For this last article of my blog, I decided to focus on our wonderful region which is the Provence. Well known world-wide, I'll show you the place to be if you decided to come see us. Aix en Provence
Aix-en-Provence is a French commune, the ancient capital of Provence, sub-prefecture of the Bouche-Du-Rhône in the region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.Spa town, Aix-en-Provence is especially known for its cultural heritage: the University of Aix has been created since 1409, the city is particularly associated with Émile Zola and Paul Cézanne, who was born there.Aix-en-Provence is now world famous for its festivals of opera and Easter, rich and beautiful architectural heritage, including its plush hotels Baroque individuals, as well as its elegance and lifestyle.Many tourists go there every year in search of Provençal authenticity and to enjoy the charm of its historic city center but also that of nature, vineyards and surrounding olive fields.But Aix is also modern, since 2000 many projects were launched such as Sextius-Mirabeau quarter, composed of Provençal Paths, the Grand Theatre de Provence, black pavilion, a new conservatory, and more recently, the Camp, international campus research and seminars, the digital division of Constance. You will therefore understand, Aix is a perfect city to spend the day for shopping and have a drink on the Cours Mirabeau.
Cassis
Cassis is a commune in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône and the administrative Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It is characterized by cliffs and coves on its territory and for the wines of Cassis (white, but pink) products in the region. Tourism plays an important role in the economy of this county. Cassis is popular in summer for the quality of its beaches and its landscape with the Cap Canaille.
St Victoire Mountain
Located at the east of Aix-en-Provence, she gained international fame thanks in part to the sixty works of the painter Paul Cézanne which it is subject. Paradise for hikers, climbers and nature lovers, it is a major element of Aix landscape.
Baux de Provence
Les Baux-de-Provence is a French commune inthe Bouche-du-Rhône of the department and the region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Les Baux, located in the Alpilles, are now primarily a tourist site before being a place of life. They are one of the most beautiful villages in France and welcome over a million and a half visitors a year. 22 inhabitants still live within the walls of Baux - the upper part of the village - 381 inhabitants and for the whole town.
Avignon
Nicknamed the "City of Popes" because of the presence of popes from 1309 to 1423 and is currently the largest city and capital of the department of Vaucluse. This is one of the few French cities to have preserved its ramparts, its historic center, composed of the Papal Palace, the Episcopal Ensemble, the Rocher des Doms and the Avignon Bridge. It was classified world heritage of UNESCO.
Marseille is the second largest city in France, she saw a large number of well-known personalities on the national level but also internationally. A brief overview: Music IAM
IAM is a French rap group from Marseille, created in 1989 and composed of Akhenaton (Philippe Fragione) Shurik'n (Geoffroy Mussard) Kheops (Eric Mazel) Imhotep (Pascal Perez) Kephren (François Mendy) and formerly of Freeman (Malek Brahimi). IAM is often considered one of the pillars of French rap, and as one of the best bands in history.
Massilia Sound System
Massilia Sound System is a French reggae group founded in Marseille in 1984. Known to have been able to develop from its creation Provencal version of the Jamaican reggae through typical Marseille themes, lyrics sung in Occitan and sound tinged with folk sounds, the Massilia Sound System opened thereafter to new sounds, including Indian sounds, electronic, drum'n'bass, rock and more recently. The group has been involved for a long time in the cultural life of Marseille, multiplying concerts associations, neighborhood-friendly meals and other initiatives. Alonzo
Alonzo , whose real name Kassim Djae , is a French rapper of Comorian descent born in Marseilles on 25 July 1982. He became known within the group Psy 4 of rhymes with Soprano, Vincenzo ( his cousins ) and Sya Styles.
JUL
Jul, pseudonym of Julien Marie, is a French rapper and singer variety born January 14, 1990 in Marseille.Jul hails from the district of Saint-Jean-du-Desert in Marseille (he calls St. John The Puenta). It is present in the world of French rap in recent years. Jul was part of One Industry Liga label created by Kalif Hardcore and Tota, a structure based in the south of France.Jul became known in the world of French rap with his debut song called Get out the stolen cross, released in November 2013. The video clip was viewed 30 million times by Internet users since it went online. This song is the first single from his debut album In my paranoia, released February 24, 2014. He has since released other albums that were successful francs.
SCH
Coming from Marseille, the storm blows over Sch French rap. Recognized by his peers, Sch is the rising star of the hexagonal rap.This particular style - awesome, confusing or questionable, in the opinion of each - is involved in the uniqueness of his character, but Sch is characterized by its universe ... just as unlikely. Can be made in less than a minute Spirited Away, John Lennon and Ciro Di Marzio, it shapes, according to the title, a fabric interwoven references, with only cardinal drug trafficking, weapons caliber and girls to mature mouth.
Cinema and Litterature
Marcel Pagnol
Marcel Pagnol is a writer, playwright, French filmmaker and producer, born 28 February 1895 in Aubagne (near Marseille) and died in Paris on 18 April 1974 (at age 79).
