I was up early again today so that I could make my way to Aix en Provence….really excited because this is the favorite of the French people I have met. It’s also the favorite of Alix, our revered house and cat sitter, who did a rotation there while in college. It comes highly recommended.
I was up and out early, 7:30 am, so that I could get my coffee and croissant before catching the bus at 8:40. It’s been awhile since did any kind of even minimally complicated public transportation in Europe on my own, so I left myself plenty of time in case I made a mistake. (I know it’s hard to believe, but even I have been known to err on occasion.) At about 8:00, I headed out.
I knew about where the bus station was, so I headed in that general direction and hoped for the best. When I got there, I had to locate the right stop for the bus I needed to take. Of course, I didn’t see the number that I needed. I asked a young guy at one of the stops to see if he knew anything. He didn’t. But, I have to say that he came to tell me after I walked away that he had asked some other people and then directed me to what he thought was the correct spot. Again, I have to say that I am bowled over by the kindness of strangers. This was a very kind gesture. But, still, I didn’t see the number that I needed. That’s whenI looked up and saw the office for the bus system. DUHHHH…..So, tail between my legs, I went in.
As is my custom now, I use the French greeting “bonjour” and then “Parlez vous Anglais”?. (Do you speak English?) This usually gets me a “Un petit per.” (a little bit). Not this time, the woman at the ticket counter broke into fluent english….with a southern accent, if you can believe THAT! I of course asked her where she was from. She is originally from Atlanta and has been living in Provence for 30 years. She met her, now, husband while working at a hotel in St. Remy, fell in love and got married. She has been here ever since….a true love story. You gotta love a great story! I think she (Alice) was very excited to talk to an American. So, we chatted on for awhile, my favorite thing. It was early..she wasn’t busy….what else is there to do?! I am making lots of friends on this trip! Fun times!
After Alice reviewed the schedule, we realized that the bus I was trying to meet only operates on the weekend and holidays. (I’m very disappointed in the nice young man at the front desk of my hotel…leading me astray….shame on him.) There was another bus leaving at 12:30, but I really didn’t think this would allow me enough time to look at the city. So, I decided to bag Aix for today and try for tomorrow instead. This will, again, be an early day, as the bus I REALLY need to take leaves at 7:30 am. But, I’m a trooper!!
So, I said to Alice, “Alice, I have clearly missed the Aix trip for today. What would you suggest I do for the day?”. She was all too happy to help me consider some options. I asked about Les Baux en Provence….there is no public transportation to Les Baux. I don’t know about you, but I’m not interested in renting a car and maneuvering through traffic by myself. As you can see, I am very independent, but I draw the line at this. There are just too many variables.
Then, I asked her about St. Remy. She was very taken with this idea. She lives in a small town near there and said that I really should visit her town. There is a nice bistrot there where I can eat. I should tell them that she sent me and they would take good care of me. After my issues with meals in Arles, this was very appealing. But, no public transportation. She and I decided together that this would probably be too complicated. I’ll have to catch this next time.
I landed on St. Remy. Alice’s station started to get busy, and I didn’t want to bother her, so I thanked her and started to go on my way. As I was leaving, she called out “Come back later. I want to tell you some places to visit in St Remy and Aix.”. Sounds good. Tips from a local. What luck!
The bus to St. Remy didn’t leave until 11:30 am. I was now 9:00 am. What am I going to do in Arles for the next 2.5 hours? I wasn’t looking forward to it. I like it here, but really it’s worth about a day and that’s it….it’s a small area and it’s off season…not much action as far as I can tell. So, I decided to go back to the hotel and reconnoiter a bit.
I really didn’t have time to go to a museum or another monument in Arles, and some of them were closed. But,there were some vistas in Arles that I missed on my first day here, so I decided that I would head to this area until the bus leaves. Maybe there would be a good picture taking opportunity. I headed out.
The vistas were near the train station. I have now been here about 3 days and am getting to know the town pretty well. I have been to the train station, so this would be a stress-free way to start the day. No map reading, no question asking and answering, no french to decipher…As I walked, I was thinking about all of my adventures, what I would do next, etc. Then, I looked up, and what did I find, but a market. I had heard about the markets in Provence, but hadn’t seen one. I made a detour and started looking at the goods for sale.
These markets sell everything….cheese, sausages, vegetables, candy, bread, pastries, clothing, spices, knives, guns, mattresses….yes, MATTRESSES! The sight of this was enough to send me into one of the those laughing jags…you know, I explained this in the blog I wrote when Mike and I drove cross-country to California….. where you can’t stop, can’t breath, and can’t remember why you are laughing! MATTRESSES…REALLY!!??
You will be glad to know that I did not buy a mattress. How would I get this home? But, I did buy more cheese (for a rainy day…in case I can’t find dinner again) and some olives with garlic. I love these (j t’aime….see, my french is getting better!). Mike and I have a great story of traveling in Germany and absolutely loading up on the garlic olives and pickled garlic. Mike’s daughter, Sarah, who was traveling with us came to our door to say that she could smell the garlic…and the bad gas it caused us…..out of our open window and into hers. YIKES! I really want to have some right now, but I don’t want to stink up my room. I could, though. There are benefits to traveling alone! But, for now, I will exercise control! For now!
You will also be interested to know that one of the vendors saw me taking pictures of all the fun stands and wanted to know if I wanted his picture. Someone would get a picture of the 2 of us, but I would need to kiss him on the cheek. I don’t think so….smart ass…..
Anyway, the whole market experience was a delightful surprise!
I did make it back to talk to talk further with Alice. She gave me some very good ideas about what to see and do in St. Remy and especially Aix.
I also made it to St. Remy, which I enjoyed. It is a very small town…smaller than Arles. I did a lot of walking and bought some very expensive chocolate that is just outstanding, YUMMY!!! I will enjoy it with my cheese, wine and garlic olives.
In the last hour I was there, I was taking some pictures of the town, and a French man (with very bad teeth, I have to say) approached and asked it I was French. I of course answered with my usual “Je parle un petit Francais.” (I only speak a little bit of French.) He said “Ahhhh, Americain”,,,and directed me to sone interesting things to look at and photograph. One more friend for the road!
Speaking of friends, I had an email from my wine tasting buddies in Paris. Their words, not mine, “We have single-handedly put a major dent in the wine consumption in Paris and have lived to tell about it.” They were on another wine tasting tour as they were writing the email….imagine! Fun times!
I am hoping for better food tonight. As I walked through town, I noticed that things were starting to get a little more lively. I guess things start to rock and roll on Wednesdays. We’ll see.
I haven’t tried the Rhone wine that I bought yesterday yet……might have to bring that one home, that is, if I feel like carrying it in my suitcase on the train. HMMMMM But, I can only drink so much, and I am still working on the Pinot from Paris. What can I say….So much wine, so little time.
So, I will leave you with this little french tidbit….Vive les vins et les amis….. (Long live wine and friends!….at least I think that’s what this means!) So long for now!
Travel With Betsy 
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