Lots of days in Provence and Paris
I was waiting patiently for the husband to upload all 300pictures to add drama and belivebality to my stories of what we did - becos nobody would belive that I spent a LOT of time in FNAC - the gadget chain stores A L L O V E R F R A N C E A N D S P A I N.so day 2, we actually got up bright and early (my head was reeling, the husband can never manage bright and early on vaccys) and went down to tourist office to start a historic guided tour of aix-en-provence. Actually a guided tour of historic aix, and it was FREE FREE!!! turned out was some Memorial Day and everything including museums was free.... so, walked about the winding roads. Cezanne, the famous french painter was from Provence who attained fame after his death (you know, like I will and then everybody will be sorry they did not pay me enough now!!!) and to celebrate memorial day, the Aix Mayor had collected paintings from all over Europe museums and private collections to show in the museum there. Which also unfortunately meant the line to get tickets was 3 hours long an dthe only tx available was for 3am. I'm like oh, well... lets just buy some repro post-cards then. So, that worked out well.
Then after guided tour this FRency ex-professorish lady who was on the guided tour but not giving the guided tour thought we needed more guidance and dragged us to a couple of museums... and I'm like, ummm we want to go to L'OCCITTANE and she's all, no no come come its educational. so we did not go to L'Occitane and Le Nain Rouge which is a provencal ki'd toy store that I really wanted to get a train set from for Babay O but instead went to a provencal palace that the family had thrown open for public viewing and the tour was given that day by the young male heir, which meant that technically he was a prince!!! but the socialist frenchies were all like, oh it doesnt mean anything. Plus I was with husband so had to pass on chat-up opportunities with a real live prince... and L'occitane........sigh. Culture!!!
The next day, husband vetoed plans to go to Arles to go for a 'short' hike in the hills of provence. I sweetly played along since all the stores including L'occitane were shut - lazy frenchies dont want to work on sunday. Little did I know that was is facile (easy) for frnechies is difficile and gasp-inudcing, under-the-breath-husband-cursing agony for me. Finally had to stop all such ideas of hiking and lie down on a picnic table while the husband went off into the blue yonder minus me. Also threw in a few lazy-socialist-europeans-who-dont-keep-stores open on sunday between the cruel-husband litany - but was rewarded with awesome couscous and citrus chicken tagine later.
Monday, we went to Marseilles - a port town that is also completely surrounded by hills so very vertigo inducing. Inspite of all the rare raves I read on all the traveller sights, I think France is over-rated. I think Italian port towns are way cuter and I didnt spot a single blue-eyed cute police-man this time..... though they did have ZARA!! oh, and for culture we took this itty-bitty tram, that climbs and climbs to the patron church of Marseilles Notrde Dame de Garde or something. Again being a church was free!!!! Then we enetered FNAC... and some random shoe store. That took care of art-fix I think for the husband.
posted by Nish @ 10:13 AM
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