Journées du Patrimoine is Sept 21 & 22

It's that time again: The 41^st annual Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days) takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 21 and 22, in cities and villages all over France. The program was launched by the French Ministry of Culture in 1984 and has since spread all over Europe; this year 50 countries will take part.

Officially it's called European Heritage Days or JEP, (for Journées Européennes du Patrimoine) but everyone just calls it Patrimoine.

Roughly 20,000 sites or so across France are expected to participate. This is one the biggest events in the country and one of my favorite weekends of the year.

The idea is that a wide range of monuments, religious sites, estates, gardens, museums, workshops, galleries, ateliers, factories and more are open for special visits, including many that are normally closed to the public. Most sites are offering free entry and will have a guide on hand; some host special tours and events (mostly in French). Some of these events may require you to sign up in advance, for others you just show up. Some villages will have events on Friday Sept 20 as well. 

Every year, Patrimoine has a loose theme but this year there are two that overlap. The first is  "Heritage, Routes and Connections" which pertains to planes, trains, cars and boats...but also roads, paths and other routes used for spiritual or commercial purposes. The second is Maritime Heritage, including seaside architecture, shipbuilding, aquaculture and more.

Ok, allons-y! What to see and do?

The main Journées du Patrimoine website is here and the department-by-department listings are here. But keep checking back because details continue to roll in as Patrimoine weekend draws closer. Local tourist offices will have Patrimoine info on their own websites and over the years I've found that their info tends to be more comprehensive and up-to-date than the nationwide Patrimoine website.

Every year, my village (St. Remy) publishes its own terrific map/guide to all its Patrimoine sites and activities. You can see the 2024 version in PDF form here. Or, grab a hard copy at the St. Remy Tourist Office.

And here are the programs for Avignon, Aix en Provence, Arles, Marseille, Nimes and Nice. The large Luberon region is here. But don't forget about our hundreds of smaller villages which sometimes offer fantastic tours and visits as well.  

Then there are listings for the six departments of PACA (Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur): Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches du Rhone, the Hautes-Alpes and the Var. For the Vaucluse, try here and here. And here's the Gard (which is not technically in Provence but never mind…we love the Gard anyway!). 

Up in Paris, there are more than 1,500 sites participating this year. See a great listing of events and some highlights here.

Throughout the weekend, some activities will happen at specific times, on one day of the weekend on both. (You can expect tours to be in French but a translator is sometimes provided or the guide may speak some English or someone in the group might offer to translate.) For example:

*In St. Remy, enjoy a 1.5 hour guided tour of the old village at 9:30 am on Saturday (to reserve: +33 4 90 92 05 22, meet at the Tourist Office). Or, join a guided “discovery” of the Canal des Alpines on Sunday starting at 2:30. The canal hike is an easy, flat 6 km and includes a visit to the Domaine de Lagoy (rendezvous in the parking of the College Glanum).

Also in St. Remy, the architectural site of Glanum is offering free entry all weekend with guided tours (no registration needed) on both days at 10 am, 11 am, 2 pm, 3 pm and 4 pm. See all the Patrimoine activities at Glanum here.

The Jewish Cemetery in St. Remy, created in the 15^th century and normally closed to the public, will be open Saturday from 10 to noon and Sunday from 10:30 to noon and from 3 to 4 pm, with guided visits available both days.

*In Nimes, go behind the scenes of the Arènes (the Roman amphitheater), and visit the areas usually not open to the general public (including where the bulls are kept before bullfights and bull games), the chapel where the matadors pray before entering the ring, and more. Or climb the scaffolding on the façade of St Castor cathedral for a once-in-a-lifetime close-up glimpse of  the medieval frieze depicting the Old Testament, which is currently being painstakingly restored by stonemasons and restorers. Also in Nimes, there's a free organ concert on Saturday from 2:30 to 3 pm, at the United Protestant Church, built between 1714 and 1736…on an organ built in Avignon in 1814.

*In Marseille on Friday night at 7 pm, take a special nighttime double-decker bus tour of the city (10€) and see the famous Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica, which will be exceptionally open this evening. (For info and to book, click here.)  

Or, take the "Marseille Liberated" Tour on Saturday at 3 pm and retrace the journey of the fighters who liberated the Garde Hill and the sanctuary on August 25, 1944...10 days after the Allied forces landed in Provence (book here).

