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The Last Night of Troy Exhibition

2012-05-21T10:39:36Z

Musee des Beaux Arts, Angers, Loire Valley, May 25-September 2

French history painting is monumental, heroic and impressive. And it often takes pretty bloodthirsty events as its inspiration. Troy has always been a source of romantic inspiration and the city's vanity, brutal destruction and violence have caught the imagination of artists from the ancient Greeks to French painter Pierre Guerin, who taught Delacroix and on to today's Hollywood moguls.

The recently restored painting of Priam's Death by Guerin (1830-1832) that forms the center of the exhibition is huge, some 14.5 ft by 20 ft. It's surounded by some 60 works from French painters like Jacques-Louis David and Hubert Robert. The exhibition takes the painting as a metaphor for the violence of both historic and contemporary events -- from the 1789 French Revolution to World War I, Guernica and Hiroshima (though you'll have to buy the catalogue to get the full French thesis on that -- in French).

It's an extraordinary period of French painting and the style inspires some pretty strong emotions: you'll either love it or hate it, but it's definitely worth seeing.

If you're in Angers, don't miss the equally impressive Apocalypse Tapestry. It's in the same vein of horrifying events.

Despite all this cataclysmic art, Angers is a really delightful town with some excellent restaurants and a well known reputation for its flowers and parks.

Practical information

Beaux-Arts Museum of Angers
14, rue du musée
Tel.: 02 41 05 38 00
Website
Open Daily 10am to 6:30pm
Admission 4 euros

More on delightful Angers

Guide to Angers

Where to eat in Angers

Terra Botanica Theme Park

The Last Night of Troy Exhibition originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Monday, May 21st, 2012 at 10:39:36.

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International Photographic Fair and Market

2012-05-16T14:10:34Z

If you're at all interested in photography, this is a must. Every year on the first weekend in June, a huge and very popular international photographic event takes over the small town of Bièvres, just south of Paris. This year over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday June 2^nd and 3^rd, professional and amateur photographers gather for a weekend of exhibitions and a second-hand photographic market on Sunday. And it's all completely free.

It gives everybody the chance to see professionals along with individual stands of amateurs. There are prizes for the best photos awarded by a selected jury to some of the 100 exhibitors.

It started in 1964, and quickly became a real draw. Today it offers a great chance to talk about photography, the latest trends, innovations and practices.

On Sunday over 300 traders gather from Europe, Japan and North America, buying and selling rare piece of equipment, collectors' items, vintage cameras, lens and accessories, vintage pictures and old books.

Practical Information

Photoclub de Paris-Val-de-Bievres
Bievres
Tel.: 00 33 (0)6 84 28 29 76
Website

Getting to Bievres

By train: Regular trains go from Gare d'Austerlitz to Bievres. Take the RER C direction Versailles. It's 14 stops from Gare d'Austerlitz.

By car: Bievres is around 10 miles south of Paris. Take the N118 and exit at Bievres.

More on Photography

Fondation Cartier Bresson in Paris

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Be photographed like a star

International Photographic Fair and Market originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 at 14:10:34.

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Museum Night May 19th 2012

2012-05-13T09:47:56Z

Every year the French join the rest of Europe to open their museums for a free evening. Called Nuit des Musees, most museums stay open from 6pm to midnight on Saturday May 19th and some particularly in Paris, to 1am. It's a wonderful chance to see many of France's great treasures for free. Many museums lay on special events, so there is a real party atmosphere.

In Calais, the Cite de la Dentelle (Lace Museum) brings in a company of professional comedians to entertain visitors. They'll act out the secret arrival of the forbidden, and therefore smuggled, lace-making machine from England to Calais; the sad occasion when the lace worker Serge was separated from his love, and how tulle can come alive in the hands of a master.

The Museum of Flanders in Cassel is putting on a show around the theme of Temptations, taking in figures from St Anthony and his demons to the powerful, proud Duke of Burgundy, Phillip the Good. Gluttony, envy, lust...all the temptations are there. It should be interesting.

