Our ships stop was actually in Toulon but we took a tour to Aix-en-Provence. The sad thing is it was one of the worst tours we have had. It was actually a 3 hour round trip bus ride with some minimal heavy French accented English commentary thrown in. After we arrived at our destination we were walked to the center and she said meet me back her at 2:45 pm and we will walk back to the bus. Ok then. 🤷🏻♀️ So, I’ll concentrate on what we learned and the few things we experienced. It was a beautiful 80 degree day and we saw some very nice scenery along the way.
Aix-en-Provence is a city in the south of France, just northwest of Barcelona. It is known for its charming old town, its lively markets, Paul Cézanne, the famous painter and its delicious pastries. And that’s about it. I personally wouldn’t consider it a tourist destination but it was a nice place to visit and others may have a much different perspective.
After being dropped off , we started our walk in the Place d’Albertas, a large square in the heart of the old town. There is a beautiful fountain at the beginning of the square that made you wish you could take a dip today. It was very pretty.
We walked around cobblestone streets which were a little more difficult for Chuck and sometimes, me too and we found the Saint Jean de Malte church, a 12th-century church they say has a beautiful interior. Banks as well as churches were closed due to it being a market festival so we took some photos and admired the architecture from the outside.
Today was what they called market day. When I think of markets I think food and some shops. This was more like a street bazaar of high end clothing. But, I did find me a cute little hat for €12. Works for me! This market/bazaar was located along Cours Mirabeau, a long avenue lined with shops and restaurants. The Market itself was outside lining the street in front of the shops.
There are no public restrooms so you must enter a restaurant to do your business. After a long bus ride and a 2 1/2 mile walk around streets and shops we decided it was time to have some pastries and “rest”. We stopped at the Maison Cangina and indulged! It was the French pastry I was waiting for!
While enjoying our treats I heard the tune of “Silent Night” but not in English. I stopped over by the table of the unique gentleman singing to his wife. He was German but living in this cute little town. I could have had a long conversation with him. He was that type of person. He was singing silent night in German. It was beautiful.
We then headed back to our meeting stop we watched in amazement as tourists on our bus screamed and yelled at the tour guide for such a horrible tour. It was disrespectful and they should have waited to make their complaints with the cruise-line. Some people defended her saying the same, contact the cruise line. We took it in stride and will let the cruise-line know it wasn’t what we had expected but that’s all. Just for their information. It could be worse. We could have been back in Florida watching TV!
On our ride over, we learned that for the last 30 years of her life Mary Magdalene lived in a cave until her death. History shows she would have lived as a recluse in this cave in the Sainte-Baume mountains which today bears her name. Due to my location on the bus I couldn’t get a nice photo but the mountains were beautiful.
We made it back to the port safe and sound. No fist fights, only snoring on the way back.
Here are some fun facts about Aix-en-Provence:
- Aix-en-Provence is known as the “City of a Thousand Fountains.” Well, we only saw one? There are over 120 fountains throughout the city, many of which date back to the Roman era.
- Aix-en-Provence is the birthplace of the painter Paul Cézanne. Cézanne lived and worked in Aix for most of his life, and his paintings often feature the city’s landscapes.
- Aix-en-Provence is a popular destination for wine lovers. The region around Aix is home to many vineyards, and there are many wineries that offer tours and tastings. Mostly Rose vineyards is what we saw.
- Aix-en-Provence is also a popular destination for food lovers. The city has a vibrant culinary scene, with a wide variety of restaurants to choose from.
May God bless you always!
Chuck and Lea Ann
WorldTravelReynolds 