Our Aixperience

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Schwingen In Switzerland

We visited Aix-en-Provence and saw a knife fight. That wasn’t the only thing we saw.

After leaving the restaurant at dusk, we strolled the streets. Some towns roll up the sidewalks after dark; Aix does not. It is practically mandatory to walk the streets in the evening and have a drink on cafe terraces. Yep. Streetwalking is mandatory. It’s especially nice because the old town (vielle ville) is car free, easy to navigate and a manageable size.

Boulevard Mirabeau (Cours Mirabeau), is a grand avenue built on the site of the former ramparts in the 17^th century. Our favorite trees in Geneva, the plane tree, line and shade the stately boulevard. The overhanging trees provide much-needed shade on hot summer days. Moss covered fountains are in the center of the avenue with stately old town houses behind the wide sidewalks.

We strolled it that evening, but went back the next morning to have coffee (and a croissant) in the legendary café, Les Deux Garcons. Dating from 1792, many famous people have dined here including: Picasso, Churchill, Edith Piaf, André Malraux, Jean-Paul Sartre, Raimu, Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Cocteau, Sophie Marceau, Jean Reno, Hugh Grant and George Clooney. It was a regular haunt of Paul Cezanne and Emile Zola. I can see why. The cappuccino was tasty and the croissant was wonderfully light. It was a treat to sit and watch the world pass.

Being American, we like a fast pace and giant to do lists. It is impossible to live like that in Aix. It is a place to stop, enjoy the view and make the mundane wonderful.

Aix is known for its many and varied markets. They have normal markets, local producers markets, flower markets, antiques markets and old book markets. We visited the morning market at Place Richelme (there are also markets at Place de Verdun, Place de l’Hôtel de Ville and Place des Prêcheurs). We picked up some fresh fruit and perused the many artisanal varieties of cheese, meats and breads.

Aix-en-Provence is a university town (University of Provence Aix-Marseille) and filled with academics and students. It also gets its fair share of aristocrats, people who are wealthy enough not to have to work and professionals. It has a reputation for being a bit elitist. If you are interested in Aix, it was immortalized by Peter Maille’s book “One Year in Provence.”

Like many other towns in the south of France (Arles, Orange, Vence), Aix was inhabited by the Romans. They built thermal baths at Aix, Aquae Sextiae, around 2000 years ago. Today you can visit the newer (18th-century hot-water baths) and modern spa built atop the old baths (you can see them from the lobby).

A Knife Fight In Aix (schwingeninswitzerland.wordpress.com)

Arles, Better Than New

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Schwingen In Switzerland

After our whirlwind tour of France’s Côte d’Azur (Cannes, Antibes, Villefranche, Nice, Eze, the Grande Corniche, St. Paul-de-Vence, and Vence), we headed back from the coast to Provence. Arles was a cultural and religious centre during the late Roman Empire. During the dark ages, it fell under the control of the Muslim Saracens, the Franks and even experienced Viking raids. The turbulence didn’t last and the town regained political and economic prominence. For centuries Arles was a major port on the Rhône. With the advent of the railroad in the 19th century, Arles became something of a backwater while nearby Marseille (with it’s seaport) exploded. Today, Arles is gently loved and its decay is part of its charm.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Arles is that even though it is filled with old, even ancient buildings and surrounded by history, it doesn’t stay rooted in the past. It isn’t, nor does it want to be, a time capsule. The ancient buildings house very current shops restaurants and exhibitions. Arles is vibrant. It manages to be lively and active without being stressful. We loved its relaxed vibe. After having been in the Cote d’Azur, it was a nice change to visit a town that had more locals than tourists.

We weren’t the only ones who fell under Arles’ spell. Our friend, Hokie, at The Swiss Watch Blog, recommended it. The movie Ronin was partially filmed in Arles. It stars Jean Reno (an iconic French actor who you probably know from The Da Vinci Code, Mission: Impossible, and Hotel Rwanda) and Robert De Niro. This caper film has wonderful cinematography an unforgettable car chase. John Frankenheimer filmed Ronin’s shoot-out in Arles. Vincent Van Gogh lived, painted, drank and cut off an ear here. There are placards all over the city at sites where Arles appears in his paintings. Who hasn’t seen the painting Cafe Terrace at Night which the cafe below?