And down in the south of France, check out the museums in and around Nice.

But wherever you are, check out the local museums. You'll have a very good evening.

Information and locations for Nuit des Musees

Museum Information

Museum Night in Paris

Nice Museum

Calais Lace Museum

Museum of Flancers in Cassel

Museum Night May 19th 2012 originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Sunday, May 13th, 2012 at 09:47:56.

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Hyeres Festival of Fashion and Photography

2012-05-10T07:42:52Z

If you're in the south of France near Toulon, St. Tropez or Marseille, try to get to the 27^th Hyeres Festival de Mode et de Photographie, an important annual event in the fashion and photographic world.

This year's Festival started in April with a competition to select winners from ten photographers and ten fashion designers exhibiting their works and putting their designs onto the catwalk.

Demonstrating its importance, the jury was led by Yohji Yamamoto and included Terry Jones, founder of I-D magazine in London and Olivier Saillard, director of Musee Galliera in Paris. It shows the strength of the fashion industry with big players sponsoring the event and the prizes. It's a pioneering competition giving young designers the chance to show their real inspirations without the market forces that so often stifle - or at least - temper pure talent.

For each competition, hundreds of hopefuls submit their photographs and designs; it's a formidable task to make the final selection that is on show at the current Festival.

The exhition, which includes the work of some of the great names in fashion as well as those selected for the festival, is held at the Villa Noailles --the landmark cubist villa built in the 1920's by Mallet-Stevens. The Villa is worth noting anyway for the changing landmark, exciting exhibitions that are held here throughout the year.

Practical Information

Villa Noailles
Montée Noailles
83400 Hyères
Tel.: 00 33 (0)4 98 08 01 98
Website

Admission free
Open Wed-Sun 1pm-6pm. Friday late night 3pm-8pm.

More on the Region

Guide to Marseille

Top Mediterranean Beaches

Guide to Provence

Hyeres Festival of Fashion and Photography originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Thursday, May 10th, 2012 at 07:42:52.

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Cannes Film Festival 2012

2012-05-04T12:31:22Z

This year's Cannes Film Festival, the most famous film festival in the world, runs from May 16th to 27nd, 2012. So roll out the red carpet, for this is the month when the world' eyes, well at least those in the movie business or the plain star-struck, are focused on glitzy, glamorous Cannes.

The stars arrive; the mega yachts sit in the harbor; everyone tries to get into the Carlton Hotel to rub shoulders with the great and the good and we all wait to see which film has been awarded the ultimate accolade by the jury, this year led by Nanni Moretti. Better known in Europe and Italy, Moretti's career began when he directed his first film, Io Sono un Autarchico (I am Self Sufficient) in 1976.

Hollywood has a good presence on the red carpet this year with such star-studded films as Walter Salles' On the Road, Lee Daniels' The Paperboy, David Cronenberg's Cosmopolis, Jeff Nichols' Mud and Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly, not to mention an out-of-competition screening of DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar 3.

The Brits are there as well, with English actor and director Tim Roth the president of the Un Certain Regard Jury, part of the Festival de Cannes Official Selection.

It's possible to see the stars - and some of the films - even if, like me, you are a mere mortal. See my guide to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.

Also see my general guide to the Cannes Film Festival.

More information on Provence/Cote d'Azur

Cannes Film Festival 2012 originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Friday, May 4th, 2012 at 12:31:22.

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Stay in a gypsy caravan

2012-04-30T07:28:34Z

Bring out the gypsy in you...well, a gypsy of the well-dressed, luxury-loving, gourmet-style type. Highly suitable for Provence.

La Bastide de Marie is one of Provence's best hotels in the heart of the Luberon. It has all the requisite delightful Provencale decor, a library and tasting vault, two restaurants and a Spa Pure Altitude with indoor and outdoor treatment rooms and two swimming pools. Just the place for wanderers.

