Author Archives: Keith Van Sickle

See Prehistoric Art by Torchlight

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The Grotte Chauvet 2 is one of the wonders of France. Called “the cave of forgotten dreams,” it is the near-perfect replica of a grotto filled with paintings made more than 30,000 years ago—the oldest ever discovered. Not only is the art recreated, but the entire cave is replicated down to the smallest detail, with stalagmites and stalactites, and bear skulls scattered on the ground. Walking through it, and seeing paintings of lions and rhinos, is like stepping back in time.

And now there’s something new—tours by torchlight. Small groups are led by guides armed with torches, viewing the stunning artwork in their flickering light. Visitors can see the paintings as our ancestors did, with the works coming to life as the shadows play on the walls’ nooks and crannies.

Read all about it in Perfectly Provence!

 

8 Fabulous One-Day Jaunts from Paris

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Let’s say you are planning a trip to Paris because—as the saying goes—Paris is always a good idea. You’d like to include some day trips from the city, ideally to places you can get to without renting a car. (Have you ever driven in Paris? Not advised.)

I’m here to help! I’ve got eight great day trips for you, full of history, art, beauty…and a few bubbles.

Read all about it in Frenchly!

 

The World’s Greatest Wine Tasting?

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How would you like to taste some of the world’s most prestigious wines for only 10 euro, or even for free? Then come to the Salon des Vins in Châteauneuf-du-Pape March 31 – April 2!

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is one of the top wine regions in France, a favorite of connoisseurs worldwide. Its history goes back to the 14th century, when the Pope built his summer palace there. Popes need good wine to drink, so vines were planted and the rest is history.

For being such a wine mecca, the Salon des Vins is remarkably casual. It is held in the town’s community center, a big, plain room that you could imagine being used for Bingo games on a Tuesday night.

The room is filled with row after row of foldup tables, each with a winemaker standing behind it. You just walk up to a table and stick out your glass for a pour, and a friendly chat if you’d like. There is no place for wine snobbery in this relaxed, casual atmosphere.

Best of all, the Salon has offered free entry to my subscribers. Just use the promo code LifeInProvence when you buy your ticket at the website here.

Read all about it in The Good Life France!

 

Scrabble in France: Tile Twins

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Thousands of French families hunch over their Scrabble boards every weekend, as it’s the country’s favorite board game. But did you know that French Scrabble is different from the English-language version? And that its highest-scoring word is the name of a Scottish tipple?

And…it’s hard to believe…the French Scrabble world champion doesn’t speak French!

Read all about it in France Today!

Trouble in Paradise

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Imagine the scene:

You are in a giant storage facility in middle-of-nowhere Provence. It’s a blazing hot day and you’ve just gathered some items from your storage locker.

You are about to leave when suddenly the power goes out. You find yourself in the dark, your wife is trapped in an elevator, and there is no one in the building to help.

You suddenly feel very far from home.

Ah, isn’t travel fun? Yes, this is what happened to Val and me last summer and, happily we lived to tell the tale. But it wasn’t easy! Burly firefighters might have been involved.

Read all about it in Frenchly!

Amazing Prehistoric Art in France

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prehistoric drawing cave of lascaux representation of a horse world heritage

Would you want to visit a fake cave? Isn’t that like going on the Matterhorn ride at Disneyland and saying you’ve been to Switzerland?

In France, the answer is non. The French have created brilliant reproductions of three caves full of prehistoric art, each one so perfect you think you are in the real thing.

First is Lascaux, with its famous pot-bellied horses and “Sistine Chapel.” Then there’s Chauvet, with its spooky bear skulls on the ground, staring up at the lions and rhinos on the walls. And now a new cave has been opened in Marseille, with paintings of—astonishingly—penguins! It seems that during the Ice Age, all sorts of surprising animals lived in and around France.

I’ve written up a description of these three amazing caves, any one of which could be a highlight of your next trip to France.

Read all about it in Frenchly!

A New Life in France: A Photographic Journey

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Jamie Beck was a sought-out photographer working for top brands like Cartier and Veuve Clicquot. She had legions of Instagram followers and what seemed like a rich, fulfilling life. But something was missing.

As Beck tells us in her brilliant new book, An American in Provence:

“I had it all. 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. Why on earth was I so unhappy?”

Beck realised that all the personal sacrifices required to “make it” were squeezing the life out of her. Photography fed a deep artistic need, but working for others year after year, adapting to their needs and their timetables, had extinguished her creative spark. She desperately needed a break.

And so she moved to Provence. And now has written a book about her life-changing experiences in this magical corner of France.

I really enjoyed An American in Provence, with its fabulous photos and compelling story. Read all about it in France Today!

Secrets of St-Rémy #4: Favorite Boutiques

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Val and I live part of the year in St-Rèmy-de-Provence, a charming town between Marseille and Avignon. I’ve written a guidebook about the area, An Insider’s Guide to Provence, where I share some of our favorite things to see and do. Now I’ve put together a series of articles I call Secrets of St-Rémy, based on that book.

St-Rémy has plenty of famous places, like the room where Vincent van Gogh once lived, or the fabulous weekly outdoor market. In this article I write about some of my favorite boutiques–where to get great ice cream, for example, or the best chocolates in Provence. And if you’d like to buy some stylish shoes or a new purse, or you need to get your hair done, I’ve got you covered!

Read all about my favorite boutiques in My French Life!

My Webinar with France Today

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I was thrilled to be invited by France Today to talk about Provence and my book An Insider’s Guide to Provence!

I spent about a half hour giving a little presentation, with lots of great photos, and then took questions from the audience. The webinar was recorded, so you can watch it if you’d like. Here’s the link (registration is required but it’s no big deal.)

France Today has done a bunch of these webinars, on subjects like French food and wine, French history, and different regions of the country. They are all recorded so check them out!

The Best-Value Wines in France?

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Just minutes from one of France’s most famous sites, the Roman aqueduct Pont du Gard, sits the tiny village of Estézargues. There’s not much there, no charming cafés or famous monuments, but on the edge of town you can find some astonishingly good wine.

That’s where the local cave coopérative sits, a big, unassuming building. In a cave coopérative, winemakers share expensive equipment that none of them can afford by themselves. And they make wine together—everyone puts in their grapes and they divide the profits based on the volume that each contributes.

This is the reason that cave coopérative wines are inexpensive. It’s also why most of them are not very good. Think about it: each winemaker wants to maximize the volume of grapes that he or she contributes. And high-volume grapes equal low-quality wines.

The clever winemakers of Estézargues have done it differently. They use the shared equipment to make their own individual wines and keep the profits. This makes them want to grow better grapes and make better wines.

The result is wines with prices that are almost as low as a cave coopérative but with quality that is light years better. Val and I love these wines and go to Estézargues with our friends to stock up every year. We go so often we even have a frequent buyer card!

This is a working winery and not a fancy place, but it does have a well-stocked tasting area. The ladies who run it are very friendly and informal. They let you taste all you want and are not afraid to open a new bottle just for you. They are also happy to give advice – “I think this one is particularly good right now.”

One of the best things about these wines is that they are ready to drink right away. So we usually do that after we buy, heading out to a secret picnic spot the tasting room ladies told us about.

It’s a 12th century church called the Chapelle de la Clastre that sits on a rise with beautiful views of vineyards all around. It has been abandoned for centuries and is currently being restored by a local volunteer group. Next to the church is a big grassy area just perfect for picnicking with our friends. It’s flat and shady and seems to invite you to lay out a blanket and enjoy some baguettes, cheese and wine. And maybe take a nap afterwards.

Santé !