake. Two notable museums in the Mazarin District are Musée Granet which has a superb collection of artworks including ten Cezanne paintings, and it’s second part Granet XXe, housed in a former 17th century chapel Fondation Vasarely exhibits the optical illusion art of Hungarian-French artist Victor Vasarely who chose Aix to showcase his art due to his admiration for Cezanne. Vasarely’s work is big, bold and incredible. Eat out Feast on oysters fresh from the coast in Marseille, just 30 km away, nibble on lavender infused goats cheese, enjoy delicious salads flavoured with local olive oil and tapenade and sigh over sweet almond Calisons, a local speciality said to have been invented for Queen Jeanne, the wife of Good King René, in 1457. They are said to be the shape of her eyes! The king of calisson makers in Aix is the Le Roy René who’ve been making them for more than 100 years and whose calisson gift boxes feature La Rotonde, a fountain landmark in Aix. You can visit their fabulous museum and confectionary where they make calissons in every flavour from natural – almond and melon to lavender, chocolate and pistachio. The Fromagerie du Passage is tucked away down a secret passage at No. 55 Cours Mirabeau. Head to the terrace bar for a cool breeze on a hot night and a perfectly chilled glass of something delicious to wash down your plancha of tasty Corsican meats and some of the best cheeses you’ll ever try. and an ever growing collection of art dotted around the vineyards including a monumental meditation bell created by Paul Matisse, son of Henri Matisse. Book a tour: Aix has so many secret places and so much to discover. Book a tour at the tourist office by La Rotonde fountain. aixenprovencetourisme.com How to get there: Trains from Paris take just 3 hours. The station is around 25 minutes’ drive from the city, you can take a bus for a few euros or taxi (expect to pay around 50 Euros). Where to stay: Hotel Nègre Coste overlooking the Cours Mirabeau, in the centre of action but perfectly tranquil and with comfy rooms, a spa, friendly staff and a lovely restaurant downstairs. La Rotonda is the biggest fountain in Aix and a symbol of the city And for a countryside treat, head to Chateau la Coste a dreamy vineyard with a hotel and five restaurants about 20 minutes’ drive from the city. It has three art galleries Chateau la Coste 12 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 13