I sneaked in a visit to Lyon just before the arrival of the summer heat wave – or la canicule as the French call it, when temperatures approach 40C degrees, and the locals seek the...

PRaiRiaL, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Lyon's Presqu'île district, is named after the ninth month in the French Republic calendar – the month of prairial, which ran from 20 May to 18 June and took its...

For the first time ever, I joined everyone who is anyone in photography in Arles for the 2022 edition of Les Rencontres d’Arles – an annual event in July which takes place on the edge...

I spent a weekend in Nantes this June as part of my quest to find a city where the energies are right and the prices not too high.  A dream place to escape to from...

South meets North in Palermo. The capital of Sicily vibrates to a cacophony of sounds, colour and smells. The city's architecture dates back to the Arabs and the Normans, as wave after wave of...

A mere two hours south west of Paris by train, Bordeaux is a cool contender for a weekend break by the water. Even the city's very name reflects ‘au bord de l’eau’ –...

I've been to Cannes more times than any other town (not city) in Europe. It's always for work, for an event, whether the Cannes Film Festival, the International Luxury Travel Market, MAPIC (retail) or...

"Beauty is the promise of happiness,” wrote French writer Stendhal in 1822.  I went along to the Bourse de Commerce, in Paris' 1st arrondissement, this November (2021). I wanted to marvel at the beauty of...

Familiarity is comforting. It creates a warm feeling. That’s why I returned to Fleur de Pavé this autumn (2021). The one-Michelin starred restaurant of Sylvain Sendra's is less than ten minutes’ walk...