Discounts on Last-Minute Provence Rentals

This time of year, I often get emails from villa owners and rental agencies looking for help filling up empty weeks. Sometimes it's because of a last-minute cancellation; other times it's because the owner changed his plans. Sometimes it's just because. And because I'm exceedingly gracious, I always try to help...but first I (ungraciously) ask them to offer my readers a discount to make things, as the French say, ''more interesting.'' So here are a few wonderful houses you can rent during August and September, with original and discounted prices. And of course all of these houses are available at regular prices the rest of this year and next. Book early and book often!

From JustFrance.com:

La Tourelle (top photo) is located in Sarrians, between Vacqueyras and Beaumes de Venise... and near Vaison-la-Romaine. This Wine Country home is available August 17 to 31. It has five bedrooms and four baths in the main house and one bedroom, one bath in the guest house. All bedrooms have AC and the pool can be heated. Original price per week:   $10,200. Discounted price $9,200. Note: This is for the main house only for up to 10 guests. An additional reduction is available for smaller groups. That means, you get $1,500 off for up to 6 people; $1,750 off for up to 4 people and $2,000 off for 2 people. The guest house can accommodate two guests max for $1,200 per week. For more info, click here.  

La Perle de Goult (photo #2) is in Goult, in the Luberon, and is available August 17 to September 14. It has three bedrooms and 3.5 baths. The company writes: ''This house is extremely popular and already firmly booked for late August through mid October of 2014." Original prices for one week: $7,000 a week in August, $6,200 a week in September. Discounted prices: $6,000 a week in August, $5,200 a week in September. For more info, click here.

La Maussanaise (in Maussane, near Les Baux) has four bedrooms and three baths. It's open from August 31 to September 14. Original price for two weeks: $16,000. Discounted price for two weeks: $15,000. That means: if you rent the house for two weeks or more, you get $500 off per week. For info, click here. 

From Just-Provence.com:

La Gallardo (photo #3) is within walking distance of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and sleeps ten. It has an alarmed pool for safety, 3000 square meters of landscaped gardens and its own petanque pitch. The house is available from August 17 to 31. The original rate is 5,640€ per week; the discounted rate is 4,680€ per week. For info, click here.

Mas des Florettes (photo #4) is within walking distance of Bonnieux, in the Luberon. It sleeps 15 in seven bedrooms. Normal weekly rates are 5,995€ (September) and 4,795€ (October). The discounted rate is 7,195€ for a 2 week booking in September or October, subject to availability. For more info, click here

Mas du Temps, between the historic perched villages of Ménerbes and Lacoste, has four bedrooms, a heated pool and lots of other nice amenities. For the first three weeks of September, the company is offering the house at 3,650€ per week instead of 4,560€ per week. For more info, click here.

From Owners: 

Mas La Belugo (photo #5) is located in Mas Blanc, 10 minutes west of St. Remy. The house has five bedrooms, three of them with en suite bathrooms, a family bathroom and a guest bathroom. English-language TV with DVD library, WiFi, iPod docking station, laundry room, high-end kitchen (two ovens, two American-style fridges, etc.), large pool and secure parking are a few of the nice amenities. The week of September 7th is now €2950 (normal price €3950) and any week after October 20th until Christmas is €2150 (normal price €2950). For info, click here.

Charming village house in Eygalieres, with three bedrooms and two baths, is available Aug 3 to 24. Normally $1800 per week. Now $1300 a week or $2500 for any two-week period within those weeks. For info, click here. 

This Elegant Provencal style town-house in St. Remy de Provence sits on the grounds of an old chateau, with secure private parking and electric gates. The house has two bedrooms and one bath (sleeps two to three), plus a kitchen/dining room, salon, a small private terrace and WiFi. The location is ideal: just a five-minute walk from the medieval town center of St. Remy, in a quiet garden setting. The owner is offering a nice discount on the listed price to my readers from October 13th onward: 800€ per week. You can see photos and get more info here.

