Angie Brooksby-Arcangioli

2025 kicked off with planetary alignments, new presidents, and for me, a road trip to Tuscany. My first real vacation in a year. There’s something magical about sitting in front of a roaring fireplace in the Tuscan hills, sharing stories with friends. It felt like home—because it is home.

When people ask why I moved to Hyères (pronounced EEE-AIRS), I give them my version of John Waters’ quip about Baltimore: It’s the place where people ran out of gas on their way to New York City. For me, Hyères was where I ran out of gas on my way back to Italy. Except it’s a whole lot nicer than Baltimore—or Bawlmor, as the locals say.

This morning I walked along a stormy beach, the waves licking the pebbles at Almanarre. Many Parisians ask me how I can live here. “There’s nothing to do” they whine. That’s exactly why I love it—especially in winter. No stressed-out tourists or dysfunctional families running down us locals on the crosswalks. But I’m not a local and there is lots to do, like visit the Andy Warhol exhibit at La Banque. There are museums and cultural events everywhere in the Var and lots of expats among the unbelievably kind locals. Giacometti came here. Queen Victoria wintered here. Man Ray made a Dada movie on the hill. There are fashion shows sponsored by Chanel. Robert Lewis Stevenson said the only place he was happy was Hyères.

Hyères has its mysteries. One of them is the city’s bizarre neglect of its historic center. It’s a stunning area with roots dating back to the Templars and beyond—yet parts of it have been left to bums and trash. I hesitated to mention this, thinking it might hurt business, but my studio gallery is a gem in the middle of this swamp.

Today, I heard something that left me speechless. The city bought a building on the main merchant street of the historic center—once a restaurant—and plans to remove the storefront to create a stairway and a trash center. Yes, a literal trash hub in the heart of a 2,000-year-old historic district. All people have to do to dispose of their garbage is walk 20 meters. Instead, they’re converting a historic property into this. Why? Is it a trash hub for everyone, or for the apartments? That’s the million-buck question. Only time will tell because it’s all so mysterious

Maybe trash is the new cash. Maybe it’ll bring in revenue. Who knows?

So yeah, I ran out of gas and landed in this funky town of the Var.

On a lighter note the above watercolor I painted at Les Halles de Grimaud. It’s a lively spot filled with charming little shops, all clustered under one roof. Great for coffee and people-watching—until the cheese refrigerators start humming like a jet engine.

Stay tuned for more drama from the French Riviera. I’ve held back long enough. Time to spill the beans.

My paintings are available online with Carré d’Artistes. Click the painting to go to their website

My original Oil and watercolor paintings are currently available with…

• La Nouvelle Galerie Massillon – Hyères
• Carre d’Artistes online
• Carre d’Artistes : Toulon, Marseilles and Montpellier.
• Singulart
• Shanin Renee art dealer

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