le pavillon noir

The Pavillon Noir is a contemporary dance centre in Aix en Provence, designed by the architect Rudy Ricciotti in 2006. It's an elegant, modern contrast to much of the more traditional centre of Aix. Next visit I'll make sure I attend a performance there.

le tholonet

Le Tholonet is a hamlet just outside Aix en Provence on the way to Saint Victoire, the famous mountain of Cezanne's paintings. There's not much here apart from a bar, restaurant and boules ground - however, these are exactly the 3 things you really need in a French village. It's the third week of a heatwave in the south of France and so people don't tend to go out much until the light starts to change to the soft pink, particular to Provence. This is a beautiful village to sit with a glass of rosé filled with ice blocks, nibble on some anchovie flavoured olives and watch as the light changes and families start games of boules.

the villa kerylos

The Villa Kerylos was built by the French archaeologist Theodore Reinach in the early 1900s. It's situated on a promontory, just along from the main beach at Bieulieu sur Mer.The design is based on an Athenian villa built in the 2nd century B.C. on the Island of Delos.
Although taken as a whole it's a tad over the top, it's the details that make it worth a trip there. It's full of beautiful mosaics however it was the furniture that really caught my eye. Lots of beautiful wooden inlay and leather latticed chaise lounges.

date paintings

I'm currently coveting a book of photographs by the German photographer Candida Höfer of On Kawara's Today Series hung in public and private spaces.

chapeau melon et bottes de cuir

In French 'The Avengers' are 'Chapeau Melon & Bottes de Cuir' - a much better title for the adventures of John Steed & Emma Peel don't you think?! We've just finished the first black & white series with Diana Rigg and have started the second box set of the next series in colour. I'm not sure whether I prefer the black & white episodes with their wacky plots and clever dialogue or the 60s colours in the next series.

pool time

Last week we spent a lot of time at La Grande Motte a holiday beach resort close to Montpellier. It's a 60s development full of funky space age appartments & holiday houses. We love it, although a lot of people don't as it's not at all your average quaint South of France stereotype.
I've taken loads of images of the architecture which I'll post soon.