This brand-new duplex "eco" home called Appartement Insolite (photo #6) was completed just a month ago and sits in the heart of the village of St. Remy. Perfect for a single or couple (3 people max!) it has a small terrace with dining table, fully equipped kitchen, small living room with fold-out couch, bedroom and tiled bathroom with shower. It has lots of light, gated parking, washer/dryer, AC and WiFi.  Total size is 40 square meters. Insolite is available the week of Aug 24, the week of Aug 31 (590€ per week, Saturday to Saturday) and the week of September 21 (350€). October, November and December (except Christmas week) are also 350€ per week. For info, call +33 (0) 6 10 92 64 87. If you speak French, see the apartment listed here...and/or email the owner at: marie-pierre13210@hotmail.fr. If you don't speak French, you can email me at juliemautner (at) aol.com and I'll be happy pass your message along to her.

*Note if you have empty space in your Provence rental property for August or September, feel free to leave the info as a comment below. Make sure to include a link so readers can see your property online.

Win the Chance to Drive a New Ferrari

The mountain and coastal roads of the Cote d’Azur are considered some of the most gorgeous drives in the world. Now imagine taking their hairpin turns and breath-taking stretches behind the wheel of a convertible Ferrari F430 F1 Spider. Now imagine doing it free.

Yep, here in the South of France, you can enjoy an exhilarating Ferrari ride next to a professional instructor or drive the car yourself (with a co-pilot instructor). And for my newest giveaway, the company that offers these drives, Liven Up, has given me a gift certificate for €115, good for a 15-minute drive-yourself Ferrari experience from Eze village anytime in the next year. If you've ever driven up that way, you know the beauty that awaits you! Prices for other packages range from 59€ (for a 15-minute ride as the passenger) to 790€ (for three hours driving yourself), with trips starting from Eze, Monte Carlo or Nice. So if you want a longer trip, just add the money and extend it. A camera at the rear of the car will record everything and you'll get a copy of it on an SDHC card...a 49€ value...perfect for boring your friends silly when you get home.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below, under ''comments.'' Make sure to leave us your email address so we can contact you if you win. (Signing in with your web URL is not enough, sorry!) In your comment, tell us about the best drive you ever took...or tell us about the drive of your dreams. Or just tell us why you should be our winner!

Meanwhile, to book your own Ferrari ride--or send a gift certificate to a friend--contact: nath@livenup.fr.  The company also offers a wide range of sightseeing tours, chartered boat trips and more, all of which you can see on their site here.  Bonne Chance!

Joy Riding in a Ferrari
The mountain and coastal roads of the Cote d’Azur are considered some of the most gorgeous drives in the world. Now imagine taking their hairpin turns and breath-taking stretches behind the wheel of a convertible Ferrari F430 F1 Spider. You can enjoy an exhilarating ride next to a professional instructor or drive the car yourself (with a co-pilot instructor). Prices range from 59€ (for a 15-minute ride as the passenger) to 790€ (for three hours driving yourself). You can start your trip in Eze, Monte Carlo or Nice. Whether you want to be pilot or co-pilot, this is an experience you won’t forget! (And to make sure you don’t, a camera at the rear of the car will record the whole drive and you can have a copy of it on an SDHC for an additional 49€.) To give a Ferrari ride or drive a friend, gift certificates are available. To book: provenceblog@aol.com.

- See more at: http://theprovencepost.blogspot.fr/p/w.html#sthash.OyWh9rrF.dpuf

Joy Riding in a Ferrari
The mountain and coastal roads of the Cote d’Azur are considered some of the most gorgeous drives in the world. Now imagine taking their hairpin turns and breath-taking stretches behind the wheel of a convertible Ferrari F430 F1 Spider. You can enjoy an exhilarating ride next to a professional instructor or drive the car yourself (with a co-pilot instructor). Prices range from 59€ (for a 15-minute ride as the passenger) to 790€ (for three hours driving yourself). You can start your trip in Eze, Monte Carlo or Nice. Whether you want to be pilot or co-pilot, this is an experience you won’t forget! (And to make sure you don’t, a camera at the rear of the car will record the whole drive and you can have a copy of it on an SDHC for an additional 49€.) To give a Ferrari ride or drive a friend, gift certificates are available. To book: provenceblog@aol.com.