Or, sign on for free guided tour of Marseille's Vieux Port on Saturday or Sunday, from 10 am to noon or 2 pm to 4 pm. Reservations are required; call +33 8 26 50 05 00 or marseilleexperience.com. 

Or take a tour and sketching workshop at the port L'Estaque quarter of Marseille (info here).

*In Aix, there's a free guided tour of the 14th-century Hotel de Ville (Town Hall), on Saturday or Sunday at 10 am, 10:45, 11:30, 2 pm, 2:45 or 3:30. Or, if more modern architecture is your thing, take a backstage tour of the music hall called 6MIC on Friday (5 pm to 6:30) or Saturday (10 am to 11:30). To sign up: billetterie@6mic-aix.fr

*In Arles, the LUMA Foundation is offering special events by reservation on both Saturday and Sunday…see them here. Also in Arles, there's a guided tour of the show “Antoine Raspal, from Réattu to St Trophime” on Sunday from 2:30 to 4 pm, celebrating the reinstallation of two monumental paintings by Antoine Raspal in the Saint-Trophime church. The tour is free but register before Friday Sept 20 at 4 pm please: +33 4 90 49 37 58, reattu.reservation@ville-arles.fr

And really, that's just a fraction of the fun stuff you can do during Patrimoine. There's a beach clean up on Corbieres Beach in Marseille, a kayak trip on the canals of Martigue, a treasure hunt for families in Roquebrun-sur-Argens, a horse show in Pertuis, 8 or 17 km runs and a gourmet walk in and around Oppede, a 32-km tandem bike ride around the Mont Ventoux...and much more.

As the Patrimoine weekend gets closer, the organizers will continue to update the clickable nationwide map, which you can see here. It's all a bit clunky but you're smart and you'll figure it out!

And for additional updates, follow the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine on Instagram and on Facebook. 

Vive le Patrimoine de France! 

Photos: Get out there and explore! A few of the thousands of sites hosting Patrimoine events include: (1) The ancient village of Glanum in St. Remy. (2) The Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde in Marseille. (3) Fondation Vincent Van Gogh in Arles. (4). LUMA Foundation in Arles. (5) The Saint-Trophime Church in Arles, to learn about the career of eminent Arlesian painter Antoine Raspal. (6) Carpentras and other villages of the Vaucluse; join a tandem bike ride here.(7) The Roman Amphitheater in Arles. (8) Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on the Cap Ferrat (info here). (9) The Jardins du Roy René and the Musée du Calisson in Aix. (10) Villa Roche in Nimes. (11) Norman Foster's Ombriere at the Vieux Port in Marseille, on a guided walk from the Ombriere to the MUCEM Museum. (12) The port of L'Estaque in Marseille. (13) The Théâtre Antique in Orange. (14) The Jewish Cemetery in St. Remy. (15) The 6MIC Music Hall in Aix (16) The Chateau d'Aulan in Aulan, 8 km from Montbrun-les-Bains, in the Drome Provencal. (17) The Maison Carrée in Nimes. (18) This year's Patrimoine poster.  

Make Your Own Glass Ornaments

In his studio in L'Isle sur la Sorgue, glass artist Guillaume Roux is offering a great idea for the holidays: the chance to blow your own Christmas ornaments (boules de Noël). 

A session lasts about 15 minutes, costs €20 per ornament and is appropriate for ages 8 and up. 

"I gather the molten glass on my steel blowing pipe," Guillaume explains, "then hand it to the customer who chooses two colors. Once it's all fused, I take over, shape it into a starter bubble, make everything hot again and then the customer blows his ornament. When it's done, I crack it off the blowing pipe and add the hook." 

Guillaume also offers a more comprehensive four to five-hour "initiation" glass-blowing workshop for €260 per person, for ages 17 and up. 

After working in Canada, the UK, New Zealand and Australia, Guillaume opened his studio As du Verre (Ace of Glass) about 18 months ago. There he produces a wide range of work, both functional and decorative, which he sells on site and at shows such as the annual Rencontre des Metiers d'Art (which happened in Pernes les Fontaines this past weekend). Upcoming shows at which he'll exhibit include Salon Ob'Art  (Nov 24-26, 2023) and Maison & Objet (January 19-22, 2024), a major European event. 

