Aix en Provence Saturday and Avignon Sunday

We decided to venture off to Aix on Saturday morning.  50% chance of rain in the morning and 90% in the afternoon.  We should have believed.  We left our apartment at 8:00 am and walked to the bus station.  Cold but dry (the mistral wind was blowing) but we were layered up for the trip.  Bought our tickets and waited for our bus

As we motored down the expressway, it began to sprinkle.  By the time we got to Aix en Provence it was light rain.  However, we consulted our trusty map and set off in the direction of the city center and tourist office.  Found the tourist office and got another map with all the highlights of Aix circled.  You know the usual, cathedral, Hotel de Ville (city hall), market squares (and there were several of those today).  We arrived at the Main Street Cours Mirabeau, and there was a Christmas market, so we made our way down the row of shops

By the time we arrived at the end of the street, we were cold and in need of a hot cuppa something.

Chose a cafe (one of many along this street) and had a cafe creme under warm heaters

while orienting our map to the cathedral

After warming up a bit, we moved on up the street and came into another square which had a regular Saturday market where Terry tried on a scarf but didn't buy.  Here was the Palace of Justice, but couldn't get a picture as there was too many booths set up in front of it.  

Walked on up the street 

and yet another market on the square, this one a flower market

so colorful with the red poinsettias on this wet and miserable day

Also on this square is the Hotel de Ville completed in 1670 with its remarkable Italian-style facade 

and carved wooden doors

the old city belfry with its astronomical clock,

It was wet and miserable and not getting better, but we passed through the portal under the clock and headed up the street to the cathedral and it began to rain harder.  I know it doesn't look that bad, but it was miserably cold and wet.

Saint-Sauveur Cathdral has every architectural style represented from the 5th to the 17th century.  Alas we were not destined to see the inside.  When we arrived there was a funeral in progress, so we took pictures of the outside, thinking it might be just about over as there were a number of people standing around the door and not going in.

At this point it began to rain in earnest and we were so cold and miserable, we decided not to wait, but to head back down to the Main Street for lunch.  As we neared the street we talked about the return bus schedule to Avignon.  One bus at 1:00 pm or the next one at 5:15 pm.  It was just a little after noon at the time.  With the rain so bad, we decided to head back to the bus depot and go home.  

Another attraction along the Main Street Cours Mirabeau, which is lined with plane trees, and cafes, is a number of water fountains.  We looked at these going back toward the bus station.

Fontaine de la Rotonde erected in 1860 and quite large.  It is surmounted by three statues representing Law (facng the city), Agriculture (facing Marseille) and Art (facing Avignon).

Fontaine d'eau Chaude.  Built in 1734, this fountain is called <<mossy>>.  The water comes from the Bagniers hot spring, and is at a temperature of 64.4 degrees.  Probably would have felt hot on my cold wet feet.

Fontaine du roi Rene.  Built in 1819, it shows a statue of the king holding a cluster of Muscat grapes, that he cultivated in Provence.

There were a couple more that we missed, but we were not going back.

Our lunch turned out to be a slightly warm "Croque Monsieur" (fried ham and cheese sandwich) from a vendor at the bus depot.  

As soon as the bus departed for home, the rain slowed and by the time we got back to Avignon, no rain at all.  The Mistral, however, was blowing like a son-of-a-gun and very cold.  We bustled ourselves as fast as we could up the street to the market, where we purchased what we would need for dinner in and then arrived at our lovely WARM apartment.  I had to take a hot hot shower to get warm, but finally did.  Needless to say, we were in for the night.

On Sunday, morning we awoke to a bright sunny day, but don't let that fool you.  The Mistral was still blowing like a gale, so it was cold out.  We ventured out thinking we would go climb the Pont d Avignon tower and walk on the bridge.  We walked up to the Place d' Crillon which had a few Christmas market stalls and wandered through there, then checked out a florist Christmas display which we thought was very nice with a big mechanical polar bear in motion.

We walked on up to exit the city walls.  As we walked through the gate, the wind was so fierce that after a few minutes, we decided to leave that for another day, and came back inside the wall, where the wind was not quite so fierce.  We walked back toward the city center and stopped at the Hotel d'Europe, which we had passed by a number of times in our ventures around town.  We decided to go in and look at it, as the courtyard was decorated for Christmas and looked quite welcoming

We went inside and ask the Concierge if we could look around the lobby and she was very gracious and spoke excellent English.  As we walked through we took a few pictures of the decorations.

These little scrumptious looking cakes sitting on the grand piano were actually filled with various scented things like cloves, orange, lavendar and other great smells.  They were for sale for a mere 65 Euro.  

The Concierge then proceeded to tell us that they have an afternoon tea through Christmas and Christmas dinners planned.  She gave us a menu and a brief history of the hotel, which turns out to be one of the oldest residences that belonged to the Vaucluse aristocracy.  Its reputation dates back to 1580 when the first crests that decorated its gable bore the arms of 'Amat de Graveson', followed by those of Marguerite de Crillon in 1652 and later other members of the Aristocracy.  

The most well known of these noble families was Marguerite de Crillon, who gave her name to the square in front of the hotel that leads to the 'Porte de l'Oulle' gate which we had just went out and just as quickly back in today.  

It was acquired by the Widow Madame Pierron in 1799 who established a hotel.

Throughout its history, the residence/hotel has had many distinguished visitors.  From Comtes and Comtesses to Archbishops, Cardinals and a future Pope LeoXII.  Perhaps its most famous was Napoleon the Great.  He stayed here, though he was registered simply under the name 'Bonaparte' as he was being persecuted by malicious plots at this time during the Directoire period.  He in fact took refuge for a period of time at the hotel. The following anecdote is told of him:

He gave a dinner party to which all the officers of his staff were invited.  He wished to thank Madame Pierron for the admirable arrangements, but as he knew the extreme avarice of his Treasury Captain (the Paymaster), he added to his compliments, in the local dialect, the following words:  "Madame, if you wish to receive 25 Francs, you must ask for 30 Francs!"  His liking for the hotel was not a passing one.  In Russia, when his officers complained of their conditions, he said "Confound it, we're not in Madame Pierron's hotel here!"

The hotel has remained faithful to the ancient traditions of respectability.  It combines all the modern conveniences, yet preserves the atmosphere of the past history.  It is simply elegant.  Oh yes, that Christmas Eve meal they are advertising is a huge number of courses for 120 Euro's.  WOW!  New Year's Eve is 178 Euro.  Maybe I can afford to go to the bar, which looked very cozy, and have a drink,.  They say they have lovely music in the evenings.  Maybe we will do that.  Anyway, we walked around the Christmas market a bit more, had our daily cafe creme fix and then made our way home.  A bright but cold day.