- See more at: http://theprovencepost.blogspot.fr/p/w.html#sthash.OyWh9rrF.dpuf

Joy Riding in a Ferrari
The mountain and coastal roads of the Cote d’Azur are considered some of the most gorgeous drives in the world. Now imagine taking their hairpin turns and breath-taking stretches behind the wheel of a convertible Ferrari F430 F1 Spider. You can enjoy an exhilarating ride next to a professional instructor or drive the car yourself (with a co-pilot instructor). Prices range from 59€ (for a 15-minute ride as the passenger) to 790€ (for three hours driving yourself). You can start your trip in Eze, Monte Carlo or Nice. Whether you want to be pilot or co-pilot, this is an experience you won’t forget! (And to make sure you don’t, a camera at the rear of the car will record the whole drive and you can have a copy of it on an SDHC for an additional 49€.) To give a Ferrari ride or drive a friend, gift certificates are available. To book: provenceblog@aol.com. - See more at: http://theprovencepost.blogspot.fr/p/w.html#sthash.OyWh9rrF.dpuf

Joy Riding in a Ferrari
The mountain and coastal roads of the Cote d’Azur are considered some of the most gorgeous drives in the world. Now imagine taking their hairpin turns and breath-taking stretches behind the wheel of a convertible Ferrari F430 F1 Spider. You can enjoy an exhilarating ride next to a professional instructor or drive the car yourself (with a co-pilot instructor). Prices range from 59€ (for a 15-minute ride as the passenger) to 790€ (for three hours driving yourself). You can start your trip in Eze, Monte Carlo or Nice. Whether you want to be pilot or co-pilot, this is an experience you won’t forget! (And to make sure you don’t, a camera at the rear of the car will record the whole drive and you can have a copy of it on an SDHC for an additional 49€.) To give a Ferrari ride or drive a friend, gift certificates are available. To book: provenceblog@aol.com. - See more at: http://theprovencepost.blogspot.fr/p/w.html#sthash.OyWh9rrF.dpuf

Joy Riding in a Ferrari
The mountain and coastal roads of the Cote d’Azur are considered some of the most gorgeous drives in the world. Now imagine taking their hairpin turns and breath-taking stretches behind the wheel of a convertible Ferrari F430 F1 Spider. You can enjoy an exhilarating ride next to a professional instructor or drive the car yourself (with a co-pilot instructor). Prices range from 59€ (for a 15-minute ride as the passenger) to 790€ (for three hours driving yourself). You can start your trip in Eze, Monte Carlo or Nice. Whether you want to be pilot or co-pilot, this is an experience you won’t forget! (And to make sure you don’t, a camera at the rear of the car will record the whole drive and you can have a copy of it on an SDHC for an additional 49€.) To give a Ferrari ride or drive a friend, gift certificates are available. To book: provenceblog@aol.com. - See more at: http://theprovencepost.blogspot.fr/p/w.html#sthash.OyWh9rrF.dpuf

Joy Riding in a Ferrari
The mountain and coastal roads of the Cote d’Azur are considered some of the most gorgeous drives in the world. Now imagine taking their hairpin turns and breath-taking stretches behind the wheel of a convertible Ferrari F430 F1 Spider. You can enjoy an exhilarating ride next to a professional instructor or drive the car yourself (with a co-pilot instructor). Prices range from 59€ (for a 15-minute ride as the passenger) to 790€ (for three hours driving yourself). You can start your trip in Eze, Monte Carlo or Nice. Whether you want to be pilot or co-pilot, this is an experience you won’t forget! (And to make sure you don’t, a camera at the rear of the car will record the whole drive and you can have a copy of it on an SDHC for an additional 49€.) To give a Ferrari ride or drive a friend, gift certificates are available. To book: provenceblog@aol.com. - See more at: http://theprovencepost.blogspot.fr/p/w.html#sthash.OyWh9rrF.dpuf

