Missing Aix-en-Provence Right Now

I was just sitting here on my couch watching some travel shows and now I am missing Aix-en-Provence which I've been twice already. I marveled the memorable experiences and happy days I've had and had spent there staying at my friend's very welcoming and charitable Jewish employers. Looking back, I could say I had a very wonderful stay. A million exclamation points on that.

Browsing my albums online at Facebook about my travels in south France in 2009, it made me nostalgic reminiscing all the places I've been there. The album was very vivid in recalling my walks along the cobbled stone streets of Aix-en-Provence. As if I was just walking with it. It was a stunning city where I fall in love with at the moment I started seeing the place on foot. It's like seeing a magnificent painting upon putting out the curtain that had covered it.

Aix-en-Provence is a city in Provence, France. It is located near the French Riviera in south France, near the Mideterranean Sea. The climate is more of a mediterranean climate where grapes and olives were abundant. I stayed at a Jewish couple's mansion where my college best friend was been working. The couple was very nice and very warm.

During my first visit I never met the couple because they were on vacation in Palm Beach, California. I never saw them during my entire first stay but I had a permission to stay there during the span of my vacation. I only had met them when I came back there in 2011 the second time around.

The mansion was very huge with also an enormous Roman swimming pool and I had a blast swimming in it. Meeting my best friend's friends has added more thrill to all my vacations there. I felt that I was the most welcomed guy when I was there. The warm hospitality and the friendly atmosphere had really amazed me as well as the beautiful city with a lot of fountains every where.

The bus ride from the mansion to Centerville provides a stunning scenery of olive groves and vineyards and the epic Roman-aged Cours Mirabeau had captivated my undivided attention with the most stunning fountains found all over the town highlighted by the Bonaparte Fountain at La Rotunde.

The stroll towards the Cathedral de Saint Sauvere was even amazing, seeing gorgeous people mostly students at the nearby political university. The cathedral's interior was very stunning with its intricate columns and vintage paintings all around it. The most notable painting was of Nicolas Froment about the Triptych of the Burning Bush which was very intricate in it's romance of bright colors. The beautiful mosaic of the colored patterned windows was also very stunning and captivating to the naked eyes.

The visit to the Church of Saint Maltese was also very solemn. The church's interior was also very pretty and I've enjoyed the solemnity of the whole place and looking at its fabled wall organ which was just newly renovated as what I have told was also very fascinating.

The cobbled stone streets of the city appears very sterile to look at and the stores and restaurants along Cours Mirabeau was very homey to me and welcoming as well. The food was great and the one that I love and couldn't forget was the the soft and chewy pizza at Pizza Capri located at the end part of Cours Mirabeau.

The aged old fountains all over the town was very indicative of its Roman influence and the one that really caught my eye was the beautiful fountain of the four dolphins at the heart of the old town. I am really in love by it that I took a lot of pictures with it.

Aix-en-Provence was divided into a new town and an old town. The new town which belongs to the modern society and the old town which belongs to the influence of the Roman acquisitions and the blending of both had given an impact of what is Aix-en-Provence right now. A very historical place yet open to the challenged development of the modern era.

I remember the enjoyable hike to Cezanne's Studio up in the hill with my friend was a very intimate stroll between us. And when we reached Cezanne's studio I even felt my intimacy to this very quite and solemn place. I was really in awe and to me I felt that Aix-en-Provence had really carved out a hole in my heart.

The trip to Mount Saint Victoire was even fascinating, passing along the myriad lines of vineyards and wine cellars along the way. Our trip to the beachtown of Camargue where we saw thousands of pink and flexible flamingos was very outdoorsy and fun. And the visit to an old Baron's chateau there seeing white horses frolicking every where added spice to our trip. It was a very memorable and unforgettable journey.

My second trip there in 2011 had brought me more closer to Aix-en-Provence which I even considered as my second home. The tour at the Grand Theater was even fascinating especially the walk on the rooftop had given me the whole 360 degrees view of the whole town stretching until the east overlooking Mount Saint Victoire.

I've been to a creperie eating soft and tasty crepes slabbed with abundant chocolate and banana cream, hmmm... my mouth still waters recalling about it. The constant visit at the Tourism Office trying to ask and irritate an impatient attendant about any places to go around the city had even added more fun to my trip. I am all remisniscing all these unforgettable moments I've had when I was there. How refreshing trying to recall all of those unguarded yet intimate moments. It put a sly smile on my lips as well as an unexplanable deja vu.

Now, I am day dreaming in my living room continuing to browse all these beautiful pictures on my online albums from my Facebook account. I am still dreaming I am in Aix-en-Provence at that moment. Call me crazy but I am having a lot of hallucinations about the places I have been when I was there. I can't help thinking about all of them.

Aaaah.... this is how I intended to do when I took those pictures during my travels and posted in online. At least I can say that it served its purpose and will be doing exactly like this when I am old and wrinkly especially when all my inhibited and uninhabited memories will about to wane. Thriving!