All workshops are by appointment only. "As soon as you walk in, you'll have a warm welcoming!," Guillaume says. "You'll find a wide variety of my creations: tableware, landscape vases, perfume bottles, ambient Lights and more. And once you leave, you will never be the same!"

As du Verre is located five minutes north of Centre Ville (Direction Carpentras), at 165 avenue Saint Antoine, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, 84800. To book: +33 (0)7 49 08 61 70, asduverre@gmail.com. 

To learn more and see lots of Guillaume's beautiful work, find him on Facebook and Instagram.

Just Out: Jamie Beck's Provence Book

In 2016, Texas-born photographer Jamie Beck was living in New York—running her own studio, doing commercial work for brands such as Chanel, Donna Karan and Nike and editorial work for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and others--when she decided to take a one-year sabbatical in the South of France.

Her husband, Kevin Burg, was understanding. “I think we were both ready for a little break, some fresh air and a little perspective,” she remembers.

Six years later Jamie is still in France, thriving personally and professionally, and this week is huge for her because yesterday, her first book officially came out in the U.S.  Called An American in Provence (Simon Element, $40), it’s now widely available online and from your favorite bookseller. 

When Jamie sent me an advance copy of An American in Provence last week, I knew I wanted to share her book news with you. But I was leaving on a little trip, had other deadlines and needed to hold off writing about it for just a few days. Still, I thought I’d dip in and read just a bit, then enjoy the rest later when I had time. But at 2 am I was still savoring it and I finished it the next day. I literally couldn’t put it down…it’s exquisite!

Organized around the four seasons, the book is essentially a memoir, illustrated with 204 of Jamie’s lush, evocative photos. But it’s also a cookbook (with seasonal recipes created by Jamie, her friends and local chefs), all of them based upon Provencal ingredients. And it’s a travelogue too, with Jamie taking you by the hand, through text and photos, introducing you to some of her favorite people and places. And it’s a photo tutorial, with solid tips for improving your own images. There are sections on shooting indoors and out; shooting kids, self-portraits and nudes; learning to pose; and yes, even tips on pinning bugs for still-life photography. Anyone who knows Jamie’s work knows how she loves bugs!

All of these things combine to create a passionate love letter to Provence--to the beauty of the landscape, climate, lifestyle and people--and a testament to what can happen when one decides to listen to that inner voice, drastically change their life and take a terrifying leap into the unknown.

So what exactly was wrong in New York? What was it that made Jamie leap?

“I had it all,” she explains, “A ‘dream life’ with a cool job, amazing clients, luxury trips, designer clothes, a cute little vintage Mercedes convertible, a house in the Hamptons, a French-looking apartment by Riverside Park and I could eat at any restaurant I wanted, any night of the week in New York. Full disclosure: I hate writing this out. It sounds privileged and grotesquely shallow. But that is what I was taught to work toward. That is what I was surrounded by, what our culture rewards…That is what I was paid to capture professionally with my lens, the ‘perfect aspirational lifestyle,’ in photoshoots that were all façades. As my mom in her Southern accent likes to say, “All meringue, no substance.”

She continues: “I dreamed of having time to focus on my craft, to explore a richer meaning in my work, but most of my time was spent working for clients, as if I were an unlimited resource, a photographic, copywriting, photoshoot-producing, post-production-editing machine. Until I wasn’t anymore. Until I fried my creative engines.”

An American in Provence is just the latest in a long, long line of creative projects that Jamie has pursued during her time in Provence. For someone who came here to slow down, her output has been beyond prodigious! First and foremost there’ve been numerous fine-art photo projects such as a series of Provencal self portraits and the 60 gorgeous one-a-day “Isolation Creation” still lifes she created and photographed during Covid lockdown. (She sold the images in her online shop and donated funds to the Foundation for Contemporary Arts' Covid-19 Emergency Grants Fund.) More recently, there was a similar project called Rose Month. Then there have been collaborations with a wide range of Provence people, businesses, and brands, including the winery Domaine Milan, Luxe Provence, Le Mas de Poiriers and many others.  And periodically Jamie still hops on a plane to shoot for fashion clients, magazine clients and luxury brands in various far-flung locations…and sells her work online as prints and posters…and markets products based on life in Provence, some of which she creates or co-creates.

She shares most everything on her Instagram (372K followers), through photos, stories, highlights, reels, captions and comments. In Jamie’s hands, Instagram is truly another art form.

