Aix-en-Provence, France
I’m super excited be on my next adventure. I am off to spend time exploring the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, also known as Région Sud. The beautiful French region famed for its sprawling lavender fields, rosé wine, charming medieval villages, not to mention the exceptional Mediterranean coastline. I walked out my door in Budapest on Sunday morning to catch a metro, to a bus, to board a plane to Marseille, to catch another bus to end up in the charming and beautiful town of Aix-en-Provence. Birthplace of impressionist painter, Paul Cezanne, Aix is centrally located in the region and often dubbed “the city of a thousand fountains”, although apparently that is a bit of an exaggeration but who’s counting. After many hours of research, I decided this was the perfect place to set up basecamp as I go in search of organic Vin de Provence Rosé and the lavender fields I’ve only ever seen pictures of.
I found a lovely little Airbnb right on the most famous pedestrian street in the old town of Aix, Cours Mirabeau, in the very heart of the city. This tree-lined boulevard is the one that defines Aix-en-Provence. A walk from the Roi Réné statue at one end to the Rotonde fountain and roundabout at the other, showcases the town’s history. It was under King Réné (who ruled from 1409 to 1480) and his wife Queen Jeanne that the town developed its artsy, independent vibe. So independent, that after the King’s death, the city refused to follow the French government’s rule for almost 200 years. Aix-en-Provence stepped into line when Louis XIV came to power in 1643 and the lawyers, magistrates and aristocrats arrived to build the sumptuous buildings around town. Since 1409, when the university was founded, the city has had a reputation as a seat of learning and today it’s still known as a university town. By 1650, the crumbling pathway was turned into a road to accommodate the arrival of horse-drawn carriages and in the 19th-century, the Cours Mirabeau was styled with trees and fountains.
The entire area around Cours Mirabeau is mostly pedestrianized and has the feel of a small Provençal town with 17th and 18th century homes. I’ve spent hours and hours just wandering around the narrow, often cobbled streets taking in the infinite charm and beauty of this place. There is an endless supply of delightful cafe terraces, trendy boutiques, tea houses, chocolate shops, wine shops, patisseries, quaint bars, restaurants, art galleries, and very vibrant open air markets, around every corner…all divinely colorful and unique and dare I say it one more time…charming!!
The Clock Tower: la Tour de l’Horloge, located in the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville (the town hall square) of Aix-en-Provence, was built in 1510 on Roman foundations of white limestone that were there from the original site which was an entrance to the military checkpoint of Sextius, consul of the Roman Republic in 124 BC. The presence of a public clock demonstrated the city’s importance both near and far. Looking at the clock, (top to bottom) there is the proclamation or "ban" bell, in its 16th-century wrought-iron cage, which called the people to council or defense. Below that is the astronomical clock which dates back to 1661, under which rotate four wooden statues from the 17th century, representing the four seasons. A mechanism, now gone, use to activate the rotation. Today this action is performed manually each season. NOTE: Seriously, I realize French woman become more beautiful with age but the gal in the bikini representing summer is from the 17th century?!?
