Around Aix

It's early morning--I can't sleep for some reason. So I'm up before everyone else in the quiet of the morning. And first an apology: I haven't been able to get online for over 24 hours. Thus there are two posts here in quick succession. Hopefully, my 3G provider will figure out soon what is going on and fix whatever the problem is.

Yesterday was a quieter day: we stayed close to home and spent time in Aix again. First we dropped off Pam, Bob, & Stan at TGV station. They are in Paris overnight for a visit.

Then Allen and I tried to trade In our behemoth car for something a little more compact. We originally reserved a compact from our car rental place (Europcar) and were given, as I mentioned in a previous post, this larger Fiat Duplo, which drives tank-like. On Monday, when we went in to report the damage to our car, we asked about trading for a smaller car in the compact size. The woman there said she didn't have any at that time but if we came back later in the week they would have a compact. Well, we stopped at the rental place yesterday and found out that our car is considered a compact. This after we had just spent about $100 to fill up the gas tank, something I don't expect a compact to do. The upshot: we still have our Duplo which which we're rolling around the French countryside.

I do have good news to report on the pants front though, if you read my post of a few days ago. As you might remember I needed to replace one of the pairs of pants that I packed. I couldn't find anything approaching my size in stores though. But at a the market in St. Remy there was a man selling clothing who had my size! So I was able, after all, to increase my wardrobe by one pair of pants, which even fit.

We visited a museum yesterday, the Musée Granet, which is a nice collection here in Aix. They showed the full gamut from modern to classical art. Included in their collection were several Cézannes. Cézanne came from and lived in Aix. He painted many versions of Mount Sainte Victoire, which is on the outskirts of Aix. It was a very pleasurable way to spend some time, roaming among the art.

Last night, Marilyn, Allen, & I went to a new restaurant which came highly recommend by a previous tenant of the villa we're staying in. (There is a book here that has been added to over the years that is an accumulation of information by previous tenants and the owner.) There's a good reason it's highly recommended: it was delicious and the staff was very fun and engaging. It's called Pasta Cosy and as their name indicates they emphasize serving pasta. I had a gnocchi dish with crayfish, Allen had ravioli like I've never seen or tasted before, and Marilyn had their signature dish, the Pasta Cosy. The staff and owner were fun; they wouldn't down with you and talk about the dishes and were generally very much a part of the experience. If you're ever in Aix, search it out and try it; we recommend it.

Today our plans are to head to Nice, which is on the Mediterranean about two hours (we think) away. Maybe by the time we get home the Internet will be working again.
Adieu.