J'aime la France!!

Current City: Aix-en-Provence

Aix is my new favorite city! After a very challenging night of feeling very homesick and a stressful day of traveling (my cell phone was stolen in the morning and the trains were pretty confusing) I was relieved to be in France which feels a bit more like home - and I can speak the language! We arrived in the early evening and took a cab to our hotel (neither of us wanted to lug around our 60lb suitcases any further). We are staying at a little tiny hotel on the edge of old Aix. The hotel has a tiny winding staircase and teensy rooms - perfectly French. We are in walking distance of Ave Mirabeau- the main street in Aix. Mirabeau is a gorgeous tree-lined avenue dotted with small hot-spring fountains that lead down to one giant fountain. At the end of the street, just to the left of the fountain, is an adorable merry-go-round. Miri and I were laughing and looking at all of the animals and the man who was running it let us have a ride for free!

The fountain at the end of Ave Mirabeau

Me on the chicken at the merry-go-round!

Last night after dinner at an outdoor cafe we walked down Mirabeau where vendors had set up little shops. We strolled down the street - stopping to buy a few things. The vendors sold only handmade and local crafts like jewelry, clothing, honey, soap, and lavender.

This morning we woke up and had a typically French breakfast of baguettes, croissants, jams, butter, tea, orange juice, and hot chocolate.  We left our hotel with cameras and a map and started wandering around. The old part of Nice is filled with little outdoor cafes, winding streets, and beautiful apartment buildings. 

Aix is a very calm city and so far everyone that we have encountered is incredibly friendly and really do not fit the stereotype of the snooty French. As we were walking we found a building that was being remodeled. Through the window we could barely see a little garden that we were intent to get a better look so I asked the painter inside. He said “Mais oui, mais oui!!” (Of course, of course!!) and ran around to open the door for us. The apartment was stunning. The rooms were huge and had very high ceilings. Everything from the fireplace to the doorways were detailed. If I could I would move in next week :)

Next we stumbled upon a farmer's market. We ate gorgeous nectarines and walked around looking at the beautiful fruits, cheeses, and olives stuffed and dipped in all sorts of delicious things. I really hope that Nice has similar outdoor markets where I can buy fresh fruit and veggies. 

Cheese and bread at the farmer's market

One of my absolute favorite things to do in France is to visit churches. I love thinking about the time and commitment that has been invested in building these magnificent buildings and keeping them preserved - you can literally feel the energy as soon as you walk in the door. Today we visited three different churches, one of them was the Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur. The inside was absolutely stunning - every window is filled with stained glass. Through a doorway on a right there is a courtyard. Circling the garden are amazing stone-carved pillars. Absolutely gorgeous. 

Courtyard at Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur

So, as you can probably tell, I am completely in love with this city already. It is absolutely gorgeous, the weather has been perfect (much cooler than Barcelona), and the people are so nice. I would love to spend more time here but we will be leaving tomorrow at noon. I am already planning to come back to Aix for a weekend with my parents and Raffi later in life! Tomorrow we will be in Cannes!