Vacay 2015--Another Day, Another City, Another Country.

The last stop of our Mediterranean cruise found us in a new city and a new country.  The first four were all in Italy, but on Friday we docked at the port of Toulon in France.  Hubby Tony and I chose to use the day to experience (as the name of our shore excursion suggested) 'The Best of Provence".

The excursion focused on the city of Aix-en-Provence, which was once a Roman town noted for its hot springs.  Aix was a 90-minute drive from the port (including a rest stop at a gas station, because the guide told us bathrooms were hard to find in the historical section of the city).  When we reached Aix we stopped at the house where the artist Paul Cézanne was born, then got back on the bus and continued towards the old section.

Along with our guide we walked down the Cours Mirabeau (a major thoroughfare planted with rows of plane trees) and other streets stopping to see noteworthy and interesting buildings, statues, and fountains.

There are over 200 statues in Aix

A natural hot water fountain covered in moss, dating back to the Romans

After the tour was over we had a couple hours of free time.  Tony and I walked around the old town area, browsed through a farmer's market, and bought some souvenirs.   When it was time for lunch we grabbed an outside table at Les Deux Garcons, a historical cafe frequented by notables such as Paul Cézanne, Émile Zola, and Ernest Hemingway.

The placemat had a nice depiction of the restaurant, so I took a picture of it

Because I had spent so many days visiting Italian cities, all day long I kept slipping up and using the words 'si', 'buongiorno' and 'grazie' instead of the French 'oui', 'bonjour', and 'merci'.  If anyone noticed they were nice enough not to call me out on it.