Marseilles, France – Aix-en-Provence

The early morning bus took our group away from the port and the city of Marseilles. We whisked along the highway through the countryside and soon arrived in Aix-en-Provence.  Our group dropoff and meeting spot was Place de la Rotonde, a large traffic circle around a huge fountain.  We walked down Cours Mirabeau, filled with merchandise shopping stands.  The city, once the capital of Provence, had a mixture of large government buildings on large streets, and small shops and market areas along the winding streets in the older part of the town.  The fruit market was full of fresh produce and people shopping for the day.  The plant market had flowering plants, vegetable plants, and herbs.  The guide led us through various sites.  I liked the balcony metal work and you can see several examples in the photos.  Some were decorative, and one in particular indicated the business at hand within the building. 

After a guided tour, we had 45 minutes of free time to eat, drink and shop.  It was 10:45 AM, and as we entered the seating area of a café, were told that we could have a drink but it was too early for food.  We also asked for the toilet and started the next adventure. Of course, the toilet was in the basement down a narrow and steep winding staircase.  We had to spread out and stand in the bends so that those coming up the staircase could pass us.  The bathroom had two toilets in doored stalls: one for men and one for women.  It shared a common sink.  Once we maneuvered through this challenge, we sat in the patio café and ordered an espresso and two cokes.  After catching our breath and watching the walkers, we returned to our exploration.  I asked if the sisters wanted to stop in a restaurant for lunch.  After protests about not knowing what the food was on the menu (written in French), I made quick decision to stop by a “Paul” store so that we could buy the wonderful sandwiches (you can see what you are getting) and a little sweet.  This was all for about six euro, so the price was perfect! 

We visited the stores to see if anything caught our eye to take home.  After navigating our way back to Cours Mirabeau, we looked in a shop that had lovely quilts, window curtains, and table settings.  The prices were very good, but after careful inspection, we saw that they were made in China.  “Why China?”, Mom asked.  The clerk said, “Oh, you would not buy so much if it was made in France with French prices.”  Good point.  I found some bags of lavender, made a quick purchase, and zipped across the street to the sisters, now enroute to the bus to return to Marseilles. 

I would definitely return to Aix-en-Provence for more exploration.