Aix en Provence, May 24 - 29

Our two months in France wrapped up with a visit to Aix en Provence.
We noticed a change as we drew closer... there is a different pace, a different energy here to the quiet rural towns and villages we had recently spent time in.

The markets in Aix were spectacular. Flowers and produce take over the streets and squares several mornings a week. They then disappear, leaving no trace of their existence by mid-afternoon.





We found the markets here provided for us exceptionally well.

That is, aside from one unfortunate stinky calamari incident.














The North African influence gave for some wonderful spice stalls.



The markets were fun to explore (still no handbags) and we also enjoyed the streets once all the stalls had been packed up.
In the next photo, Naomi watches the world go by from our window.
She is wearing her new fringe... très chic. Finding a salon for this much anticipated haircut was quite a big deal at the time.


Our apartment in Aix was cosy, with a ladder stairway to the mezzanine sleeping area.
The upper level had a ceiling height of no more than four feet, so we found ourselves crawling along at bedtime to avoid bumping into the roof beams.























Upstairs, there was a secret "study table" tucked down the back, inside a cupboard.
You can see that the ceiling is so close that I could not even sit upright.
No secret studying for me.










On the Cors Mirabeau, a fantastic castle made of cardboard boxes had been erected for a street festival. No clips or nifty PJ fasteners here, the whole structure was held together with packing tape.



Behind the facade a stage had been constructed. We sat in the stalls for a while, watching kids run around and waiting for a breakdancing demo that we thought was coming up.


The breakdancing never came, and eventually we moved on.

It is a part of my daily reality to live with a stubborn determination to make friends with furry creatures, wherever I go.
The cat in the following image was saved from my affections by a strategically placed net.



Aix en Provence is also home to the Vasarely Foundation.
A remarkable Bauhaus structure, it was designed by the artist himself in the mid-1970s. The building contains hexagonal shaped galleries with dozens of monumental works by Victor Vasarely. We were fortunate to be there when a large group of children went through. To watch their amazement and delight was a lot of fun.
You can see the school group in the next photo, as well as Naomi (in colour co-ordinated orange) leaning in for a closer look.


Every room has six huge pieces, each taking the space of an entire wall. A central ring of lounges allows you to sit and contemplate, but we found that the most impact was to be had by walking and obseving how the artwork changed as your viewing perspective shifted.

You can really grasp the sense of scale that was created by the architecture and the pieces working together.

We enjoyed the Vasarely Foundation very much. Almost enough to purchase an original print from the poster store, but we found the saleswoman quite irritating.
The building is spectacular, as you can see in our final picture below. Up close, the surfaces are a little cracked and worn, and some areas did seem dated. However, the Vasarely vision stands strong and it was wonderful to be immersed in it.


So, we now say goodbye to France... our adventures continue after - and indeed during - a long train ride to Italy.

Paris, April 8 - May 2.

Paris is where the honeymoon truly began. From our apartment on Richard Lenoir, we explored the city... Paris in the Springtime was a true delight.


Our little balcony overlooked the bustling twice-weekly market near the Bastille.
So, two times a week we stocked up on fresh fruits and vegies, baked goodies and seafood.

Here you can see me ready to go with a light lunch of baguettes, cheese, mustard and wine.
It was lovely to see the trees in the street below transform as they burst with spring growth during our month in Paris.











Being good tourists, the first sight on our long list of places to go in Paris was the Eiffel Tower.
We took our baguettes and cheese along, and sat in the sunshine on the grass nearby.
Watching the ongoing struggle for noise supremacy between groups of teenagers and enthusiastic buskers.












Even Naomi couldn't resist the romance in the air. It was wonderful.
















The blossoms were out in the streets, so we had a smile on our faces everywhere we went.


Just in case it was not enough to have flowers growing all around, the florists in Paris were unlike anything we had ever seen. The picture below is of the flower stall at our local market. To Naomi's delight, the roses in the front later found their way into our apartment :)


A search for jackets and shoes led us to a secondhand market the size of a suburb... but it was the smaller things that caught my eye.


In our little living room, Naomi sits at the table with the little computer. My guess is that she was on Facebook, but she will probably insist that she was doing something terribly intellectual.


We were seeing much that was small and delightful in this stunning city.


We visited many museums and galleries over the weeks. We became very good at standing in line, shuffling forward slowly with the rest of the crowd.


In the above image, you may be able to spot Naomi outside as we waited for our entry to Musee D'Orsay.
It is less of a challenge to spot her at the Natural History Museum, doing her very best Blue Whale impersonation.


The next image shows one of the highlights for both of us. The Arc de Triomphe had a real presence from below, from inside, from above... in every way we could manage to take it all in.


Inside the Louvre, Naomi is an island of calm amidst a flood of school children.


Versailles is high on every visitor's list - but heavy, cold rain and the largest crowds we had seen to this date made our visit memorable for more than just the pretty interior.


We found an almost dry alcove to eat our baguettes and wait in vain for the rain to stop.


The rain did stop, in time for us to enjoy a rare treat on our travels - a visitor!
Here is John, in travel mode.


It was really great for Naomi and John to have an unexpected reunion for a couple of days. Together, we enjoyed a more relaxed pace as our time in Paris came to a close.
The following image was taken by John at an exhibition in the Luxembourg Gardens. We found our home on the great big world map - but Naomi's finger seems to have drifted towards Ballarat... I think I'll be the one holding the map from now on!


As our time in Paris wrapped up, we scurried about to see a few more sights and walk some of the familiar streets that had become our new favourite places. We will both miss our flat at Gerard's, the Metro trains that have tyres, the skateboards by our window at 1am, the gorgeous children everywhere, the Watenberg Seder, the flowers, croissants, the search for good coffee, markets, watching the trees become green again, the beggar in the metro with his pet rabbit, the frozen world of Picard, Rodin's gardens...
and Gerard's happy doggie.


This entry was written months after we left Paris, yet memories of our time there remain the most vivid and the most uplifting. Truly a city like no other, we immersed ourselves in its charms and were happy to be swept away.