Carmel-by-the-Sea and Aix-en-Provence

Carmel-by-the-Sea and Aix-en-Provence are both at the heart of wine producing and agricultural regions, and strongly associated with the arts and tourism. I enjoy their Farmer's Markets, foodie cultures, proximity to the sea, and to smart urban centers.

Carmel is about two hours by car up the coast to San Francisco and Paris is three hours from Aix via the high-speed TGV. Both cultures were Latin based--Carmel with it's early Spanish and then Mexican governments, and Aix was founded by the Romans. Both have long been magnets to artists and celebrities. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are the most famous recent residents living just outside of Aix. And while Aix is about fourteen times the population of Carmel, they are unhurried, vitalizing places that share a sense of beauty and a love for the things of the soul. Like the Frank Sinatra and Charles Aznavour duet, Carmel and Aix: 'You Make Me Feel So Young.'