Joy Riding in a Ferrari
The mountain and coastal roads of the Cote d’Azur are considered some of the most gorgeous drives in the world. Now imagine taking their hairpin turns and breath-taking stretches behind the wheel of a convertible Ferrari F430 F1 Spider. You can enjoy an exhilarating ride next to a professional instructor or drive the car yourself (with a co-pilot instructor). Prices range from 59€ (for a 15-minute ride as the passenger) to 790€ (for three hours driving yourself). You can start your trip in Eze, Monte Carlo or Nice. Whether you want to be pilot or co-pilot, this is an experience you won’t forget! (And to make sure you don’t, a camera at the rear of the car will record the whole drive and you can have a copy of it on an SDHC for an additional 49€.) To give a Ferrari ride or drive a friend, gift certificates are available. To book: provenceblog@aol.com. - See more at: http://theprovencepost.blogspot.fr/p/w.html#sthash.OyWh9rrF.dpuf

oy Riding in a Ferrari
The mountain and coastal roads of the Cote d’Azur are considered some of the most gorgeous drives in the world. Now imagine taking their hairpin turns and breath-taking stretches behind the wheel of a convertible Ferrari F430 F1 Spider. You can enjoy an exhilarating ride next to a professional instructor or drive the car yourself (with a co-pilot instructor). Prices range from 59€ (for a 15-minute ride as the passenger) to 790€ (for three hours driving yourself). You can start your trip in Eze, Monte Carlo or Nice. Whether you want to be pilot or co-pilot, this is an experience you won’t forget! (And to make sure you don’t, a camera at the rear of the car will record the whole drive and you can have a copy of it on an SDHC for an additional 49€.) To give a Ferrari ride or drive a friend, gift certificates are available. To book: provenceblog@aol.com.
- See more at: http://theprovencepost.blogspot.fr/p/w.html#sthash.OyWh9rrF.dpuf

oy Riding in a Ferrari
The mountain and coastal roads of the Cote d’Azur are considered some of the most gorgeous drives in the world. Now imagine taking their hairpin turns and breath-taking stretches behind the wheel of a convertible Ferrari F430 F1 Spider. You can enjoy an exhilarating ride next to a professional instructor or drive the car yourself (with a co-pilot instructor). Prices range from 59€ (for a 15-minute ride as the passenger) to 790€ (for three hours driving yourself). You can start your trip in Eze, Monte Carlo or Nice. Whether you want to be pilot or co-pilot, this is an experience you won’t forget! (And to make sure you don’t, a camera at the rear of the car will record the whole drive and you can have a copy of it on an SDHC for an additional 49€.) To give a Ferrari ride or drive a friend, gift certificates are available. To book: provenceblog@aol.com. - See more at: http://theprovencepost.blogspot.fr/p/w.html#sthash.KKZ3rrk0.dpuf

Another French Book Giveaway + A Trip

Usually the giveaways I do here are French cookbooks…or memoirs about life in France….or books on French design and décor. So here’s something a bit different, for those of you who love fiction. And the cover says it all…this is one for the gals!  

You can read all about The Promise of Provence here. The tale encompasses love, expectation and betrayal; aging parents and the war; a lab named Picasso and plenty of lavender; charming Frenchmen, a rich Australian and lots of colorful locals. The action takes place in Canada, the Ukraine, the Luberon, Paris…and brings us finally to a fisherman's cottage, ancient and captivating, in Antibes on the Cote d’Azur.

