Jenny’s Blog

France Trip Part II - Aix En Provence

Monday, April 16th, 2007 | ,

The second part of my trip to France was in Southern France, specifically, Aix-en-Provence. We stayed in a beautiful bed and breakfast called the Pavillion de la Torse, a charming and beautiful 18th century home that has been restored to include modern comforts, but does not take away from the charm of the home. The owners, Marie and Francois, are very hospitable, and speak English very well for those of us whose French is shabby at best.

The rooms were very large, especially compared with where we stayed in Paris. We stayed in the “smallest” room, however, it was very large with an oversized bathroom. It was wonderful! I was so comfortable, and the breakfasts were fabulous. You can choose from French or American breakfast, and I always chose the French breakfast. You can’t beat the pain au chocolat (croissant with chocolate inside) and fresh fruit with the fabulous french yogurt. Oh, and the baguettes with the French butter. I don’t know why - perhaps the secret is in the pasteurization process, but the dairy products are much better in France than they are in the States.

Aix is a charming town with great shopping, especially at the markets. (They’re on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, I believe.) The people are all very friendly, and it was great fun spending time there. There are so many stores to choose from, and everything seems to be so unique there, at least compared with the US.

We also went to Moustiers, which is a beautiful town located in the mountains of Provence. They’re known for their china/pottery, which is handmade in that town. The designs are beautiful, however, much of it is expensive since it is all made by hand. We had the chance to meet some of the artists, as they were working in the same shops where they sold their wares.

After our stay in Provence, we took the TGV back to Paris for our flight to New York. The TGV is great, however, I would warn to pack as little luggage as possible, as it was very hard trying to load all of our luggage on the train. We did it, but I think I had way too much stuff. (Although now that I’m back in the US, I’m so glad I bought everything I did, including the French chocolate!)

For anyone looking for a place to stay in Aix-en-Provence, I would highly recommend Pavillion de la Torse. It was beautiful, the rooms are large and comfortable, and everything was absolutely perfect for me.

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