When I was researching what to see and do in Aix-en-Provence, I didn’t see good restaurant recommendations. There were lots of casual dining suggestions and plenty of ideas for pastries, but nothing for dinner. Luckily, on our first evening in this charming small city, we followed Patricia’s Rule and found a lovely restaurant. Patricia’s Rule is never to eat at a restaurant on the main streets or one that has photos on the menu.
The Jardin Mazarin was just a block or so off the bustling Cours Mirabeau at 15 rue du 4 septembre. We liked it so well that we dined there twice, once in the dining room and once on the terrace in the enclosed garden. Each course was beautifully plated and full of imaginative flavors, such as the scallops with slivers of truffle inserted in the middle. I recommend making a reservation, either in their website or by calling 04.28.31.08.36 as both the dining room and terrace were very full both evenings that we were there. Bon appétit!
Whenever I see a 
French painter Nicolas Poussin was born on June 15, 1594 in Normandy, making him 425 years old later this week. He is identified with the Classical period, that is, representations of stories from mythology or the Bible that comprise the backbone of the Italian Renaissance movement. He moved to Paris to study art, but then went straight to the source – Rome – to study the Italian masters first hand. He was particularly influenced by Raphaël and Bernini. Poussin spent most of hi
Eschewing the increasingly popular Baroque style, he clung to Classicism and became its greatest French exponent. Poussin drew upon the rich store of Greek and Roman mythology for his subjects, while utilizing the techniques of color developed by Titian. His greatest canvases deal with vast subjects, crowd scenes crammed with action and detail. Later in life, Poussin tended to concentrate more on landscapes, although still steeped in the Classical tradition. Joyeux anniversaire, Nicolas!
Nicolas Poussin: Drawings and Paintings
I love a good period drama, all those gorgeous costumes and lavish sets! And they’re even better if they take place in France. I just finished 
The Gardens of Le Nôtre at Versailles
Painter Frère Luc was born Claude François in Amiens, France in May 1614. There is no record of the exact day, so we’ll just wish him a happy 403rd birthday today. Before he became a monk, he trained under Simon Vouet in Paris, and then he went to Rome to study the great Masters. He returned to Paris in 1639, where he worked on the redecoration of the Louvre. In 1641, he joined the Franciscan Order, taking the name Frère Luc, and thereafter, most of his paintings were devoted to the life and works of St. Francis of Assisi, which he executed for various monasteries.
In 1670, he went to Québec, mainly as the architect in charge of the rebuilding of the monastery there. At the end of 1671, he returned to Paris and resumed his work as a painter of religious works. He is now chiefly of interest for the work he produced while in Québec and these paintings influenced later generations of French-Canadian artists. He died in May 17, 1685 back in Paris, France.
I saw a very good French film on Netflix this week. The English title is 
The costumes are gorgeous and definitely merit the César that they won for costume design. The two principal actors were similarly honored with Meilleur Actrice and Meilleur Acteur awards. The lavish period interior and exterior shots kept me trying to figure out where the movie had been filmed. I hope that you enjoy it!
Jacques le fataliste et son maître
Mother’s Day was cold and wet in the Boston area, so we decided to spend some time at the Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit at the Museum of Fine Art. Before social media, there were posters, and Toulouse-Lautrec had a gift of conveying all the sizzle of demi-monde clubs and cabarets in the advertising art that was splashed on walls around Paris.
“
Lautrec died of complications of alcoholism and syphilis at the age of only 36, but he left behind a substantial body of work. It’s amazing to me that so many of the advertising posters, which were always intended to be ephemeral have survived. The bright colors and exuberance chased away the nasty weather blues. The exhibit is on until August 4, 2019.