One of the things I love about Jamie’s Instagram is how she involves the audience in the process. For example, she’ll write about the experience of finding the right printer or frame-maker and then take you there, through video, to actually meet them and watch them work. Or she’ll share a video of how she creates one of her still-life photos, which is fascinating to see and adds so much to the appreciation of the finished image.

“You’re fun in Provence,” Jamie’s husband Kevin announced, the first time he came from New York to visit her in France. The couple had vaguely talked about the future, where they might live separately or together, but that early trip cemented what was the right next step (and the next and the next) for both of them. Their daughter Eloïse was born in 2019 and Jamie writes beautifully about the experience of pregnancy, birth and motherhood in France. Today Kevin does all product and digital design for Jamie's company...and produces remarkable “cinemagraphs” and digital art of his own, which you can see on his Instagram here.

I remember talking with Jamie when she was working on the book. She was unsure about her voice, nervous about her approaching deadlines, juggling emotions that ranged from excited beyond words to total imposter syndrome. And now that she's deep into a cross-country whirlwind of parties, readings, signings and more, you can see how delighted she is with the end result. 

"This was the hardest thing I have ever done," Jamie tells me, "and yet (aside from my daughter) the thing I am most proud of in my entire life. It feels surreal. I just keep describing it to people as feeling like a Cinderella moment!"

So what's next for the American in Provence...will she and her family stay? Jamie says the time passed long ago when she and Kevin went from saying “one more month,” to “one more year” to “we live here now.”

“I had traveled for years to the far corners of the earth without knowing this particular kind of comfort,” she writes. “I am not lost when I am here. The second I leave, I can’t wait to get back…I am alive within myself, breathing every fiber of my being.”

“At the end of that very first year,” she continues, “I felt like I was still just beginning a journey of discovery both within myself and of French culture...I didn’t want to leave. And guess what? I still don’t. Like all the layers of human history around me I’m still uncovering, Provence continues to show me things, teach me things, while allowing me to live and breathe with her in harmony and balance.”

For More Info

To catch up with Jamie at a book signing, see her schedule here.

All of the photos in the book are now available as prints; you can buy them here.

Venice in Les Baux: New Show at Carrières des Lumières

The Carrières des Lumières (Quarries of Light) is a magical space in a vast cave-like quarry at the base of the hilltop village of Les Baux de Provence. There in the cool darkness, 100 video projectors splash 2,000 still and moving images over an area of more than 75,000 square feet, onto the 45-f00t-high walls and onto the stone floor, while 74 speakers provide the perfectly choreographed soundtrack to what you’re seeing.  The sound-and-light show changes once a year and is one of the most-popular, most-visited sites in Provence. 

On March 4, the Carrières launched its new immersive exhibition for 2022. Called Venise La Sérénissime, it explores the artistic and architectural treasures of the gorgeous Italian city.  Traveling through the Grand Canal, lanes, squares, buildings and churches, you’ll be transported into the world of Venice—both holy and secular—and see all the symbols of the city’s extraordinary history. Expect to be immersed in Byzantine art and the impressive golden mosaics of Saint Mark’s Basilica, the masterpieces of Tintoretto, Bellini, and Canaletto, and the famous Mostra del Cinema, through photos of the actresses and actors of Italian neorealist films. 

The 40-minute show is set to the music of Vivaldi, Verdi, Albinoni, Handel and Paganini. I’ve always felt that the soundtrack plays a large part in the impact of show. People around here still talk about the brilliant pairing of Salvador Dali and Pink Floyd in 2020...loved it!

As in years past the 2022 program was created by Gianfranco Iannuzzi and produced by Culturespaces Digital. 

Also as in years past, there’s also a shorter, second program. This year it’s Yves Klein: Infinite Blue, focused on the work of the 20th-century, Nice-born artist (the son of two painters) who was inspired deeply throughout his career by the colors of the Mediterranean. The ten-minute Klein show is set to Mozart, Vivaldi, Thylacine and Brian Eno. (More about Klein is here and here.)

The two shows combined last about 50 minutes and run on a continuous loop. Both are on view until January 2, 2023.

The Carrières de Lumières sits in the Val d’Enfer, a stone's throw Les Baux itself; you can easily walk between them but on foot you have a bit of a climb up to the village itself.  These quarries produced the white limestone used for the construction of the village of Les Baux, the Château des Baux and many buildings in surrounding villages including St. Remy. Aluminum ore bauxite was discovered here in 1821 by geologist Pierre Berthier, who named it after the village. In 1935, the use of more-modern materials led to the quarries' demise.  

