Provence and the Cote d'Azur: Discover the Spirit of the South of France

I love this book! It's worth buying it just for the gorgeous photography! I have been to Provence and the French Riviera and this book was able to beautifully capture its charm and beauty and it took me back to my travels in France. There are also interesting tidbits throughout this book on some of the most famous past residents. For instance the legendary Charlie Chaplin used to own a vacation home at one time on the French Riviera in which he then sold it to the British actor David Niven who lived there until the end of his life. It's known as the "Pink House" for its obvious reason and it's located right on the water (even the patio is pink) and it's even more charming in person, as I was fortunate enough to see it in person. This book is saturated in lots of bold colors and the pages are pretty thick. This is certainly not a travel guide to carry with you in your travels (although it gives you ideas) since it's too big and heavy, but it's the perfect book for daydreaming!

This book is so inspiring! It has the most beautiful photographs and was very informative. I suppose it's not as detailed as a travel-type book, but it is certainly more inspiring. It's a lovely coffee table book and it has me looking very forward to our trip to the region next spring!

This book is chock full of sumptuous morsels and tips for seeing the easily missed sights of Provence and the Cote d'Azur. As I plan a trip there in a couple months, from this book I am making lists of places to see, drives to take, and museums to visit. And, if you want a curated presentation of the most charming and sublime boutique hotels of the region, this could very well be the only book you need (if that's your thing). While drives and hikes are free, Lonely Planet or Rough Guide it is not. Still, I found a few fundamental aspects any guide book should contain to be missing, as well as a few annoying errors in the details. Unfortuantely these things can distract and detract from wringing out full and seamless potential of the wealth of contents within. First off, if you might use this book as a reference, the very physical publication of the book is a nuisance. It is very stiff and rigidly bound, requiring some effort to hold open, and making it difficult to explore while simultaneously consulting a map. Secondly, while the descriptions of sites (hotels, drives, hikes, museums) are articulately written, there is little useful information for actually locating these places, other than the name of a town. Maybe this only matters for things like hikes. But then, there will be the name of a town, and a phone number. Am I going to phone the town in France? Often there were website addresses too, this is useful. I just never understood the inclusion of phone numbers for foreign locations (other than hotels perhaps) in the internet age. What makes this book so great is the photography and visuals. Yet, on each gorgeous full page photo, there is no caption. Where is this place exactly? This lovely little street? In the back, there is a section with miniature snapshots of the full page spreads which attempts to provide this information. Yet, some page spreads are oddly missing. There are numerous gaps which leave you scratching your head. I can't figure out if this was some kind of arrogant design decision, or just a slew of unintended omissions. There is a beautiful photo of a little street - I think it's in Arles. But this spread is missing from the back. I want to go to this street. Where is it? Who knows. The authors may say the intention of the book is not a reference map. But, when you include inspiring and gorgeous photos, people want to go right there. You have to say where it is. Otherwise it's a frustration. I also found a typo in web address. (it's fondation-maeght.com, not foundation-maeght.com). This book is excellent for what it is, but poor for what you might think it is (but is not). In design, it is almost a coffee table book. It's not a travel reference guide book. Perhaps obvious, just sayin. Use it for ideas, but you will have to then research details thoroughly elsewhere. Still, I recommend it highly. It is fully inspiring, which is an element often lacking in travel reference books. The book just drools Provence, and inspires a fire within to go there and explore with elegance.

This book is beautiful. It's not an intense travel book--you won't find details about transit, pricing, etc....but it's a helpful guide for what parts of Provence to visit based on what you'd like to see, and what's most important to you. There are also notes about local culture, days to avoid crowds, and the best places to start/finish walking around particular cities. The book itself is really pretty, would be a gorgeous addition to any book shelf or coffee table.

I am an avid kindle reader but when I saw this book in store on vaction (hence the amazon purchase) I was blown away. It is the most beautiful book I have ever seen. You can not replicate this on a screen for sure. If you love travel, get pictures or if you planning a vacation to Provence this book is perfect. She gives great advice in a wonderful format. I will treasure this book for a long time.

This book is so pretty but it’s also informative.

Delightfully surprised by this book. I purchased it for travel research but it will also make a perfect compact coffee table reminder of travels. Imagine a “3 Perfect Days” mini guide to every village.

Needs some maps to show the local places reviewed.

Texte banal.

Book points out the highlights of every region or town. Pictures are fabulous. An added bonus is that the location of where the photos were taken is identified in most cases.

Beautiful Book! This book was a joy to read, like taking a little vacation. It transports the reader with lovely photos, history, background information and wonderful recommendations. Very enjoyable to look at the pictures and imagine you are in such a beautiful place. Loved it!

This guide truly does introduce the spirit of the south of France. It is by no means comprehensive but gives a good overview of selected towns and cities. A very pleasant read.

Great resource to have on your trip to the south of France. The only thing it lacks is a map. Provides a lot of informative information on the many towns and does not overload the reader with unnecessary material.