Europe 2008 Part 16

To the Continent

 

On Tuesdays there is a morning market in the main street of the old part of town, the Cours Mirabeau. We wandered up and down looking at the buildings and the market stalls and feeling part of a different culture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At one end of the Cours Mirabeau is the main intersection, called La Rotonde, with one of Aix's many fountains in the middle.

The name "Aix" means "water", so it is natural that there are fountains everywhere, and this is the most prominent.

The Public Information Office is in this 'plaza' and we spent a little while there researching the local sights.

 

 

 

  

 

 The streets of old Aix are so narrow that ordinary buses cannot use them. And many are pedestrian only.

So the city uses this small-scale electric train to show tourists around. Here it is loading up its passengers at the starting-point of the tour, near La Rotonde.

We dutifully did our tour of the city, taking in the sights associated with its famous citizens, including the painters Cezanne and Van Gogh.

 

 

 

 

 In another part of the old city is the Town Hall, seen here, with the flower market in the square nearby.

We also visited museums and galleries housed in some of the old buildings, and found local artists who had produced some impressive paintings.

 

When we were visiting Aix, the railway system was being upgraded to TGV standard, to take the high-speed trains, and the lines were closed for two years. We were unable to use the railways, and had to travel everywhere by bus.