Spend one day in The South of France and you’ll then know what has drawn artists here for centuries.

I was first attracted to this area because of the lectures in my art history classes, the ones about Van Gogh and Gauguin, Cezanne and Matisse. The writers Henry Miller and James Baldwin both spent time here. There are also contemporary artists and musicians that have called somewhere in Provence home.

Once I arrived in the south I couldn’t understand what had taken me so long to get there. I made my first trip to Clermont Herault many years ago with some newly made French friends. We spent time in Pezanas, Agde, and Montpellier as well as the countryside. We splashed in the lake and I discovered a wonderful little village called Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert where we ate dinner in a restaurant that was carved out of a cave in the side of a hill.

Many years later I was called to Avignon by the ghost of Popes, but the highlight of that trip was visiting Arles. Arles is not for everyone. It is very laid back, and if you are looking for fast night life, there are other towns in the south that you would like better. Staying in Arles is about bathing in the light of the south and color, but for that deep, cobalt blue sky, you have to wait for twilight to see it.

I always enjoy visiting college towns as it usually means affordable and good food, lots of cafes to sit in, and interesting things to do. Aix-en-Provence is such a place, but it has a nice mix of student life, historical life, and local life.

Whatever your reasons for visiting The South of France, I know you will enjoy your time there!

– Kimberly

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All of the stories in The South of France section of artist-at-large.com were written from any one of the four extended trips that I’ve taken to France. I will be the first one to admit that I haven’t spent enough time in the south, but I’ve spent enough time in France to be able to absorb my experiences there fairly quickly.

I have also changed this section from being called Provence, to being called The South of France, which now includes all of the south, from the Pyrenees to the Alps. You may also notice that the address of this section is called Occitan.artist-at-large.com. Occitan is the ancient language of the south. It covers Langue d’Oc, Provencal, and Gascon, which are actually more similar to Spanish than French.

artist-at-large.com wants to encourage you to get out and explore The South of France on your own. There are many tours and groups with whom you can travel to the area, but there is so much more here to experience. A guide will take you only so far and very quickly. One of the most pleasant things to do in the villages and towns of the south, is just to walk aimlessly, taking time to absorb the landscape and breathe in the aroma. So, get out on your own and experience the history, the architecture, the culture, the local food and color of this remarkable place.

Even though I’ve decided to use WordPress to build the new version of the site, I am hoping that the theme will keep you from thinking that it is a traditional blog. The stories and information presented here are written in a way that is meant to be valuable over a long period of time, like a magazine or guidebook that you keep by your desk and flip through when you need information, or just want to daydream. Comments on any of the posts are welcome at any time so if something moves you, please let me know.

What’s on When is the newest section on the site where arts events, exhibitions, and cultural events of all kinds are published. In the News is where general travel news is posted on an ongoing basis. If you are a gallery or an artist, to get your event posted in this section, just use the handy form on the Submit Your Event page or send us your press release as text in an email with an attached event .jpg.

I’ve moved the reading and film recommendations directly to the Shop, the amazon partnered store on the site, where you can purchase not only books to research your trip, but your cameras, or your Moleskines for taking notes and sketching. In the Photography section you can purchase photos to fill in the gaps of your own photo albums, or just watch a slide show. In any case, your purchases are what keep this site alive.

Share your experiences about a place in the comments area. Please keep comments on the topic of the post or story. Please use the comments area for all travel questions rather than emailing me personally. The comments are checked daily for posts and your questions will get answered a lot faster.

If you’d like to write a guest post, or be a regular contributor to the site, please see the Submission Guidelines.

And, once you get back, please consider commenting on the stories, or adding your answers to the With Eyes Open Survey Questions.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy your travels to Paris.

Contributors to The South of France section of artist-at-large.com

Kimberly Kradel – Lead artist-at-large