Dramatic and otherworldly looking, the area has inspired artists of all sorts; it provided the setting for Dante’s Divine Comedy and Gounod created his opera Mireille here. Later, Cocteau came here to film The Testament of Orpheus.  A 16-minute film tracing Cocteau’s life can be seen in the Salle Cocteau, adjacent to the main space.

The Carrières du Val d’Enfer have been awarded Natural Monument status in France. 

The first transformation of the abandoned quarries began in 1976 with the development of a project using the huge rocky walls for sound and light performances.

Formerly known as the Cathedrale des Images, the venue closed in 2011 and re-opened (after a €2 million re-do) as the Carrières de Lumières the following year. Since then, it’s been managed by Culturespaces. Founded by Bruno Monnier in 1990, Culturespaces is the leading private operator/manager of monuments, museums and art centers in France. The Culturespaces Foundation, founded in 2009, fosters access to art and culture for children affected by illness, disability or poverty. One of France’s benchmark foundations, it’s known for initiatives that blend culture, education and solidarity.

Based on the wide popularity of the Carrières de Lumières, Culturespaces has launched a number of similar “digital art centers” including the Atelier des Lumières, Paris (2018), the Bunker des Lumières, Jeju (2018), the Bassins des Lumières, Bordeaux (2020) and Infinity des Lumières, Dubai (2021). Three more venues are expected to open this year: The Hall des Lumières (New York), the Fabrique des Lumières (Amsterdam) and the Théâtre des Lumières (Seoul).

For a look at all the Carrieres shows since 2016, click here.

A full press kit in English is here.

If you’ve never been to the Carrieres des Lumières, you wander at leisure around the dark, cool indoor space. The stone floors are somewhat uneven so if you’re unsteady, bring a cane or walking stick. There are stone benches for those who want them and you can stay as long as you like. As you exit, there’s a small but interesting shop selling books and other items pertaining to the history of Provence, Les Baux, the Carrières and the Val d’Infer.

The Cafe des Carrières is open from 10 am daily, closing at 5:30, 6 pm or 6:30 depending on the season, serving drinks, sandwiches and sweets.

As in years past, you can just show up at the Carrières and buy a ticket. But to avoid long lines in season, they suggest you boook online here.  You can also buy tickets in advance at the Carrières ticket office or at all FNAC stores. Pricing for 2022 is: €14.50 (adults), €13.50 seniors (65 and up), €12 students and free for journalists, jobseekers, the disabled and kids under 7. On the website you’ll see family rates and combined-visit prices (for the Carrières, the Chateau des Baux and the Musée Yves Brayer), along with background, directions and much more. 

Open seven days a week; last entry is one hour before closing.  

March: 9:30 am - 6 pm. 
April, May, June, Sept & Oct: 
9:30 am - 7 pm. 
July & Aug: 9 am - 7:30 pm. 
Nov, Dec, Jan: 10 am - 6 pm. 

Carrières des Lumières 

Route de Maillane  
13520 Les Baux de Provence 
Tel: +33 (0)4  90 49 20 02
carrieres-lumieres.com

Photos: (1) Poster for the new show. (2-10) Eight images of Venice in the immersive exhibit inside the quarry. As you can imagine it's hard to convey photographically what you'll see there in the cool, rocky darkness...but these should give you a pretty good idea. (11) One image from the Yves Klein show, which follows the Venice show on a continuous loop. (12)  The old bauxite quarry in daylight; the geologist who first discovered aluminum ore here named it after the village. (13) One section of the vast space is lit beautifully when the Carrieres hosts private parties and other events. I took this photo at the launch party for the new show a few years ago. (14) One of my favorite photos of the village of Les Baux, taken by Philippe Clairo. 

Win a Three-Week Stay in Provence!

Having led art retreats in Provence for four years now, Nicky Ginsberg has just moved her NG Art Creative Residency & Gallery into a beautiful new space...and she’s giving away a three-week residency in Provence to celebrate. The deadline is October 1 and all the details are below.

