After seven years in France, I’ve learned that most French don’t understand or appreciate quality Mexican cuisine and this is represented by the lack of Mexican restaurants throughout the country. So when I learned that a former Top Chef (2017) with a Mexican heritage, Alexis Delassaux, had opened a restaurant in South Pigalle (So-Pi), I […]

The lavender fields of Provence draw crowds from around the world and for good reason. The beauty of the flowers themselves, grown in massive rows that stretch for kilometers, are enough to whip your senses into shape, but then you combine the plant’s wonderful aromatherapy at work, and Provence in July is a perfect prescription […]

In the heart of Bourgogne (Burgundy), Abbaye de la Bussière is an ideal base from where to discover and taste wines along the famous Route des Grands Crus wine trail. Just half an hour’s drive from Dijon, the luxury Relais & Chateaux hotel is also perfectly situated as an ideal stopping point on the road […]

When I think of summer in the south of France, many things come to mind: the endless sunshine, the blue waters of the Mediterranean, the persistent sound of the cicada, the low roar of the crowd on a market day, the taste of cold rose by the pool, rows of purple lavender, sunburned tourists taking […]

Set in the 13th arrondissement in a neoclassical building, the C.O.Q. Hotel Paris is conveniently located for exploring the south side of Paris and has easy access to the Aeroport de Paris-Orly.  I choose this hotel via Tablet Hotels for the most part based on location since I had a series of meetings near Orly […]

Escape the tourists in the well known villages of Provence and indulge your senses by visiting the Domaine des Andeols, which is close enough to everything that is Provence, but just far enough to feel like you are discovering a new path. The Domaine des Andéols sits in the heart of the Luberon, perched high […]

“We had been here often before as tourists, desperate for our annual ration of two or three weeks of true heat and sharp light. Always when we left, with peeling noses and regret, we promised ourselves that one day we would live here. We had talked about it during the long gray winters and the […]

Off the legendary road to Cap d’Antibes, the Hotel Belles Rives is situated above the sun-kissed, blue water of the Mediterranean.  A prestigious waterfront setting that has attracted the rich and famous for 90+ years starting with Francis Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, and more recently celebrities like Andrea Bocelli, George Clooney, Cindy Crawford, Jude […]

The Gorges du Verdon is often referred to as Europe’s ‘grand canyon’, but one could argue it is much more beautiful and diverse than the actual Grand Canyon, and quite a bit smaller in scale. Rather than viewing a barren desert, red rock and a brown river at the bottom of the canyon, visitors to […]

There is a special summer buzz in Valbonne square this warm evening, fueled by pichet’s of rosé, Provencal music, the laughter of friends, and the anticipation of the organized chaos that is to come after dinner.  Tonight is the 24th of June, the Fête de la Saint-Jean, and in this part of France, it means […]

As the saying goes, you can take the boy out of Texas, but you can’t take Texas out of the boy.  Originally from deep in the heart of Texas, I was raised with an appreciation of slow-smoked meats, which is considered an art form in the Lone Star State.  The smoke, the smell, the flavor […]

There’s a spectacular stretch of white sand near Saint-Tropez, that has become the ultimate spot to see and be seen since Bridgitte Bardot made it famous 50+ years ago, Le Club 55. The rich and famous flock to this celebrity playground during the summer, so don’t be surprised to look up and see Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate […]

I just finished my second trip to the Nice, France area (ever) with the task of finding a place to live. In case you missed it, my family and I are moving to the area around Sophia Antipolis on a work assignment in early 2012.  The exact moving date is yet to be decide until […]