Luberon, basking underneath a perfect Mediterranean climate, which, for centuries, has kept both its cultural and natural assets, is an idyllic region of Provence –perfectly intact. In fact so immaculate and picturesque is the Luberon area in this highly revered region of Provence that since 1977 it has been a listed Parc Naturel Regional.

There have however been criticisms made by locals of the Luberon area, that the Italian-born fashion designer Pierre Cardin has turned the unspoilt area of Provence into one of the most expensive places in France.

In recent years the world famous fashion designer has bought 23 properties in the area, including a splendid castle that aristocrat and writer Marquis de Sade once owned.

In buying so many homes in villages such as Lacoste, the so-called medieval gem of the Luberon and home of the castle which used to belong to the notorious Marquis de Sade, locals are accusing Cardin of turning their one rural village retreat into an enclave for the rich and famous, and having made house prices soar in the area.

Although surely if one owns a property in an area, one would be grateful to anyone or anything that resulted in the value of their property being increased? A family home in the Luberon typically cost well over £1 million and £4 million villas are common.

The 89-year-old fashion designer has also converted several of his properties in Lacoste into art galleries, an act that has led to many locals believing that Cardin is transformed the Luberon from ‘traditional’ to ‘trendy’.

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The Cote de’Azur is alive and buzzing all year-round, even in February, when much of France and other European countries seem to be reduced to a late-winter lull just waiting to be woken up the spring.

The town of Mandelieu-la-Napoule, just to the southwest of France is particularly ‘alive’ in February, when it hosts the annual Fete Du Mimosa, a festival which brightens the soul and refreshes the spirit.

Birds soaring through the cloudless blue sky above the Cote d’Azur, their feathers ruffled slightly by the brisk late-winter air, you see them sweep down towards the dazzling yellow tree protruding from the cliffy rock faces, contrasting avoidably with the azure water of the Mediterranean and the equally azure sky, the air is sweet with the fragrance from the mimosa tree, and you know that winter is officially over.

This is the essence behind the celebrations that take place on the Cote d’Azur to celebrate the blossoming of the mimosas.

Between the town of Mandelieu-la-Napoule and the village of Tanneron, Europe’s largest forest of mimosa can be found and it therefore seems provident that in the town of Mandelieu-la-Napoule, locals have celebrated the emblematic mimosa flower for decades, with a horde of spectacularly colourful displays, parades , markets and arts and crafts.

This colourful and deliciously fragranced festival takes place in mid-February each year but the Cote d’Azur’s celebration of the mimosa stretch much further than a mere few days in February.

Every year the region organises a constellation of events that span from mid-January until mid-March. During this time, eight villages on the Cote d’Azur participate in the ‘La Route des Mimosas’, a “trail” that consists of various activities, guided walks, celebrations and tours, all dedicated and centred around the blossoming mimosa.

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It would be nice to be in Nice in January, to say the least. Although, this said, your experience of Nice this January could be made considerably more exquisite and memorable if you attend the International Club’s “Spotlight” cocktail evening on Thursday January 19, 2012.

The International Club in Nice was founded in 2007 by a group of internationally-minded people resident on the French Riviera. The aim of the club is to raise money for various themed charities through a series of sporting, cultural, social, business and educational events.

Nice’s International Club is in collaboration with many other International Clubs in cities across the globe and encourages it members to build up social and business contacts with the members of other International Clubs worldwide.

In short, the French Riviera’s International Club provides a social platform for both residents and visitors to the Cote d’Azur to enrich, both their experience of the cosmopolitan city of Nice, as well as their lives in general.

And what could be a better way to meet like-minded people, enhance your social and business contacts, and have a fun night out in one of Nice’s finest and trendiest hot spots, than spending Thursday January 19, 2012, at Galerie Oscar for the International Club’s “Spotlight” Cocktail Evening?

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Some may argue that it has been a long time coming, but at last the elegant town of Menton, located between Monaco and the Italian Riviera, is celebrating Menton’s long and rich love affair with the painter, poet, filmmaker and dramatist Jean Cocteau, with the opening of the Jean Cocteau Museum.

Menton’s association with Cocteau dates back to the 1950s, when the multi-talented artist was commissioned by the city of Menton to create various pieces of art, including the Salles des Mariages in the city hall. In gratitude of the splendid work Cocteau carried out in the city, Menton adopted the artist as an honorary citizen.

It was during this time that Jean Cocteau transformed a small and abandoned fort in Menton into a museum for his personal artwork, where he hung his own paintings, tapestries and mosaics.

On November 6, 2011, Menton opened its doors to its own Jean Cocteau Museum, located in Menton’s Old Town in a building, so striking in its aesthetical merits that it does Cocteau’s artwork the justice it deserves.

Until May 7, 2012, the Severin Wunderman Collection will be held at the Cocteau Museum. The collection has been gathered by Severin Wunderman, a well-known art lover and former owner of the Swiss luxury watch brand Corum.

The exhibition consists of more than 2,000 artworks, including ceramics, books, paintings, tapestries, drawings, manuscripts, prints and jewellery made by Cocteau himself. A handful of artworks created by fellow artists, including Modigliani, Picasso and Di Chirico, are also on display at the exhibition.

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Saint-Paul-de-Vence, situated approximately 25 kilometres from Nice, is one of the oldest medieval towns on the Cote d’Azur. Having long been a haven for the rich and famous, in the 1960s this ancient town saw many a French actor being drawn to its unusual eccentricities, including Simone Signoret, Lino Ventura and Yves Montland.

Alongside famous actors, some of the world’s most celebrated artists have lived in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, such as Marc Chagnall, and, more recently, artist lovers Arielle Dombasle and Bernard Henri Levy.

Being a well-known hive for attracting famous actors, poets and artists, it seems only natural that Saint-Paul-de-Vence is equally as renowned for its modern and contemporary art museums and galleries, the most famous being La Fondation Maeght, one of the most esteemed galleries in the south of France.

The Fondation Maeght was founded in 1964 by Marguerite and Aime Maeght, a French art collector and editor. The extensive collection housed at the Fondation Maeght includes works by some of the most important and influential artists of the 20^th century, including Joan Miro, Fernand Leger, Georges Braque and Alexander Calder.

This independently funded gallery, which relies on no state funding whatsoever, attracts more than 200,000 visitors each year and many of the art exhibitions that are put on every year in museums throughout France, in Europe and beyond, are based on Fondation Maeght collections.

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