We walked along the Rhone River from the Roman Museum into town before losing ourselves in its history and narrow alleyways. Thanks for the recommendation Hokie. We loved Arles.

Visiting Ancient Rome In Orange, France (schwingeninswitzerland.wordpress.com)
What’s Latin For Roman? Finding Out All About Ancient Rome In Arles (schwingeninswitzerland.wordpress.com)

A Knife Fight In Aix

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Schwingen In Switzerland

The south of France. Aix-en-Provence. Sounds pretty tony, right? We thought so to, but were willing to give it a go anyway. It is conveniently located near the intersection of two major highways and a central point for many of the things we wanted to see on our France trip.

Driving in, we were impressed by its majestic squares, shaded avenues, mossy fountains, and elegant mansions. We checked into our hotel and went to dinner. We went to Place des Cardeurs because it is a big piazza with lots of restaurants to choose from and outdoor seating. It wasn’t anything fancy (he had a pizza and I had a big salad).

Right after our food arrived, we saw a scuffle on the sidewalk between the terrace where we were eating and the restaurant. It was a Saturday night and a bit early for a bar fight, but hey, the local culture is different everywhere. All of a sudden, one of the combatants pulled a knife out of his pants.

Film poster for Crocodile Dundee II - Copyrigh...

Do you remember the scene in Crocodile Dundee where Paul Hogan says “that’s not a knife, THAT’s a knife.” This guys knife made Paul Hogan’s look like a butter knife. He had a machete. What’s more, he was swinging it around. The two guys (for the ease of explaining things, we’ll call them the Surly Drunks) jumping Mr. Machete both got slashed. Waitstaff on the terrace borrowed cell phones and to cal the police. By that point, ~~we’d~~ I’d stopped eating…for the rest of the night.

Our ringside seats. This all happened behind the vinaigre bottle. I didn’t want to attract the attention of the Surly Drunks and figured there were enough witnesses so I didn’t take any pictures.

Since it was two on one, Mr. Machete took refuge inside the restaurant. We found out later that he was a local business owner; the area businesses clearly knew him. The manager, servers and kitchen staff barred the door to separate (and protect) everyone until the police arrived. The Surly Drunks outside were bleeding, possibly high, probably in shock and definitely not rational. The Surly Drunks kept screaming for the him to come out and were talking a lot trash. When he didn’t exit the restaurant, they tried, unsuccessfully, to force their way in. The posse of servers, managers and cooks stopped them. Angered by their failure, the Surly Drunks began breaking bottles and brandishing them. They cut a cook before dropping the bottle in favor of hurling giant planters. They threw some punches too. He said they threw the punches like NBA players, not like hockey players. Realizing they sucked at hand to hand combat, the Surly Drunks stopped throwing punches and started throwing chairs.

I’m not saying that police in the US always respond promptly (especially in certain neighborhoods), but we were astounded by how long it took the police to arrive in the center of town. It took them at least 20 minutes to arrive. Thank goodness the cooks had come out of nearby restaurants and followed the Surly Drunks so that the police could track them down.

The police arrived and went inside to interview Mr. Machete. Paramedics came, tended to to the cook and took him away. We’re pretty sure he had to go to the hospital for stitches because the slash on his neck was pretty ugly.

Cover of "Léon: The Professional (Theatri...

Cover via Amazon

Jean Reno plays and excellent French police officer in movies (Leon: The Professional, Ronin, The Da Vinci Code, French Kiss). The police we saw didn’t appear to be as professional. They seemed to be more like Louis de Funès in the Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez. I saw them put evidence (multiple bloody shirts) in an old, balled up H&M bag. Obviously they do not watch CSI.