The city of Aix-en-Provence is the
mid-point between other major cities in the south of France. As such, both of my
visits there have been little more than brief lunch stops on the way to
somewhere else. The first time, while travelling from Arles to Monte Carlo, we
arrived a little early so I had trouble even finding a proper lunch (but I had no
problem getting a glass of rosé).
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Cours Mirabeau, Aix-en-Provence |
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My First "Lunch" in Aix |
More recently, on the way from Nice to
Avignon, I enjoyed a tasty Greek salad (with another glass of rosé) at a historic café on the stylish Cours Mirabeau.
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My Second Lunch in Aix |
Cours Mirabeau is a major thoroughfare in Aix, with wide sidewalks shaded by plane trees, numerous cafés, and moss-covered fountains. The promenade begins at La Rotonde, once the entryway to the city, and ends at the King René Fountain.
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La Rotonde, Aix-en-Provence |
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La Rotonde Fountain |
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The Mossy Fountain, Aix-en-Provence |
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Fountain of the Nine Canons, Aix-en-Provence |
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King René Fountain, Aix-en-Provence |
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Statue of King René |
Les Deux Garçons dates from 1792 and, according to the back of my menu, was
frequented by such celebrated patrons as Sir Winston Churchill, Pablo Picasso
and local son, Paul Cézanne.
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Les Deux Garçons, Aix-en-Provence |
The city boasts a trail of sites important
in the life of Paul Cézanne (indicated by brass markers in the sidewalks) but there
aren’t any paintings to be seen here. I did, however, see several works by Cézanne
in London last year at the National and Courtauld Galleries. The Provençal countryside was a favourite subject of the artist, especially
nearby Montagne Sainte-Victoire.
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Statue of Paul Cézanne, Aix-en-Provence |
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Cézanne Trail Marker |
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Self Portrait, Paul Cézanne National Gallery, London |
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Hillside in Provence, Paul Cézanne National Gallery, London |
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The Montagne Sainte-Victoire, Paul Cézanne Courtauld Gallery, London |
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Montagne Sainte-Victoire, Approaching Aix |
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Montagne Sainte-Victoire, Entering Aix |
I’ve never spent enough time in
Aix-en-Provence to really know the city but at least on this visit I was able to
take a quick jaunt through the streets of the Old Town.
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Old Town of Aix-en-Provence |
Unfortunately at
mid-day many of the stores were closed so I couldn’t buy any of the traditional
sweets, calissons. And soon we had to board our motor coach again for the final
leg of our journey to the City of the Popes, Avignon.
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