Lucien Frued aimed for rawness rather than painting glossy artistic nudes. In the canvases on exhibit this summer at the Centre Pompidou his subjects resemble marbled meat in tones of grey and cream administered in sweeping brush strokes.

During the space of a weekend in September the public is invited to share in France’s patrimonial richness for les Journees du Patrimoine. Given an open sesame to access secret gardens and hotels particuliers in Paris, I opted to visit the Palais d l’Elysee and Palais Royal.

The Fleche d'Or is a rare club that offers a diverse scheduling of music, several shows booked into an evening, all free to those willing to line up. I arrived early for a serenade from songbird Alela Diane on the dawn of the release of her album in Europe.

To the purist’s discontent the definition of jazz has expanded to include nearly every other genre of music and the festival in Juan les Pins is no exception. It is a place the artists call paradise, where the crowd watches through parasol pine trees and the ocean sets the tempo.

How to create an urban garden answered by Paris’ landscape architects and exterior designers in a dozen ephemeral vignettes that cropped up for the Jardins Jardin festival in the Tuileries.

With cool blue water, sandy beaches, a rugged mountainous interior and the diversity of Creole and Indian cultures, Isle Maurice provides an affordable tropical getaway for those who are active and adventurous.

Indulging in cup of coffee in France means more than just getting your caffeine fix, it is an opportunity to enjoy the commotion of life unfolding around you in a moment of meditation. Here is how to order the right cup...

A list of language, style and fashion ticks. A top ten I’ve compiled after nearly a decade living in France. How do you stack up?

November has been an unusual month on the Cote d’Azur, first as the G20 summit temporarily closed Cannes, then as storms ravaged the coast. On a stretch of beach piled so heavily with debris that it resembles a beaver dam, a village of driftwood forts has been erected.

Lucien Lorelle was a sought after portraitist. Lee Bull left her fashion career behind to capture the brutal reality of WWII. Sarah Moon creates pictures today that mirror years passed. Take a look at some of the photography exhibits around Paris this fall.