Author Patricia Sands lives in Toronto. With a happily blended family of seven adult children and, at last count, six grandchildren, she knows a thing or two about relationships and the human heart! Patricia calls herself a travel fanatic and says she can pack a bag and fly anywhere in a flash …especially if it’s the South of France. Her love affair with France began more than 40 years ago when she spent a year backpacking with friends and the passion has  continued to grow. For the last 15 years, she and her husband have returned frequently for extended stays that allowed time “for exploration and valued connections with French friends.” Her most recent visits included three months near Biot and then five months in Antibes in 2011. She says she’s  counting the days until their arrival in Nice this September.

This is Patricia’s second book. Her debut novel, The Bridge Club, was a finalist in the Foreword Reviews 2010 Book of The Year (general fiction), 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (First Novel) and 2012 Indie Excellence Book Awards. The Promise of Provence came out just over a month ago and as soon as I heard about it I knew it make a perfect giveaway. So I rang her up and she graciously offered us three copies, either print or e-book format.

So if you’d like to enter to win a copy, just leave a comment under comments, below. The more creative the better, of course, and if you share thoughts, memories or even fantasies of Provence, that's a plus! Winners will be chosen by Patricia so do your best to capture her fancy. And be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you win; signing in with your Google account is not enough.

If you’d like to go ahead and buy the book, you can do that on Amazon here. To learn more about Patricia, her website is here and her blog is here. If you’d like to meet her, she’ll be having a book launch party at the English-language shop Antibes Books (also called Heidi’s English Bookshop) in late September or early October so check her site and theirs for details. The books should be in stock by early September.

Finally, Patricia will be leading two tours, loosely based on her novel, of the Cote d’Azur and Provence in June and July, 2014. The groups will number 14 people each—all women--and at press time the first trip had just one spot left. To see all the info, click here.

Nice Celebrates Matisse Until September 23

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its Musée Matisse, the City of Nice is presenting, for the first time, eight simultaneous exhibitions celebrating Henri Matisse and his work.

From the heights of Cimiez to the Promenade des Anglais and passing through Old Town, the eight  exhibits are being  presented simultaneously in eight local galleries and museums: the Musée Matisse, the Musée d’Archéologie, the Théâtre de la Photographie et de l’Image, the Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain, the Palais Lascaris, the Galerie des Ponchettes, the Villa Masséna and the Musée des Beaux-Arts.

Nice ranks #2 in France after Paris, for the numbers of visitors to its city museums; close to 700,000 people visited in 2012. The city wanted to highlight the diversity of these museums and, at the same time, celebrate on a suitably grand scale the character, work and legacy of this legendary painter who so loved the Côte d’Azur.

In  September 1905, the art critic Félix Fénéon bought Matisse a train ticket so he could  discover Cannes, Nice, Monaco and Menton. Matisse was from the North,  born in Cateau-Cambrésis in 1869. Twelve years later, in December 1917, Matisse returned to Nice and settled into a small room in the Hôtel Beau-Rivage. He set up his workshop a few meters away, on the Quai des États-Unis, at  24, Rue Saint-François de Paule. He spent nearly 40 years in Nice and the surrounding area, until his death on November 3^rd, 1954, and throughout this time he “honoured the Côte d’Azur with unwavering fidelity and passion’’ which included, of course, the creation of numerous masterpieces. He is buried in Cimiez Cemetery.

To create the show, called A Summer for Matisse, pieces have been loaned from a wide range of French and foreign museums including the Centre Pompidou, the  Château de Versailles, the Musée d’Orsay, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Andy Warhol Museum. There have also been numerous loans from Musées de France, especially from those museums located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur region, as well as from private collections.

More than 700 Matisse works are currently on display in themed shows ranging from The Music in the Work’ (Musee Matisse), On the Subject of Swimming Pools (Musee d’Archeologie) and Matisse: The Jazz Years (Palais Lascaris).  Matisse on the Bill (Galerie des Ponchettes) delves into advertising  poster art while Palm Trees, Palm Leaves and Palmettes (Musee Masena) explores these recurrent motifs.

