France 48 - a city of a 1000 fountains

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Our first job of the day was to pay up before moving on. The office should have been open at 8 but it appeared the receptionists had arrived on time but decided to do something else and disappeared until 8.30. Whilst waiting I picked up todays bread and tomorrows croissants from the small shop on site.

We had decided to move on early and head for Camping St Victoire near to Aix en Provence. The journey was pleasant and Mount Victoire a limestone ridge which extends 18 kilometers between the Bouche du Rhone and the Var departments and dominates the landscape at 3317 feet . It was much painted by Cezanne who lived locally at Aix.

The campsite was small and tidy with excellent reception. We were charged 14 euros per night but with a surcharge of 3 euros as we had arrived before 12. This was the first campsite of the holiday where we were charged for arriving before lunchtime. Reception had a small shop with wine, sterilised long life milk and tinned goods and it was again possible to order bread and croissants for the next morning. We didn’t plan to stay so ordered nothing. There was an adequate shower block and the pitches were of a good size and well shaded. Well shaded does however mean that Kathrein cannot find her satellites for tv.

We asked about the bus into Aix and were guided outside where we were shown an good notice board filled with useful information ranging from telling us WiFi was free but only available on the terrace to the times of the buses to town. The receptionist explained in broken English and a bit of French that today was a good day to go to Aix as it was market day and the bus ran hourly. On non market days it ran infrequently. She explained we needed to walk out of the campsite and turn left and then walk up to the main road which was about 200metres away. On the main road we should just stand on the side and wait for the bus. There was no bus stop and we would need to make sure that we flagged down the little white bus and buy our tickets on board. The bus was due at 10.40 and at 10.35 it trundled around the corner. It was fairly empty which seemed surprising as it was market day. The cost of the single journey into Aix was 1 euro each and we needed to buy just the one way on this bus. We were told to buy our returns on the return bus which would leave from platform 13 in the bus station. All very helpful. The journey was interesting as we passed through some of the small villages and then through the outskirts of Aix. The bus station as usual was heaving and quite a grubby little place. It was some way from town and it seemed much further as we had little idea of where we were heading for.

Eventually we arrived at the Cours Mirabeau which is a wide thoroughfare planted with a double row of plane trees. The streets are littered with fountains and fine houses and today the added interest was of course the market which stretched right round the town. A tat market selling handbags, shoes and clothing in the main street, a small fruit and vegetable market in a side street and finally a lovely plant and flower market near the town hall. Libraries and cafes lined the street and the town seems bustling with students. It has a population of 143,000 so hardly surprising it was busy. We saw and heard entertainers on street corners, some playing accordions, others clarinets and some just making music with anything they could get to hand. The Hotel de ville was an imposing building of 17^th classical style with mellow stonework and a tower with two lovely clocks erected in 1510..

We stopped lunch in a back street cafe/restaurant Le Grange. Out of the way it was cheaper but the trade off is no view to speak of. No sign of those 1000 fountains Aix tells the world it has. Lunch was a Salad Napolitaine which more or less meant lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and little else and I ate a Spag Bol. It cost 15 euros 60 which was considerably cheaper than we would have paid on the main drag.

We missed the cathedral which did sound interesting but it got rather hot and steamy and sometimes you have to give some things a miss and move on. We did however see a fair number of the fountains along our route - some small and covered in nothing more than moss and others much more substantial- the fountain of the four dolphins , the fountain commemorating King Rene who brought the muscat grapes to Provence and La Rotonde probably the biggest and most impressive of the lot. We even saw a very painful looking and sad statue to Cezanne.

We expected a lot out of Aix and somehow it disappointed slightly. Marseille we expected nothing from and it excited us. Still you have days like these sometimes and it was an experience that we would not have missed for the world.

We caught the bus back from the bus station. It turned up on time and we bought our return 1 euro tickets and explained where we wanted to get off the bus. By hand gestures the bus driver showed us he would drop us off at the X roads before our campsite and true to his word he did just that.

We spent the evening on the terrace using the free WiFi and saw some Brits We drank Luberon wine. Having tried to engage in conversation we gave up as they really were not interested in speaking to us. Sometimes we wonder is it us??? Are we too friendly or not friendly enough?

We have been following blogs on Motorhome Facts and there has been an unpleasant thread around where is the worse place you have been. There have been derogatory comments on Blaenau Ffestioniog and of our home of Wales in general. Why do people feel the need to be so nasty?. No we didn’t really enjoy Aix as much as we expected but we wouldn’t be nasty about the place. We try to be objective and tell it as we see it. Have realised that some places suit some people but not others and it is horses for courses. Some would have preferred Aix to Marseille – for us it was the other way round but you have to say the scenery in Provence is lovely. Wish I had been here for the lavender.

The rain crept in later and the mountain was sadly obscured. The darker nights are creeping up on us. We have noticed a big difference over the last few nights and Autumn creeps in. The leaves on the trees turning and falling to the ground. We have or had no plans for tomorrow however something has come to mind. We are heading home now and that always leaves us sad. We miss a bath now and again and it will be nice to get home for a good soak but we will miss the sun and the cafe culture you experience here and in Italy. Oh and the food ..........................and the wine.

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Photos

Aix
Sainte Victoire

Aix
Hotel de ville