Why Uzes France

In the summer of 1999 I was invited to travel to France with a friend artist Ben Long from Charleston SC. We were both living in Asheville, NC at the time, trying to start an art school that focused on realism. The trip was planned as a work shop and since it had been years since I had been to France, I was really looking forward to it. France has always been one of my favorite places. Paris of course is one of the worlds most amazing cities and was the first place I painted in France. I also feel in love with the Dordogne region years ago when I taught a series of painting workshops at a friend's gite in that region. The cote du rhone valley however was something I had not prepared for. The mix of historic sites, roman monuments and natural beauty is unparalleled. The town of Uzes is the first place in France to ever be listed as a protected historic town. I find this area so incredibly magical that I hate to even tell people about it. It wasn't long before I became a home owner in the area, and some 20 years later am residing there.