Corinne Van Houten is a freelancer writer and art critic based in Sacramento, California. She has lived in Amsterdam and Paris and you can find her on the Riviera at least once a year. She has written reviews, catalogues, and articles on contemporary art as well as a novel, A Feast of Small Surprises.
Below are articles written by Corinne Van Houten.
If you imagine the farmhouses in Tuscany to be crumbling antiquities along the lines of “Bramasole” in Frances Mayes book, “Under the Tuscan Sun,” you will be more than pleasantly surprised to discover the updated appeal of the following farmhouses …
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Who can resist the magical combination of sea, sand and delicious food and drink? The sound of the waves lapping the shore, the feeling of silky sand between your toes, spectacular views of mountains dropping dramatically into the sea, all these make the perfect …
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The Cannes Film Festival grew out of the Venice Film Festival which was designed as a competitive event between countries rather than a festival celebrating individual filmmakers. By 1938, the festival had become dominated by German Fascists …
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The Amalfi coast is a wonderful destination offering the visitor ample opportunity to explore and enjoy the Italian lifestyle while marveling at the stunning landscape and ocean views. There are many wonderful towns on the coast ranging from …
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The French Riviera is renowned for its glamorous lifestyle, attracting the rich and famous who arrive on their luxurious yachts, vacation in gorgeous villas, gamble in elegant casinos and hobnob at the famous Cannes Film Festival. However there is …
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Though famous for its all night parties, there’s much more to Ibiza Town than its club and techno scene. Begin your day with a healthy breakfast at one of the many restaurants located in Ibiza Town. After breakfast take a stroll through the charming …
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Ibiza is renowned as a place to party and, where there’s a party, you can be sure there’s plenty to drink. For those who plan on joining the party, the following is a list of some of the more popular liquid refreshments on the island …
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Just a mile from the Cannes harbor lies the beautiful little island of Saint-Honorat (1.5 km long by 400 meters wide). Inhabited by monks since 427 AD, the Lérins Abbey still attracts men seeking the tranquility of the monastic life on this idyllic island …
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One of the great pleasures in visiting European countries is the opportunity to experience the many open air markets. This is certainly true in France where there are a plethora of wonderful markets throughout the country. The markets in each region reflect …
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If you want to swim in clear, turquoise blue waters and walk barefoot on silky sand beaches in one of the most exclusive and expensive resorts in the world then grab a ticket to Porto Cervo (“Deer Port”) on Sardinia’s north eastern coast. This resort …
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If you’re planning a visit to Perugia you must include a stop at the Casa del Cioccolato or Perugina Chocolate House. Situated on the outskirts of the city in the small town of San Sisto, the Baci Factory and Perugina Museum offer chocolate lovers history, tours and …
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The famous tenor, Andrea Bocelli, was born in the outskirts of the city of Lajatico not far from Pisa and it is here that the town constructed a special theater (based on Bocelli’s vision) which is dedicated to performances by the great Italian singer …
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Ibizan cuisine is based on seasonal, local ingredients which tend to be combined in “one-pot” meals such as paella and fish and meat stews. Although seafood remains a staple of their cuisine, meat dishes, commonly made with chicken, pork or lamb, are …
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The French Riviera is well known as a destination for adults. From yachting to car racing, from gambling to hiking and paragliding, from gourmet cuisine to delicious wines, there’s plenty to entertain …
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Although Christmas, in the Christian tradition, is a celebration of the birth of Christ, the thirteen desserts which are always present in Provencal households on Christmas Eve represent …
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The beautiful town of Eze on the coast of the Cote d’Azur is really two villages. The more modern Eze bord-de-Mer lies directly on the beach while the Medieval town of Eze Village perches 450 meters above the coast. The two are connected by a steep path …
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<p>You can find delicious cheeses all over the world however, for many, when cheese is mentioned we think of France with its more than 240 varieties. There are many more variations on these cheeses making France one of the most (if not the most) prolific …</p>
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Like the bohemian artists and writers of the nineteen thirties, hippies were drawn to Ibiza in the sixties and seventies for its natural beauty and the freedom to explore personal lifestyles. Artists, musicians, and others drawn to an “alternative” lifestyle flocked …
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There is so much to marvel at in Florence that it is extremely difficult to focus on only a few sites. That said, there are some churches and museums that you “must see” in this beautiful Renaissance city. If you only have two or three days …
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Each year, at the end of May, beginning of June the Mediterranean Yachting season opens in Port Vauban, Antibes, the premier marina in Europe. Begun in 1996, the Voiles d’Antibes marks the opening of the Mediterranean circuit where captains and crews …
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Pablo Picasso visited the Riviera in 1923 with his Russian wife, Olga, along with Gerald and Sara Murphy, wealthy American ex-patriots who, like so many of the “Lost Generation,” had flocked to Paris in the nineteen-teens and twenties. It was the Murphys …
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It is difficult to express the sheer delight the visitor experiences upon stepping into this exhibition. The ancient limestone quarry sits below the medieval town of Les Baux and covers over 7000 meters with walls more than 15 meters high. Entering the quarry it feels as …
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With the exception of the Cannes Fireworks Festival, summer festivities along the Cote d’Azur focus on music, particularly jazz. The 59th Jazz à Juan takes place from July 12-21, 2019 in Juan les Pins in a one hundred year old pine forest (the Gould pine grove) facing the …
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The Amalfi Coast is famous for its cliffs that dive into the deep blue Mediterranean, dropping from steeply terraced hillsides verdant with bright yellow lemon groves, silvery olive orchards and tough green grapevines. Tumbling …
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The Monaco Grand Prix follows a winding route through the streets of Monaco, passing beside the harbor (into which more than one race car driver has plunged), through a tunnel and following tight twists and turns that challenge the …
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If you want to feel, even briefly, how it would be to live in one of the exclusive properties on the Cote d’Azur, then you must visit the Villa Ephrussi on Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat where you are free to explore the house and gardens at your …
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Step into the flagship store of Ladurée on the Champs-Elysées in Paris and you find yourself in a nineteenth century art nouveau environment, ornately decorated with a coffered ceiling, gilded columns and electric candelabra held up by draped figures …
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