May 11, 2025
Our bags are packed and left outside our door by 6:30am. Debarkation day has crept up on us and we find it difficult to leave our cocoon. We watched from the balcony as Le Dumont d’Urville quietly cruised the Côte d’Azur depositing us in Nice, France. At our last breakfast, we watched a large container-type ship load a racing yacht onto its deck, where it joined a couple other yachts.
We left sweet paradise behind, carrying a few handbags onto a bus that would drive us around Nice then off to Aix-en-Provence to explore the small city before checking into our hotel in Marseille. Memories of our 2018 stay in Nice came flooding back as we passed familiar landmarks in this beautiful city.
The drive to Aix-en-Provence was interesting in that we learned more about the unique geography of the area. The Alps end here, quite dramatically, just outside of Aix-en-Provence.
Before taking a “necessary stop” at a service station, our guide told us that the French do not snack between meals during the day. That didn’t stop many of our group from piling out of the bus to buy potato chips! Another strange bit of information was given to us when our bus was driving around trying to find a parking place. We noticed that the truck parking area was packed with trucks and their owners/drivers sitting outside in folding chairs. The explanation given to us is that it is illegal to drive large transport trucks on Sundays so the drivers spent their day sitting around a service area.
We arrived in Aix-en-Provence, heading to the Cathedral of the Holy Savior to start our walking tour. Bells were ringing as Mass was ending and continued to ring in celebration of the election of Pope Leo XIV the week before.
Standing in the small square across from the Cathedral, it was easy to see its transformation from the 12th century, narrow building adjoining the Cathedral to the massive Cathedral itself. It is reported to have been built on the 1st Century Roman Forum of Aix and has parts of a 6th Century Baptistery. Unfortunately, we were not allowed inside and continued on, walking past the Archbishop’s Square, now the setting for the Festival of Lyric Art.
We were led past shops selling pastries, bonbons and “Savon” (soap), continuing down the Rue Gaston de Saporta, through the monumental 14th century tower and into Place de l’Hôtel de Ville or Town Hall Square.
The square contains the Town Hall, a fountain from 1755 and the former Grain Market, now more of a farmer’s market. A maze of narrow streets led away from the square and towards our meeting place.
Before arriving there, we stopped in the Albertas Square to admire the fountain and historic family-owned buildings. Onward to the Hôtel de Valbelle, no longer a hotel but a private gallery, listed on the historic register.
We finally reached 38 Cours Mirabeau, our meeting place on a stunningly wide mostly-pedestrian avenue, lined with plane trees, shops and cafés. At one end of Cours Mirabeau is the Fountaine de la Rotonde creating a traffic roundabout. Other fountains within the pedestrian area are unique, including the historic Fontaine des Neuf-Canons. It was built in 1651 and was a watering trough for sheep that were being herded from Arles to the Alps.
We were finally given free time to explore Aix on our own and grab a late lunch. First, Mary Margaret had to return to Town Hall Square to purchase “Belle de Nuit”, a fragrance from the Fragonard shop, a reminder of our visit to Grasse, France in 2018. Back to Cours Mirabeau and into the Dahlia for lunch, just before it started to rain. Once we finished it was back to our meeting place for a short walk to the bus. We passed the Square of the Four Dolphins to admire the fountain, built in 1667, and caught a glimpse of the Church of Saint-Jean-de-Malte. There wasn’t enough time to tour this 13th Century church but we were told that the 1995 film, “Beyond the Clouds” includes the interior.
Overall, this was a full day of learning more about the rich history of Provence, admiring the architecture and walking the narrow, Medieval streets. We left Aix-en-Provence, passing the Aqueduct des 25 Ponts crossing over the A8 as we headed to Marseille.
We finally reached Marseille and checked in to the impressive Intercontinental Hotel. Our spacious room had a large window with a tight view of the Old Port. Before opening the window, Tom noticed a written warning that children should be monitored as the window did not lock and was open to the outside. As we were located on the 6th floor, it was a bit of a drop! Due to the late lunch and full day, we decided to have a light dinner in the hotel. Tomorrow was going to be a full day and our last “official” day with Tauck.
