I’ve been told that Aix-en-Provence is known as the 21st arrondissement of Paris. And I could instantly see why. The city was every bit as fashionable, the shopping was out of this world, and lovely cafes and restaurants could be found around every corner.
To be totally honest I enjoyed my first visit here SO much more than my first visit to Paris. For me Paris was incredibly beautiful, but no one was particularly friendly which left me wanting more from the famous city. Aix-en-Provence, on the other hand, was satisfying on every level. Locals were smiling, the sun was shining, the pace was vibrant, but slow, and the city was gorgeous.
Because there are no sights here we decided to signup for a foodie walking tour of the markets in town. And boy are we glad we did! Having been highly recommended the Taste of Provence tour – we made arrangements with Mathilde to visit on a market day (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday).
This tour was one of the highlights of the trip for both me and my husband. Since neither of us speak French our conversations with locals were usually limited to Bonjour, Merci, etc. So the tour was special because it allowed us to speak with locals in shops and at market stalls in a friendly, comfortable way. Something that would have never happened if we didn’t do the tour.
I did a longer write-up of the tour on the Travel Hack, so if you are interested you can read more about it here. If markets aren’t your thing they also do wine tours and cooking classes.
While there aren’t any “big” sights to see in Aix, it’s the perfect place for a day trip or to spend at least a night in. This town is also a popular destination for study abroad students. If any of you are in college and are thinking about studying French somewhere, I would highly recommend this city. It was big enough to have all the things you could want from a city, but small enough that you wouldn’t get lost in the shuffle.
BTW – have you seen the new Jennifer Aniston commercial for Emirates Airlines? I saw this the other day and thought it was pretty funny. Enjoy!
Happy Friday and have a great weekend!
Jenny
This Post Has 6 Comments
Lindsay
9 Oct 2015Love your sunglasses!!
Traveling Chic
9 Oct 2015Thanks, Lindsay! Cheapies from Amazon!
Valerie
9 Oct 2015I like Aix en Provence! I’ve never thought of comparing it to Paris but in a way it makes sense. Great sunglasses by the way! xx
Traveling Chic
9 Oct 2015Hi Valerie, I agree – it is a bit of an odd comparison and nothing will compare to Paris – but loved the little southern city!
Jenia
11 Oct 2015Brilliant point about the language — we often shy away from the food tours because they can gt quite pricey, but if you think about all of the local flavor (pun intended 🙂 you get out of them, they make so much sense. Aix looks so lovely!
Bill
26 Nov 2015Hello,We would like some more information about the lrxuuy hotel for an intimate wedding in Provence which is featured on your website. We cant seem to find the name of it on here?ThanksKaty