#105 - Aix, Paris’s 21sr Arrondisement

After a good night sleep we awoke to another sunny, blue sky day, which here also means almost no humidity and no frizzy hair (this might qualify for reason #4 to live here). So far we have stayed at hotels where breakfast is not included, which we actually prefer. It leaves more room for lunch and vin. 

In Valbonne we had an electric kettle and some Nescafe, still wildly popular in Europe, which could hold me over for an hour or so until we had a proper cafe stop. But here in Aix, a kettle, mugs and nothing else. So we were up and out a bit quicker this morning for our cafes and a shared pan chocolate (a rectangular croissant-like pastry filled with chocolate, but you knew that). 

  We headed to the main tourist drag, Cours Mirabeau, to La Rotunda fountain, and to the TI to get the requisite walking maps and info. It was still too early for the upscale shops or musee so we did a bit of shopping to find the right adapter to charge our devices, and then hit the Monoprix (a little like Target, especially when you give it a French pronunciation as we liked to do when it first opened in Abington a few decades ago). Steve needed some hair spray and I was on a search for a face cream Steve remembered I loved last time we were here. Neither of us could remember the brand, only the color box, white with blue writing. Although the graphics had changed to pink, I recognized it right away; now I was trying to read the French to figure out the daytime from the nightime creams. There was apparently one other change on the box. Each cream specifically stated the age or ages it was for. The cream I bought in  2013 said 30’s to 50’s  and I clearly have said goodbye to all of those decades. So, sad to say, I had to search to find the creams for my age - women in their 60’s to 80’s. I was not very happy, but I sure hope they put something special in these tubes for us OLD ladies.  

Hotel du Caumont

Shopping done, we embarked on the Rick Steves walking tour which included a peek in at the Hotel du Caumont, which you might think is a hotel, but is a museum and cultural space. Turned out there was a great special exhibit with about 75 works of impressionist and post impressionist, Cezanne to Manet to Picasso, from the Guggenheim NY, from one family’s personal collection. It was well curated with a good audio and afterwards a 30 minute film about Cezanne’s life with English subtitles.  

  A bit more of the  walk, a lunch stop sharing a croque madame (yes, when in France we eat everything including jamon) and the rest of our walk through the Mazarin District and the Old Town, ending as always at a cafe, this time for a Campari and soda.  So why is this blog titled Paris’s 21st Arrondisement? Well, Aix is rather small, only 140,000 people so I am guessing that might be about the size of one arrondisement in Paris. There are small winding lanes, straight medival alleys, old churches, cafes, designer shopping, smartly dressed Aixois and lots of tourists.

There are cobblestoned street and leafy boulevards. They have special confections, calissons d’Aix, beautiful patisseries, public art and fountains, lovely hidden gardens, shuttered windows and flat front stone buildings.

And just like being a tourist in Paris, we are seeing the best neighborhoods, though I am guessing that if we ventured out of the tourist area, to Aix’s periphery, it would feel decidedly different. This is truly a city to just wander about, get lost and then find something wonderful. Just like Paris. 

Tomorrow we take the bus to Marseilles for the day. We have arranged to meet Patrick, a Marseille native, who will be our volunteer ‘greeter’ for the day. For those of you who travel to Europe and have never used the greeter program, you should try it. People, usually retired, who love their hometown share 3 or 4 or even 6 hours with you showing their city, some famous places and some you would never have found. They are usually charming and sincere, better than a standard tour guide for sure! 

Tonight again we will wander the streets and just find a place to eat - many of the recommended places are closed on Monday, but the food is never bad in France...even the take away slice of anchovy pizza Steve had today right after we finished lunch!