AIX EN PROVENCE
Simply known as Aix (pronounced ex I was told ) a former capital of Provence was founded in 123 BC by the Romans.
Aix Cathedral The cathedral is built on the site of the 1st-century Roman forum of Aix. Built and re-built from the 12th until the 19th century, it includes Romanesque, Gothic and Neo-Gothic elements, as well as Roman columns and parts of the baptistery from a 6th-century Christian church. It is a national monument of France.
The cathedral is located on the route of the Roman road, the Via Aurelia. A fragment of a Roman wall and the columns of the baptistery seem to be the origin of the legend that the church was built on top of a Roman temple dedicated to Apollo.
Above- The Cloister from 1st century surrounds the original Roman square
The columns in the baptistery are from the Roman temple which stood here before.
King Rene holding the Muscat grapes brought with him,
Man on bench with cat on head.
Bread and cheese and wine are something the French do well !
Above- Paul Cezannes studio (photo courtesy Wikipedia)
Above- The Road To Tholonet by Cezanne
Montagne Sainte-Victoire overlooks Aix-en-Provence and is not far away. It became the subject of a number of Cézanne’s paintings, in total numbering about eighty paintings and watercolors.
The road to Tholonet. We were lucky to have a native of Aix who lives along this road drive us up and show us some of the local scenery. Cezanne walked out from Aix along a road we too followed. The vegetation has grown back of late since people stopped chopping down the trees for wood.
We then drove down to the Mediterranean coast from Mt St Victoire to Cassis
Above the town of Cassis on the coast.
The harbour at Cassis
NICE is NICE
Looking down on the old harbour with the sweep of the Promenade Anglais in the distance.
Shooting a movie in the harbor supposedly to represent Monte Carlo Grand Prix. A remake of Oceans Eleven.
Old Town of Nice
The view east from Mount Boron over to Cap Ferrat, some of the most expensive real estate on the coast.
