Hanna & Erkki Tamsalu travelogue: Aix-en-Provence

Another trip we took while in dry dock was a getaway to Aix-en-Provence.

There are regular bus and train departures from Gare Saint-Charles - both railway and bus station. However at the time we came there was an almost 2 hour gap in the train departures so we opted for buses that departed every half hour (bus number 50).

Only 30 minutes drive from Marseille yet the city offered a totally different ambiance...

The drive was pleasant: even though we stayed on the highway at the distance we could see some farmhouses surrounded by orchards. All the way to Aix I was trying to remember whether the word Aix actually means anything in French but could not come up with anything. Only later on as we reached Aix Tourism Bureau and were issued a brochure about the city did we find out where Aix comes from: as Romans discovered the springs of water on the site of the future city the named it Aquae Sextius (Sextius waters). The broken aquae turned into Aix and as there are at least 12 other cities in

France

bearing the same name – all in different regions – they had to add ‘en Provence” to specify which one it is.

First we headed to Office de Tourisme to get a free city map. From there we walked towards Cours Mirabeau – for a practical reason as they had money exchange there.

Cours Mirabeau with Christmas decorations

Cours Mirabeau – a leafy tunnel formed by double rows of plane-trees – lays in the former location of old city walls and divides the city into the old and new parts. It offers a range of cafes as well as craft marlket.

Unfortunately it is not a pedestrian street and has a pretty extensive traffic

A rare moment with not too many cars

Plane-trees stand out beautifully against the blue sky of Provence

We turned to the old part of the city and soon found ourselves in the middle of a bustling market with its sounds, colors and smells. Apparently every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning certain areas of the old city are transformed into marketplace.

Fruits, vegetables, cheeses, marinated olives and even mushrooms could be found on Place des Prêcheurs. The stalls were set right next to the fountain with obelisk, in front of the church – all over the square.

Market on Place des Prêcheurs

Some of the items on sale...

And what a selection of fish and seafood did we find on the next square!

Opposite the town hall – Hôtel de Ville in French so do not think it is a hotel! – there was another market: flower market.

Hôtel de Ville before 1pm.

We stopped for lunch next to it and after the lunch was finished we were surprised to see that all the flower stalls were gone, the pavement was washed and the street cafes were occupying the area.

Place Hôtel de Ville after 1pm

So if you want to experience markets, this wonderful part of Provençal life make sure to be there before 1pm!
Another proof to it is the amount of various food fairs held in Aix throughout the year – Cherry Fair in June, Callison (traditional mixture of almonds and crystallized melons) Festival in September, Winegrowers Fair in October, Mushroom Fair & Marrow Fair in November, Truffle & Gastronomy Show in December – to name just a few.

After the lunch we headed to Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur – a beautiful building comprising Romanesque, Gothic & Baroque elements and houses a famous painting: