A NICE TIME TO BE IN NICE: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MUSÉE MATISSE!

Posted on July 21, 2013December 30, 2015 by Susan Manfull

Nice was where we first touched down in the South of France. We were on our way to Aix-en-Provence and then, to our final destination, Lourmarin. We had a direct flight from Boston to this city, known as the capital of the French Riviera—so the itinerary was practical—but, really, who doesn’t want to delight in the beauty of the Cours Saleva Flower Market; walk along the famous Promenade des Anglais; and visit the iconic Negresco Hotel whose guest list has included such luminaries as Pablo Picas...

LE QUARTORZE JUILLET: CELEBRATING BASTILLE DAY

Posted on July 6, 2013January 4, 2016 by Susan Manfull

Le Quartorze Juillet, also known as La Fête Nationale or, especially in English-speaking countries, simply Bastille Day, is next Sunday. July 14th is a French national holiday that marks the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille (prison) in 1789 and the symbolic birth of modern France. To learn more about the history of this fête nationale, please see an earlier TMT post. If you are lucky enough to be in France as you read this post, it will not be difficult to find a place to celebrate ...

THE CITROËN 2CV: I LOVE THAT TIN SNAIL

Posted on June 9, 2013January 4, 2016 by Susan Manfull

I always wanted a Deux Chevaux. I first saw that much beloved French car when I first visited Paris in 1972. I remember thinking that something that funny looking must have been a model car project gone terribly awry. A sardine tin on wheels. But there were so many...partout. My grandfather, with whom I was traveling, along with my grandmother, had a certain fondness for the car, an affinity that should not have surprised me since he and my grandmother had owned one of the first Corvairs and...

TAKING THE KIDS TO PROVENCE: WAXING NOSTALGIA AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A MEMORABLE FAMILY VACATION

Posted on May 20, 2013January 23, 2016 by Susan Manfull

I offer my thoughts about taking the kids to the Luberon area of Provence, where we have many years of vacation-with-kids experience, but I do so with the caveat that what worked for us—a family of three with many child guests--may not match the temperament and spirit of your family. Chart your own course—and let us know about your adventures. It’s nearing that time of year again: the annual family vacation. For us, summers have long been associated with packing up the family and heading to Pro...

YES, VIRGINIA, THERE ARE THIEVES IN PROVENCE

Posted on March 24, 2013January 23, 2016 by Susan Manfull

Yesterday I gave a talk to the International Women’s Club of New England. The subject was the Lubéron—not surprising, eh?—but what was surprising was which slide generated some of the most lively conversation, especially after the talk. This is a very sophisticated group of women (and yesterday there were two men in the audience) who have traveled widely and frequently. They are a savvy bunch. Many are from European countries, including France. And, yet, the thought that a paradise such as the ...

LE CHÂTEAU DE LOURMARIN TO HOST RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL IN APRIL

Posted on March 17, 2013January 3, 2016 by Susan Manfull

As we roll in to our favorite village in Provence, I always feel good when I see Lourmarin's charming profile--the one that graces the masthead of The Modern Trobadors--and I know that when we round a few more corners, we will see its majestic château. This (mainly) Renaissance château, the first of this period in Provence, sits atop a hill, dominating the western view of the village, as it has--more or less--for at least 600 years. Today, this majestic building draws visitors from around...

ÉDITH PIAF DIED 50 YEARS AGO BUT HER ICONIC SONGS LIVE ON

Posted on March 3, 2013January 3, 2016 by Susan Manfull

Last weekend brought another snowy Sunday to New England….and to parts of Provence. It snowed unusually hard in the Var where Trobador reader Pamela O’Neill said she had to brush off several centimeters of snow from her car. But the roads were so icy she could not go anywhere. So, what to do? If she were on this side of the Atlantic, we would have asked her to join us…. And what does a small group of Francophiles do in New Hampshire? Ah, mais bien sur, they gather ‘round the piano to listen t...

AMOUR’S JEAN-LOUIS TRINTIGNANT HAILS FROM PROVENCE… AND OTHER AMOUR TIDBITS TO DROP AT TONIGHT’S OSCAR PARTY

Posted on February 24, 2013December 21, 2015 by Susan Manfull

Amour has captured the hearts of movie-buffs, critics, and those that bestow those coveted awards every year. The Austrian film—I know, you thought it was French!—swept France’s César Awards this past Friday evening: Best Film, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. It also received the Palme d’Or award at Cannes this past spring. At tonight’s Academy Awards, this wonderful movie is in contention for five Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role...

FRENCH POSTCARDS FROM THE PAST: BEYOND PROVENCE

Posted on February 17, 2013December 29, 2015 by Susan Manfull

Part Two of Two Parts This is the second of two posts inspired by Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts exhibition entitled “The Postcard Age: Selections from the Leonard A. Lauder Collection,” on view through April 14, 2013. Showcasing around 700 postcards from Mr. Lauder’s massive collection—which he recently gifted to the MFA—it is an immensely interesting and fun exhibition. The first post, last week, entitled “Postcards from France: Provence and the Côte d’Azur,” focused on the postcard craze tha...

POSTCARDS FROM FRANCE: PROVENCE AND THE CÔTE D’AZUR

Posted on February 10, 2013January 8, 2020 by Susan Manfull

Today's Café Gaby lies where rue de Henri Savournin appears to end, on the left.

Part One of Two Parts “Postcards from France” was inspired by the current exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston entitled “The Postcard Age: Selections from the Leonard A. Lauder Collection,” featuring over 700 miniature pieces of art from his very sizable collection of postcards. Today’s post focuses on postcards of Provence and the Côte d’Azur and what I learned from the curator of this MFA exhibit about the history of postcards. Next week’s post will feature postcards f...