Europe Impression - AIX

We got up at 6am and were able to experience the quiet town in the early morning. The weather was gorgeous, sunny but mild.

The view from the hotel Terrace

We went back to the forum for the Sunday market. Usually there is no market on Sundays but that weekend we were there was called 'Days of Heritage'. Many activities and events were held during the weekend, including Sunday market. On the market, I saw lots of mushrooms but I was a bit disappointed by not seeing the famous truffle and the pig that hunts truffle. I have read quite a few stories about hunting the precious truffle in Provence area, including the story from Peter Mayle’s Provence series. An old lady who sells lavender products was so nice to tell us some of the history and the symbols of the area. For example, the color (Red, Yellow and Blue), the insect presents the area – cricket and the local produces besides the well-known lavendar etc. She studied in Texas in the 60’s last century so she was happy to practice her English with us.

Products at the Sunday Market

Pastries at PAUL - How can you say no to these?

We picked a small coffee shop by the market for breakfast. Croissant/baguette with a cup of coffee is the most common breakfast. I love the almond / chocolate croissant and never had a chance to deal with the chewy or hard baguette. Until we sat down at the patio, we didn’t realize patio was mainly for smokers. The number of smokers seems a lot bigger than what we can see in the US. All coffees sold in France we saw were in espresso size. Is this the evidence that we are fed with bigger volume of food and beverages in the US?

Coffee shop

AIX is the capital of Provence and is called 'the capital of fountains'. Water is considered as the sources of inspiration here. You can see the fountains everywhere.

The most ancient fountain was built in 15th century.

La Rotonde right by the official office of tourism is the landmark of the town

AIX is the hometown of Paul Cezanne. There are many attractions related to Paul Cezanne can be found in town. A sculpture of him stands in the shadow of the bushes/trees by Fountain La Rotonde. You can also get on a classic car and have a ride around the town for 4 Euro. We had no problem looking around the town for the attractions with the reference of AIX tourist brochure. Most of them are within walking distance with easy access. If you are a big fan of winery or you visit the town in Lavender season, I would highly recommend you to check out the excursions posted on AIX official tourism website.  

Overall, this is a small charming town but not a place made me excited. Well, as the first stop in Provence, I had no complaints though. I would agree what other people suggested not to visit AIX after you have visited Arles or Avignon, you might be disappointed.