Now if you want all that, and a feeling of being away from it all, you can book for their gypsy-style caravan or 'Roulotte'. It's in the grounds of the hotel and is surrounded by vineyards. But this is no ordinary caravan. It has wooden floors, a bed with a gilded wood headboard, a wing chair, no less, and what is described as a 'quaint' washroom.

It's not gypsy prices, but at this level of luxury...sorry authenticity...from 465 euros per night for two people, including b&b, afternoon tea, lunch or dinner, served with an aperitif, wines from the Domaine de Marie, mineral water and coffee, it's pretty good value.

They've also got rather a nice deal on a special lunch. You go shopping at the local market in Coustellet with the hotel chef, tour La Bastide's vegetable garden, have a two-and-a-half hour cookery lesson then lunch at the chef's table. 90 euros per person.

Practical Information

La Bastide de Marie
Route de Bonnieux
Quartier de la Verrerie
84560 - Ménerbes
Tel.: 00 33 (0)4 90 72 30 20
Website

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Top 10 Hotels in Antibes

Stay in a gypsy caravan originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Monday, April 30th, 2012 at 07:28:34.

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Indie and Electronic Festival in Lyon

2012-04-27T06:38:09Z

From May 16th to 20th, Lyon is given over to indie and electronic music.Nuits sonores is a great festival where the young and the enthusiasts come from all over France to listen to (and dance and party along with) electronic rock, hip-hop and electro music, almost around the clock.

60 venues are involved in this urban festival which starts in a former factory built in 1840. Other venues include the Hotel-Dieu and its many courtyards, and La Sucrerie, the former warehouse down in the area below Perrache which is the hip section of a changing city.

Names at the festival include Ricardo Villalobos and Max Loderbauer from Germany, Mudhoney and a whole load of artists whose names will be familiar to those tuned into electronic music. And being France, there's a good children's festival as well.

Information and booking including accommodation on the Lyon Tourist Site.

Lyon is a great city; check out the Lyon Photo gallery

Indie and Electronic Festival in Lyon originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Friday, April 27th, 2012 at 06:38:09.

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New Barge Trip in Alsace-Lorraine

2012-04-23T13:19:00Z

There's nothing quite so peaceful as slipping along the tree-lined canals of France in a barge -- with somebody else doing all the work. European Waterways, the biggest hotel barge company in Europe has just added Alsace-Lorraine to its offerings.

Panache is a 12 passenger, 128 ft Dutch hotel barge taking passengers on a 6-night, all-inclusive journey along the Canal de la Marne au Rhin, between Strasbourg and Mittersheim in Alsace-Lorraine.

On the way you can visit Saverne with its 11th-century Chateau, drive through the Vosges hills along the Route des Grands Crus with a private tasting of local wines; see the Rene Lalique Museum at Wingen-sur-Moder and visit Nancy.

On board it's all comfort with well-fitted cabins and bathrooms with twin hand-basins and showers with massage jets. Public areas have brass and mahogany fittings and the barge has a sundeck and heated spa pool. The energetic can take the on-board bicycles for a spot of towpath cycling, which should work up an appetite for some very good food by the onboard chef. The likes of sea bass with cucumber and smoked eel washed down with a Sulvaner Cuvée Réserve will hit the spot.

Prices start at £2,790 per person in a twin/double junior suite. That includes local transfers to and from the barge; a champagne welcome; accommodation in one of the 6 air-conditioned, en-suite cabins; all gourmet meals aboard and ashore; some great wines; an all day open bar; use of bicycles and spa pool; all excursions and admittance fees, and the services of the experienced crew of six -- the captain, master chef, deck hand, tour guide and hostesses. If you're feeling really flush, then take the whole boat for £25,600.

There's a special offer if you book by May 31st, 2012, on departures from June to October of £500 off per cabin and 10% off the whole boat charter.