All shows are ongoing until September 23, 2013.

A 10€ pass allows one adult entry to all eight museums for seven consecutive days. You can buy the pass at any participating museum.

For  more details and a list of what’s where,  click here. There’s additional info in English on the press release here. The official site is here but the pages are only in French.

For lots of other great Nice info, check out the Nice Cote d’Azur Tourism website here.

And for wonderful photos of the artist, click here.

Photos: (1) A pochoir print of Matisse’s “Polynesia.” (2) Purple Robe and Anemones, 1937. (3) Poster from a Matisse show in Nice, 1950. (4) Le Cirque, planche II.  (5) Poster from a Paris show in 1956.  (6) Self portrait in a striped T-shirt, 1906. Matisse, like Bonnard, loved cats. He lived at Villa le Rêve with Minouche and Coussi. (7) This 12 x 11-foot ceramic-tile Matisse mural called La Gerbe (The Sheaf) was commissioned in the early 1950s; read a story I wrote about it here.

A Gorgeous New Hotel in Provence

The impossibly stylish Jocelyne Sibuet has done it again. Yesterday she opened Domaine de la Baume, a 15-room hotel in Tourtour, a hilltop village in Provence ranked as one of “The 100 Prettiest in France.’’ The 100-acre estate—with formal French gardens, ponds, a waterfall and chapel-- is about halfway between the Gorges du Verdon and the Riviera. The 18^th-century bastide was the home of the painter Bernard Buffet until he died in 1999. The property’s olive groves, bee hives, fruit trees and vegetable gardens supply the restaurant, where exec chef François Martin is cooking serious, seasonal, ingredient-driven Provencale cuisine. Martin hails from Montpellier and worked previously with Michel Lentz, Marc Veyrat, Michel Del Burgo and the Pourcel brothers. His pastry chef is Elodie Martin, his wife. 

Restaurant manager Emmanuel Bellanger was most recently at Les Jardins du Palais Royal (Paris) while the GM, David Gouy, was in Lyon running Restaurant Christian Tetedoie.

Each of the hotel’s 15 rooms looks completely different but all are stylish and colorful reinterpretations of 18^th-century design. Rooms range in size from 300 to 800 square feet and have all the luxe amenities you’d expect. Each is named for a painting by Bernard Buffet.

The property also has red-clay tennis courts, an open-air spa and horses you can ride.

When I say Jocelyne Sibuet has done it again, I mean that Madame already has a rather remarkable portfolio of exquisite hotels in some of France’s most desirable destinations. For example? Maisons & Hotels Sibuet owns the Bastide de Marie and Domaine de Marie Winery (in Menerbes, in the Luberon region of Provence) and the Villa Marie (in Ramatuelle overlooking St. Tropez). Then there’s  the Cour des Loges (Lyon), four hotels and a group of luxury chalets in Megeves (in the French Alps) and the five-star Altapura in Val Thorens (also in the Alps). 

Rooms at Domaine de la Baume begin at €236 (breakfast included) and €440 for  half-board (breakfast and dinner included). It’s 1h15 from the Toulon Hyeres Airport, 1h40 from the Marseille Marignane Airport and 1h25 from the Nice Cote d’Azur Airport. The Les Arcs/Draguignan Train Station is roughly 40 minutes away.

And what would one do around Tourtour? You’ll want to explore the town itself, which I hear is quite pretty, with eight fountains, two chateaux, a maze of narrow streets, flower filled squares and lots of pretty galleries and shops. Then I’d  head straight for the Gorges du Verdon; I’m crazy about it and so is everyone else. It’s often called the Grand Canyon of France and Trip Advisor ranks it the #1 most-popular site in Provence. This is Europe’s deepest canyon, with oddly bright green waters flowing through its narrow walls. The water spills into the lovely Lac Saint Croix, where you can swim, canoe, pedalo, kayak, hike, fish…or just drive around and enjoy the gorgeous scenery.  The pretty nearby town of Moustiers is famous for its colorful pottery and of course La Bastide de Moustiers, chef Alain Ducasse’s elegant country inn with its highly regarded restaurant.