Previously based in a lovely old farmhouse in Eygalieres, Nicky’s international non-profit arts association is now permanently settled into a renovated 17 th-century olive mill, nestled in the foothills of the Alpilles mountains. It’s just outside the village of Maussane, a stone’s throw from the historic medieval hilltown of Les Baux.

Christened Moulin de Gréoux some 400 years ago, the grand old property offers international artists, writers, poets, musicians, performers, filmmakers, photographers, academic scholars and other creatives “a place of respite, nourishment and enlightenment to enrich their creative process.”

Moulin de Gréoux was lovingly renovated by previous owners to retain many vestiges from its agricultural past, such as vaulted ceilings, wooden beams, stone troughs and its original olive press. The old stone walls and cathedral-like interior are now home to five guestrooms, a large kitchen, shared studio/atelier, gallery, arts library, piano room and indoor swimming pool. For artists working with clay or other materials, there’s a covered outdoor wet area along with shaded terraces, landscaped gardens and more.

Artists in residence enjoy quiet time to work but also the opportunity to mingle with the public and international visitors at festive dinners, musical soirées, cooking workshops and exclusive vernissage (art opening) events. This open-door philosophy allows residents to showcase their work to a local and wider global audience.

Residents can also participate in communal dinners, cooking workshops with local and international chefs, soirées and performance evenings, professional development and mentorship, seasonal studio exhibits, gallery exhibits, outings of cultural  interest and various networking and collaborative opportunities.

Nicky, a long-time gallery owner, entrepreneur and creative director, founded  the program and now runs it with her partner, aspiring artist Edwin Holder-Vale. (The couple met two years ago in a cooking class in Greece...awww!). You can read Nicky’s bio here and follow Edwin on Instagram here.

For residencies at Moulin de Gréoux, there are four different pricing options starting at €500 a week per person. The program includes accommodation, breakfast and dinner daily, transportation to and from the residency and use of a car and bike for the duration of your stay. If needed, you’ll also have studio space including work stations, easels, professional hanging systems and projectors.

There are also subsidized residencies and a number of sponsorships and prizes offered throughout the year.

If you’re looking to immerse yourself in your work amidst spectacular, natural surroundings, I can’t think of a nicer place to do it. Steeped in Provençal history, the area boasts olive groves and mills, vineyards and wineries, a large sheep farm, picturesque town squares, scores of restaurants and cafes and myriad historic sites dating to Roman times and beyond. And it’s all bathed in that famous light that inspired Van Gogh, Cézanne and so many others.

Ok so...on to the contest! The giveaway includes a three-week complimentary residency, breakfast and dinner daily, full use of the arts studio, professional development and mentorship, use of a car, en plein air activities, meeting art enthusiasts and like- minded creative folk, the opportunity to exhibit in a dedicated gallery and more.

To enter, you must be on Instagram so this is a great time to sign up if you haven’t. Then follow @ngartcreativeresidency, share their latest post (dated September 19) to your stories and tag them. Finally, leave a comment about why you want to win! The winner will be contacted via Instagram on Friday October 1. (And while you're at it, please follow me too! I'm here.)

If you miss this chance or don’t win this time around, you can learn all about the residency program and application process on the NG Art Creative website. Future contests and news will be announced via social media and in Nicky’s newsletter, so be sure to sign up for it by clicking the subscribe tab on the website.  

Bonne Chance...and hope to see you in Provence!

Photos: (1, 2) This 17th-century olive mill in Maussane has been converted into a beautiful live-and-work space for creatives of all types. Win the Instagram contest and you'll stay here three weeks. (3) Communal dinners are fresh, local, seasonal, colorful and, I hear, perfectly delicious. No starving artists here! (4) One of the five guestrooms. (5) Previous owners did most of the renovation and built a large lovely pool in an old barn.  (6) The shared studio/atelier is large enough for four people to work at a time. (7) An artist-in-residence doing his thing en plein air. (8) Come in May/June when the poppies are blooming and you'll get to paint scenes like this. (9) Everyone is welcome to use the large, beautiful kitchen. (10) In its new home, the residency program will operate year round. In cooler months, dinners may be served in the dramatic vaulted dining room. (11) Lovely terraces provide quiet spaces for work, lunches and more. (12) One of the pretty restaurants on the town square in Maussane. (13) The first group of artists-in-residence at the Moulin this summer. (14) Nicky and Edwin met in a cooking class and quickly discovered shared passions such as art, travel and Provence.