He became famous with Marius piece shown at the theater in March 1929. He founded in Marseilles in 1934 his own production company and film studio, and made many movies with major actors of the period (especially Raimu, Fernandel et Pierre Fresnay) : Angèle (1934), Regain (1937), La Femme du boulanger (1938)…
In 1946 he was elected to the French Academy. After 1956, he moves away from film and theater, and began writing his Recollections including La Gloire de mon père andLe Château de ma mère. He finally published in 1962, l'eau des collines, novel in two volumes: Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources, based on his movie Manon of the sources, made ten years ago and starring his wife Jacqueline Pagnol. Fernandel
Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin says Fernandel, is an actor, comedian, singer and French director born May 8, 1903 in Marseille and died on 26 February 1971 in Paris.
From the music hall, he was for decades one of the biggest stars of French cinema, a true champion of the box office, which attracted more than 200 million spectators in theaters. Comic iconic film before and after the war, many of his films have become classics, like Le Schpountz, L'Auberge rouge, Ali Baba et les Quarante voleurs or La Cuisine au beurre, along with several of his characters, like Don Camillo. He also starred in the most dramatic compositions including La Vache et le Prisonnier, Naïs orHeureux qui comme Ulysse. Sport
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane, born June 23, 1972 in Marseille, is a former French international player and current football coach. During his playing career, between 1988 and 2006, it evolves an attacking midfielder as playmaker. From 2013 to 2014, he served as assistant coach positions at Real Madrid and that of coach of the team Real Madrid Castilla until 2016. On 4 January 2016, he became coach of Real Madrid.Nicknamed "Zizou", it is considered one of the greatest players in the history of football. Featuring a unique profile, he won many titles, both with the team of France with the clubs where he played as Juventus and Real Madrid. He, moreover, was named best player of the year at least once in each league where he played.Zidane is the BBC the best European player in history. It is named best European player of the past fifty years by FIFA and UEFA in 2004. It is listed among the 125 best world players still alive in 2004, in a joint filing Pele and FIFA. It is three times named World Player of the Year by FIFA in 1998, 2000 and 2003, and won the Golden Ball in 1998.
Eric Cantona
Eric Cantona is a former French footballer turned actor at the end of his sports career, born in Marseille on May 24 1966. His sports career in France and England - where he was nicknamed "King Eric" - both generates excitement for his player qualities that the polemics around his attitude on the field and off.During his playing career, Cantona is a talented and inspired striker. Champion of England with Leeds United and four times with Manchester United, he became one of the historical figures of the Red Devils. Elected by supporters of Manchester United as the best player who evolved within this club and best player in the history of the Premier League by a survey by Barclays, Eric King is one of the best strikers of his time.His escapades, anger and unpredictability made him a must-media player. Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri, born 26 June 1987 in Marseille is a French international footballer. He plays as a midfielder for Manchester City.
Nasri is a famous player for his technical abilities, creativity and vision of the game. He started in football clubs in Marseille, his hometown, where he joined the major club, Olympique Marseille, at nine. He followed his training to integrate the professional team in 2004-2005 to 17 years. Became a regular the following season holder, he was named best hope the championship of France in 2007. In 2008, he left Marseille for Arsenal FC, where he confirms his talent. He was named best French player of 2010 by France Football. Expected to be the major player in the London club for the 2011-2012 season, he asked for and obtained his transfer to Manchester City, with whom he won the English championship in 2012.
Is the multicultural city of Marseille a vision of the future?
The capital of Provence has a well-deserved reputation as a rough and unruly place, a port that attracts all kinds of contraband and all kinds of people, some of them contraband too. Over the centuries, they've mostly come by sea—mingling, scheming, brawling, coupling, feasting, and drinking with unashamed and unapologetic flamboyance. The city has served as a refuge for people fleeing persecution, pestilence, and poverty. Recently its sizable immigrant influx has been largely of Muslim origin, and today when you gaze from one of Marseille's many beaches across the Mediterranean toward the unseen North African coast, you can almost imagine a human deluge on its way as the spreading unrest in the Arab world pushes more refugees and job seekers toward the shores of Europe. If you listen to far-right politicians, you'll think this immigrant wave means, inevitably, an onslaught of Islamic puritanism that will challenge European ways and force every woman to dress like a Taliban bride. But then you realize that many of the men and women jostling around you on the Marseille sand are from African and Arab backgrounds, and that the young women are wearing bikinis, not burkas. Thanks to a remarkably efficient public transport system, you can get to Marseille's beaches from any part of town in less than 45 minutes.
And so for several months of the year, rich and poor, white and black, African and Arab, Muslim, Christian, and Jew, all find their own space on the sand, strip off most of their clothes, and settle down to socialize—and be socialized— under the Provençal sun. Ask them where they're from and you won't hear Algeria or Morocco, the Comoros islands or even France. Almost always they'll simply say, Marseille.
As more European countries become nations of immigrants, Marseille may be a vision of the future, even a model of multiculturalism. Not that its equilibrium is easy to maintain. In particular, the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East periodically send ripples of fear through this French city. Similarly in November 2005, when riot-fueled flames erupted in just about every other French city's immigrant-filled housing projects, Muslim Marseille stayed cool. Some locals believe, with reason, that the Marseille miracle of social peace has a lot to do with its beaches, which serve as its great melting pot. The neutral turf of sun and sand reaches only so far into city life. While other municipal rituals also unite people (a fanatical support for the Marseille soccer team, for instance), once the game's over and the sun sets on the beach, prejudices can surface. There's plenty of racism to be found in Marseille.
Such a story raises the question of whether Marseille is really an example of cosmopolitan harmony—or a society on the brink of unrest. The uncomfortable answer is that it's both.