All of Provence is known for its summer music festivals and three that might interest you during a stay at Domaine de la Baume are the Verdon Jazz Festival (July 14 to 22,  2013),  the Aix-en-Provence International Lyrical Art Festival (through July 27, 2013, featuring opera concerts and recitals) and the Thoronet Medieval Music Festival  (July 16 to 21, 2013), which celebrates Medieval music in a famous Cistercian Abbey. And while we’re at it, check out the Soirees Estivales, a free summer-long festival now ongoing  in scores of villages up and down the Cote d’Azur. More than 400 performances (voice, music, dance, etc.) are scheduled this year, in Nice, Biot, Grasse, Breil-sur-Roya, Beulieu, Eze, St Jennet, Saint-Paul-de-Vence and many more.  

A list of other things to do in the region is here.

Want to stay at the Domaine de la Baume? Who wouldn’t!  To contact the hotel directly: Domaine de la Baume, +33 (0)4 57 74 74 74, contact@domaine-delabaume.com.   

Or,  let me do it for you.  I’ll be happy to check room categories, rates and availability…and handle the booking as well. How easy for you is that? (For that matter I can book any hotel in Provence you like…and help you pick one.) Just drop me a note : juliemautner@aol.com.

A-Part Art Festival Starts Friday July 5

The fourth annual a-part contemporary art festival (yes, it's called "a-part") is a-bout to begin,  bringing a wide range of exhibits, events, performances and installations to various venues throughout the Alpilles region of Provence. This year's fest features 50 artists showing in 25 venues in seven towns and villages. 

As in year's past, most of the exhibits launch with their own vernissage (opening) and the artist or artists are almost always in attendance. All vernissages and shows are free and open to the public. So if you love art...or meeting artists...or just feel like enjoying a glass of wine and a nibble with like-minded people in a pretty place...jot down these dates. And be sure to check the a-part website for a map so you can take in as many of the shows as possible as you toodle around Provence. Don't forget to bring your checkbook because you're sure to find something you love! Virtually all the exhibits run until August 25 and all the info is on the a-part website here. You can email info@festival-apart.com with questions and you can see the full schedule here.

Friday July 5 at Maussane-les-Alpilles: 7 p.m. Opening Ceremony of the Festival at the C.C.V.B.A (on the Ave. de la Vallée des Baux, behind the Mairies), with artists Ana, Daniel Aulagnier, Gérard Fromanger, Frédéric Fourdinier, Jeronimo Hagerman, Tessa Joosse. Also, in front of the Mayor’s Office: artist Christian Gaillard. At Le Lavoir: Jean-Blaise Picheral

Saturday July 6 at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence: 11:30 a.m. inauguration at Les Antiques with artists Philippe Chitarrini and  Yoann Crepin.

Sunday July 7 at Saint-Étienne-de-Provence: 7 p.m. picnic at Altavès with artist Jeronimo Hagerman. More info to come soon. 

Monday, July 8 at Les-Baux-de-Provence: 7 p.m. Vernissages at:

*Post Tenebras Lux (on Main Street or Grand-Rue), with artist Mounir Fatmi.

*Hôtel de Manville (The Mairie, on Main Street), with artists Frédéric Coché, Philippe Druillet,  Demián Flores, Liberatore,  Ilan Manouach, ORLAN,  Pleks, Daniel Spoerri  and Ma Tselin.

*On the walls of the village with artist Bertrand Gadenne.

*La Cure (Place Saint-Vincent),  with artists Ji Dahaï and Alexandre Rocca, Stéphane Guiran, Marie Piselli, Pascal Schmitt and Elizabeth Wejebe Iberri.

