Anniekat

Aix is a prestigious student hub offering buzzing nightlife, art, culture and architecture. It is only 25k, from Marseilles. It is like a mini Paris, classy and chic, expecially the main tree-lined boulevard, Cours Mirabeau, which is bordered with cafes on one side and a string of Renaissance private mansions from the 17th & 18th centuries on the other. This is where the fashionable Aixois go to flaunt designer labels and sip expressos. Aix seems to be addicted to fountains. There are three fountains alone along Cours Mirabeau, including the massive cast-iron "Fountain de la Rotonde", dating from 1860 and guarded by haughty, stone lions. The life of local Paul Cezanne is treasured in Aix. To see where he ate, drank, studied and painted you can follow a walking circuit guided by footpath-embedded bronze plaques. Some ... read more

Blois is a pretty little town on the northern bank of the Loire. The 'Chateau de Blois' is in the centre of town. Each of its four wings, arrrayed around a central courtyard, reflect a style from a different pepriod: Gothic, Flamboyant Gothic, ealy Renaissance and Classical. Old City - a spiderweb of twisting medieval streets dominated by the Cathedral St-Louis. Behind the cathedral are the pretty 'Jardins de l'Eveche' (Gardens of the Bishop's palace). From the terrace is the best view of Blois, the Loire and the Pont Jaques Gabriel. Towering over the gardens is an equestrian statue of Joan of Arc, which marks her passage through Blois in 1429 prior to the Orleans siege. It seems every French town is eager to lay claim to Joan in some way. There is a hop on ... read more

Note to self, "Its not such a good idea to find cheap lodgings close to a station". Though the hotel itself was fine, the area got a bit scetchy at night with prostitutes walking the streets. There were also a few beggars around. One of them camped on the street and had a really cute puppy with him which he was obviously taking good enough care of - I just wondered how he afforded to feed an animal when he couldn't take care of himself, but maybe he needed the company more than food... Toulouse is described as a lively city, however I think that due to the holidays it was hardly buzzing at all. Place du Capitole - the main square. I took the obligatory photo, but after seeing the magnificant squares in Brussles nothing ... read more

A day pass for 12 euros lets you go up and down the coast for as many trips as you like in one day. Its good value if you have the stamina in hot and windy weather... I did the below in 10 1/2 hours and was dead when I got back, not to mention the feet.. Grasse - is a hilltop town and one of Franc's leading perfume producers. There are heaps of perfumeries, including 'Fragonard' at the foot of the old town which offers free tours of the perfume production process, a museum of perfume related things such as bottles, boxes and beauty cases, and of course has a shop sellling reduced price perfumes. The tiny, coiled streets of the old town are very pretty. They waft with the smell of lavender and ... read more

Avallon is a small, touristy town situated on a picturesque hilltop. South of the Eglise St Pierre is one of the city's ancient gateways - the Petit Pont. From there a pathway descends to the beautiful Vallée du Couson. The rustic Hotel du Rocher, where I stayed, was situated in this valley zhich was wonderful for the views except for the task of carrying an increasingly heavy packpack back up the slopes. From my shuttered windows I could look out at views of the valley. In one of the small parks a group of men were enthusiastically playing Boules. This is a game a bit like bowls except its played with much smaller metal balls zhich are thrown high so that they hit the ground then roll the rest of the way to their destination. ... read more