|
|
|
Aix-en-provence, France
You know it's going to be a good day when you wake up to a bowl of steaming hot chocolate and fresh croissants. There are some things the French just know how to do right.
More about France>> |
|
|
|
|
You can only imagine Cézanne's delight in stumbling across Aix. With its wonderful natural light, rich provençal hues and beautiful natural setting, it's any artist's dream come true. Long summers and a mere thirty-minute stretch to the Mediterranean means Aix has little trouble working its charm on present-day visitors either. Yet over the course of the centuries little has changed. Water still gurgles from old stone fountains, cars still rattle down the narrow, cobbled streets, and garlic still roasts in the sun at the colourful daily markets. Many would say this is France at its best - we'll just use the word sumptuous and leave it at that...
Plus points
Fascinating history & art
Warm climate year-round
Proximity to south coast
Famous hot springs
Delicious provençal cuisine
It is easy to see why its stunning panoramas and exceptional provençal
light, at its most intense in January, attracted so many other well-known
painters in the past. Today, its narrow lanes, fountains and markets
continue to attract both young and old, locals and foreigners. Outside
the town, too, there are numerous opportunities for exploring, whether
this is to historic cities such as Arles, Avignon and Nîmes,
or to the beautiful landscapes of the Camargue and the Lubéron.
Aix also basks in a wonderfully pleasant climate, with long summers
and relatively mild winters.
|
|
