Time To Relax in Aix
By Lothar. Filed in France |
We spend our first night in the Provence, relaxing in the garden restaurant of the Novotel in Aix-En-Provence. It is a very warm evening and we enjoy cheese and local wine, sitting on the terrace, first in the sun, later under the starry sky. Sunset is only at 21:25 and there is still daylight until 22:00. By midnight, fatigue and jet lag are catching up with us. On Saturday, we miss breakfast ( blame the jet lag) and then refresh with a swim in the outdoor pool.
In the afternoon, we have enough energy to get out of the pool lounges and drive into the Luberon mountains. We amble along the narrow country roads, with vistas of vineyards and small villages, with the old stone houses precariously hanging on to steep hillsides and rock walls. Besides us, there is not much traffic. It is siesta time and France is resting. Only a few overzealous bicyclists are pedaling up and down the hills. We stop in Cadenet for delicious peaches and cherries (cerises), have ice cream in Bonnieux, with a view of Marquis De Sade’s castle in Lacoste, one hill over, and explore the Ochre cliffs in Roussillon.
Roussillon has the world’s largest ochre deposits and already the Romans made building bricks from ochre here. Today the whole town is kept in orange colors and the ochre cliffs really glow at sunset. We wait for the sunset with a glass of wine, being the only guests in the garden restaurant, overlooking the cliffs and the vineyards beyond. The tour buses must have left and we have the small picturesque village to ourselves.
We also walk over the Pont St.Julien, a bridge built by the Romans 2000 years ago. It was used as a highway bridge until 2005. I am impressed by the Roman engineering and am wondering how many man-made structures actually survive 2000 years. (They did not even have mortar.)
On Sunday, there is more relaxation and swimming in the hotel pool. In the afternoon, we have lunch with the beautiful people on the Cours Mirabeau in Aix. We feel that the “Champs-Elysees de Provence” has some nice fountains, but altogether is overrated. In the evening we explore the old seaside port of Martigues. We are away from the tourist crowd and really like the old houses, canals and sidewalk cafes. Unfortunately, it is Sunday and most of the restaurants are closed. We have to find dinner elsewhere and end up on the terrace of the Ibis Hotel at Marseille Airport. We have a great 3-course steak dinner, again outdoors under a deep blue sky. It is the best hotel restaurant dinner, we have ever experienced.
Tomorrow, we will be starting our boating holiday on the Canal Du Midi.