Tuesday, July 9 at Les-Baux-de-Provence: 7 p.m. projections at Les Carrieres de Lumières with a discussion with philosopher Philippe Serres and artist Bertrand Gadenne.

Wednesday, July 10 at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence: 7 p.m. Vernissage at the Château des Alpilles with artists Frédéric Fourdinier, Francis Guerrier, Jeronimo Hagerman, Scenocosme, Vincent Scali and Barbara Thaden.

Thursday, July 11 at Tarascon: 5 p.m. inauguration at the Jardins de Payan (at the Mas de Payan on Chemin Mannoni), with artists Daniel Aulagnier, Jean Daviot, Marc Nucera, Constantin Rusu. This will be followed by 7:00 p.m. vernissages at:

*The Chapelle de la Persévérance (#8 Rue Proudhon), with artist Claude Lévêque.

* Les Cordeliers (on Place Frédéric Mistral), with artists Claire Becker, Anne-Catherine Becker-Echivard, Régine Cirotteau, Jesus Diaz De Vivar, Caroline Minjolle, Jeronimo Hagerman, Natalie Luder, Pleix, Julie Tanit, Daniel Spoerri and Elizabeth Wejebe Iberri.

Friday, July 12 at Eygalières: 7 p.m. Vernissage at the Église Saint Laurent with artist Chiharu Shiota and L'Atelier at Studio Stephane Guiran (on Avenue Leon Blum) with artists Halida Boughriet, Eric Bourret, Hayoun Kwon, Christophe Lucien and Enrique Ramirez.

Saturday, July 13 at Les-Baux-de-Provence: 7 p.m. projections at the Carrieres de Lumières with Bertrand Gadenne.

Sunday, July 14 at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence: 11:30 a.m. Brunch at the Mas de l’Amarine with artist Natalie Luder.  More info to come soon.  

Sunday Aug. 11 at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence: 11:30 a.m. brunch at Mas de l’Amarine in St. Remy with artist Anne-Catherine Becker-Echivard.

Monday August 12 at Saint-Etienne-du-Gres: 5:30 p.m. Guided tour/visit with artist Frederic Fourdinier.

Monday August 12 at St. Remy: 6:30 p.m. Vernissage for Picnic-Invasion by Jeronimo Hagerman at Agence Bosc Architects (#38 blvd. Victor Hugo).  

Thursday August 22 at St. Remy: 7 pm musical performance soiree with Jacopo Baboni-Schillingi at Mas de lÁmarine.

Friday August 23  at Les Baux de Provence: 10 pm Auction of selected a-part Artworks at Hotel La Cabro d'Or.

Saturday August 24 at Mouries: Tasting on the Grass from 5 pm to 8 pm with artists Ana, Frederic Fourdinier and Francis Guerrier.

Photos: (1) A video installation by Bertrand Gadenne, who will be showing his work at the Carrieres de Lumiere and on the city walls in Les Baux. (2) A photo by Regine Cirotteau, who is exhibiting at the Cloitre des Cordeliers. (3)  Marc Nucera's ''Poisson-ivre, 2012,'' made from Douglas Pine. Photo by Michel Jouve. Nucera will be exhibiting at Les Jardins de Payan in Tarascon. (4) A seriograph by Jesus Dias De Vivar, called ''Martha cocotte, what becomes a legend most.'' You can see Diaz De Vivar's work at Les Cordeliers in Tarascon. (5) A photo called La Lecon d'Anatomie, 2003, by Anne-Catherine Becker-Echivard, who'll show her work at Mas de l'Amarine in St. Remy and the Cloitre des Cordeliers in Tarascon. (6) ''Picnic Invasion'' by Jeronimo Hagerman. You can sees this installation in St. Remy at Agence Bosc Architects. Hagerman will also have installations at Les Cordeliers in Tarascon, Chateau des Alpilles in St. Remy and C.C.V.B.A. in Maussane.