Retirement Odyssey
After breakfast in the room, we made the 45 minute drive to Aix. Parking was fairly easy for a change. We got to the TI in time to take the 2 hour guided tour in English. The guide was knowledgable and spoke good English. We toured the "new" side of town (grid plan), mansions built in the 1600's by the nouveau rich who abandoned their residences in 1791 at the time of the Revolution.
We also toured the ancient side of town ( narrow, twisting lanes) where the old royalty had built mansions ("hotels") in the late 1500's. The church there contains an early christian immersion baptistry constructed in the VIth century using marble columns from old Roman pagan temples.
Finished our day in Aix at the Courbet mansion where they show a very informative movie about the life of Cezanne. Strangely, there are no significant Cezanne paintings in all of Aix, though he created 1000+ oils and 800+ watercolors!! One of his favorite subjects (painted 83 times) was St Victoire mountain which we had seen as we approached the city and remarked that it must be of some significance as it's very striking.
The Courbet did have an excellent traveling exhibit of the paintings of Alfred Sisley, an Englishman, but very much a part of the Impressionism movement.
Walked - 4.7 miles
Drove - 90 km
Day Trip to Aix en Provence
September 12, 2017
|
Aix en Provence
After breakfast in the room, we made the 45 minute drive to Aix. Parking was fairly easy for a change. We got to the TI in time to take the 2 hour guided tour in English. The guide was knowledgable and spoke good English. We toured the "new" side of town (grid plan), mansions built in the 1600's by the nouveau rich who abandoned their residences in 1791 at the time of the Revolution.
We also toured the ancient side of town ( narrow, twisting lanes) where the old royalty had built mansions ("hotels") in the late 1500's. The church there contains an early christian immersion baptistry constructed in the VIth century using marble columns from old Roman pagan temples.
Finished our day in Aix at the Courbet mansion where they show a very informative movie about the life of Cezanne. Strangely, there are no significant Cezanne paintings in all of Aix, though he created 1000+ oils and 800+ watercolors!! One of his favorite subjects (painted 83 times) was St Victoire mountain which we had seen as we approached the city and remarked that it must be of some significance as it's very striking.
The Courbet did have an excellent traveling exhibit of the paintings of Alfred Sisley, an Englishman, but very much a part of the Impressionism movement.
Walked - 4.7 miles
Drove - 90 km
1.
Preparation
2.
Our Journey Begins
3.
Arrival in Normandy
4.
Recalling the life of Jean d'Arc
5.
Farewell Rouen, welcome sunshine
6.
La Route des Ancienne Abbayes
7.
La Jour de Lessive
8.
Continuing west in Normandy
9.
En vacances
10.
Lazy Sunday; Dimanche en France
11.
Brittany, Bretagne, Briezh
12.
The Coast Beckons
13.
Down To the River
14.
Our First Excursion
15.
Another Excursion
16.
Westward Ho!
17.
Touring North Brittany
18.
Channel to Mountains to Atlantic
19.
Hello Birthday Girl
20.
A Change in the Air In Quimper (Kemper)
21.
On We Go!!
22.
Daytripping
23.
"Breaking News"
24.
Medieval festival
25.
Apocalypse Tapestry
26.
"Sunday" on a Tuesday
27.
Visite Guidee avec Sylvie
28.
A Visit To St Etienne
29.
Gloomy Day
30.
A Change in Roofs; Saturday Traffic
31.
Volcano Day .... Up and Away
32.
French Hill Towns of the Massif Central
33.
Je Viens a Vienne
34.
The Grandeur of Roman Vienne
35.
Vienne- continued
36.
2000+ years ago in Roman Vienne
37.
Approaching Provence
38.
The Heat Is On
39.
Vaucluse and Ventoux
40.
Baking with the Romans
41.
Cote de Rhone loop drive
42.
The Red Rocks of Roussillon
43.
Inclement Weather in the East Luberon
44.
Bright Sun in the Western Luberon
45.
Mini-Mistral; Venice of Provence
46.
A Day In the "New" Avignon
47.
An Audience With the Pope
48.
Over the Mountain to Arles
49.
Around and About Arles
50.
Ancient Arle; Coupes des Cheveux
51.
Water to Nime, Birthplace of Bluejeans
52.
Cool and Damp in the City of Denim
53.
Nime's 1st Water Source
54.
Sleeping Like a Monk
55.
Day Trip to Aix en Provence
56.
One Last Trip to the Luberon
57.
Blowing Onto the Cote d'Azur
58.
Cloudy Day on the Cote d'Azur?!?!
59.
Surf and Sun in Golfe-Juan
60.
Souffle Encore
61.
Leaving the Coast; Inland Cote d'Azur
Share your travel adventures like this!
Create your own travel blog in one step
Share with friends and family to follow your journey
Easy set up, no technical knowledge needed and unlimited storage!
