Our guide, Marlene, picked us up at 9 and we headed southeast on the toll highway toward Aix en Provence. She suggested we drive around Aix and see Cassis, returning to Aix after lunch. It was a good decision. Cassis is a small fishing village between Marseilles and Nice on the Mediterranean. It appears to be guarded by a castle begun in the 4th century during Roman times up on the highest hill around. The entire structure was built over time, being mostly finished in the 13th and 14th centuries. The castle is now a pricey B&B.
As soon as we arrived in Cassis, we bought tickets for a boat ride in and out of the calanques (narrow inlets framed by huge limestone cliffs). We saw close-up the beautiful, clear blue Mediterranean, a school of 6″ blue fish with black spots on their tails, 400 foot cliffs ideal for climbing, a few nude bathers, semi-nude fishermen, and fully-clothed hikers. We boated through the yacht club back to the pier and wandered the small village before our hefty lunch at Chez Gilbert.
Bouillabaisse is a fish stew that apparently originated in Marseilles and everyone says you should definitely try it in one of the coastal villages. They bring a thick tomato-based broth clearly made with fish stock, flat croutons, a bowl of aioli, and a bowl of grated Parmesan cheese. Step one is to cover the crouton with aioli and cheese, float it in the broth until it is soft, scoop it out and eat it. After eating most of the broth this way, in step two they bring a huge platter of various whole (poached) fish to the table for your approval. The fish is returned in a bowl with potatoes and step three is to eat all 4 or 5 of the fish. It is quite a production and good, but WAY too much food.
After leaving Cassis we drove to the top of a mountain with a stunning view of the village and surrounding area.
Next stop, Aix en Provence…a big city with 140,000 inhabitants, 40,000 of which are students of various universities in and around the city. Cours Mirabeau is the Champs Elyssee of Aix and is lined by the elegant homes built as showplaces mostly in the 17th century. This fountain in the center of the street was built for watering sheep. All but one of the three fountains are fed from the canal built to ferry water from the Durance River to the surrounding areas. It is fed from the hot spring in Aix.
One of the most famous citizens here was Paul Cezanne. His father was a successful hat maker and merchant and lived along Mirabeau, eventually became a successful banker, sold the home on Mirabeau and built an estate a little ways away. He was disappointed that Paul decided to study art and not law. Paul Cezanne painted many of the sites around Provence, one of his favorites being Mont Sainte-Victoire. On our walk down Cours Mirabeau, we stopped at the bakery, Bechard and purchased a tasting of treats called callisons. These candies were made by the ruler of the area as a special gift for his young wife on their wedding night. They are made with candied fruit and ground almonds. These special candies were also thought to ward off the plague, probably because of the protein and vitamin C in their ingredients.
The old city of Aix, anchored of course by a cathedral built over centuries, is an elegant, quiet area populated by shops, cafes, courtyards and government buildings. This clock is a moon clock and the ornamental creature under the moon clock is festooned in seasonal garb.
After returning to St. Remy, we sat on our patio in the beautiful twilight and wound down with a glass of good French wine and some Comte cheese. Glorious spring evening.
Nancy
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