Information www.gobarging.com.
European Waterways tel.: 00 44 (0)1753-598-555. Email: sales@gobarging.com.

More on the region

Strasbourg Guide

Rene Lalique Museum Guide

Nicolaus van Leyden Sculpture Exhibition

New Barge Trip in Alsace-Lorraine originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Monday, April 23rd, 2012 at 13:19:00.

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Hotel classifications in France

2012-04-20T10:20:46Z

If you've found a favorite small hotel in the past in a charming French village and want to book there again, you might be in for a disappointment. A reclassification of all hotels in France is causing some small hotels to close. The costs of putting in the necessary fire doors, sprinklers, ramps and more is just not worth it for hotels that have already been put under pressure from the economic situation. The hotels are being reclassified at the moment, as the deadline is July.

Most hotels are doing fine, with some improving but still preferring to stay within their classification. Going up a star can mean more work and greater expectations which might not be satisfied. In general, 2-star hotels in rural France are good with simple rooms and less facilities than their larger competitors.

All the hotels I have reviewed on the site have happily come through with flying colors. So if you fancy a trip to Normandy to visit the Landing Beaches, I recommend the charming La Ferme de la Ranconniere in Crepon which is very near Arromanches.

Hotel classifications in France originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Friday, April 20th, 2012 at 10:20:46.

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Get your wines at Calais Vins

2012-04-17T11:12:07Z

I've just come back from a short trip to Nord Pas-de-Calais and stopped off at what I think is the best wine shop in the region. Calais Vins is owned by the Pont family, with Jerome the current helpful and very knowledgeable manager. Some of you may have known it as Franglais Vins before which started in 1995. In 2002 they moved to the larger and much more sophisticated Calais Vins.

The impressive range starts with very good bargains and special offers such as buy 4 bottles get 2 free, or buy 2 cases and get the third free. The prices are already very competitive even without the special offers. At the top end, they stock a fine wine selection with wine from chateaux like Margaux, St. Emilion, Sancerre where you can spend a fortune if you choose.

There's also a rum cellar with around 100 different rums from around the world, a rare whisky cellar with over 250 whiskies, and more than 200 north of France and Belgian beers you won't find outside Belgium.

The staff are happy to help with advice on what to buy. They also offer various wines to taste and from your preference, can suggest other wines to buy that fit in with what you like.

Finally, Pain et Levain right beside the wine shop, is a bakery, patisserie with a small but very pleasant area for light snacks, wines, beers and coffees. And coming soon is Les Fromages Philippe Olivier. Calais Vins is a well-known favorite for the French, but Jerome Pont and the staff are equally welcoming to English and Americans. It's easy to find; come off the A16 motorway at junction 44 and make for the shop which is well signposted.

Practical Information

Rue Gutemberg
Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 21 36 40 40
www.calais-vins.com
Open Monday to Saturday 9am to 7pm, Sunday and public holidays 10am to 7pm.

You'll find it off the A16 at Junction 44 (Calais St Pierre exit).

Ferries to France

Get your wines at Calais Vins originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Tuesday, April 17th, 2012 at 11:12:07.

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About

The Last Night of Troy Exhibition

Musee des Beaux Arts, Angers, Loire Valley, May 25-September 2

Practical information

More on delightful Angers

International Photographic Fair and Market

Practical Information

Getting to Bievres

More on Photography

Museum Night May 19th 2012

Museum Information

Hyeres Festival of Fashion and Photography

Practical Information

More on the Region Guide to Marseille Top Mediterranean Beaches Guide to Provence

Cannes Film Festival 2012

Stay in a gypsy caravan

Practical Information

More hotel suggestions

Indie and Electronic Festival in Lyon

New Barge Trip in Alsace-Lorraine

Hotel classifications in France

Get your wines at Calais Vins

Practical Information

More on the Region

Guide to Marseille

Top Mediterranean Beaches

Guide to Provence