20th June - Aix en Provence

This was to be my final day in the south of France and between provisioning and cleaning we decided to go on a bit of a road trip and visit Aix en Provence. In many ways Marseille does not feel like a french city; because it is a port city, it has been absorbed, influenced by and evolved with all the other Mediterranean ports and countries it has had contact with. Twenty-five kilometers to the north, a very different Aix en Provence is thoroughly French, and offers a complete contrast to the busy port and city of Marseille.

Walking up the Cours Mirabeau and then through the narrow medieval streets, passing numerous elegant fountains in small squares, beautiful carved wooden doors and their bright sandstone surrounds, and many typical regional restaurants gearing up to serve lunch that day gives you a real sense of the vibrancy and colour of this town.

The town, a settlement built up around a Roman castellum called Aquae Sextiae, gradually developed in prominence during the Roman period like many other more more famous Roman towns in Provence and Languedoc Rousillon. Similar to these other Roman settlements, typical remains of a Roman town have been unearthed. The baths/thermae have been located for some time and excavated on the north west side of the old town centre.

Another notable, but less prominent site has revealed a Roman theatre measuring 100 meters in diameter on the site of Notre Dame de la Sed. The theatre is a little smaller than the other Roman theatres at Arles (102 meters) and Orange (103 meters) but bigger than the others in the area at Frejus (95 meters) and Vaison (84 meters) and gives us an idea of the town significance in the area during the second century A.D. With the demise of the Roman influence the history of the theatre follows a similar course to others along the south of France, and excavations have revealed that the theatre became inhabited and buildings were constructed within its walls.

Place Richelme is one of a number of small squares in the centre of the old town where a market can be found most mornings, breaking up prior to lunch. The morning light shines into the square illuminating the marketplace, and as the day progresses and the sun rises high in the sky the colourful umbrellas and trees provide ample shade for the sellers and buyers alike. Wandering around this unique place it is easy to believe that this is a local and small producers market, often some stalls may only have a few small items for sale such as basket of quails eggs or a few squash all beautifully and proudly presented for sale.

Among a variety of stalls selling fresh vegetables, some specialising in fruit, others in lettuce and other greens, there are a number of people selling honey, jams and preserves. Other artisans sell local confections such as callisons; lozenge shaped sweets, originating in Aix, with an almond paste base and iced top. Having arrived mid morning after our travels, we decided to take a seat at a small cafe on a corner of the Place Richelme, and after ordering coffee and croissants we gazed at the activities and exchanges taking place in the market before us.

In many towns it is easy to develop an understanding of where you are and orientating yourself with striking landmarks. In some cities, such as Dublin for instance you can be guided to a location purely by reference to pubs with very little reliance on street names. Aix en Provence is a little bit like Dublin for me, except I have navigated my way around the town purely by reference to the patisseries; the windows of which provide rich displays of decadent multi-layered cakes, richly glazed plump (and thin) fruit tarts, millefeuilles, domes, croustillants, and all manner of confections. Boutique patisseries and confiseries such as Bechard, or Leonard Parli, are more than just shops to make a casual purchase, because a great effort is made to tempt the purchaser with daily exhibits on their counter tops, and in the well appointed windows evidencing their craft and indeed art.

Other markets were taking place in Aix, the flower market was in the Place de l'Hotel de Ville and the weekly market was in its traditional spot occupying the area along Place des Precheurs, Place de la Madeleine and Place Verdun. Part of this weekly market takes place in front of the bright limestone neo-classical 18th Century Palais de Justice designed by Claude Nocolas Ledoux. These markets were well worth exploring and purchases of locally produced soap, bunches of dried lavender and saucison boosted the supply of regional produce on board.

Arriving back to Toulon work recommenced and a number of jobs were completed before we sat down and took stock primarily planning what to do for dinner. The day ended with us poking our noses into a small restaurant down a side street in a run down part of Toulon; a simple pizza from a wood fired oven is often difficult to beat, and this was washed down with an anonymous but excellent chilled rose poured liberally from a ceramic carafe.

I was going back to Dublin the next morning, but would not be staying long because I was to travel to the Franche-Comte region bordering Switzerland in the east of France - a wholly different experience!