PREHISTORIC HOT SPRINGS IN SOUTHERN FRANCE? MAIS OUI!

I went in search of the source of the hot springs in Aix en Provence in August 2011. It turned into a journey through history with some surprises that ended with a delicious lunch in a hotel garden overlooking the remnants of a medieval tower and a Roman wall.

My quest led me through the best of Old Aix, the beginnings of which are lost in antiquity.

You can read my story at Travel Writers Tales here and in several British Columbia newspapers. Hope you like it.

Related post:  Stamp #8: Aix en Provence 

IMAGES: Photos by Pharos (Julie H. Ferguson) 2011

CEZANNE AND PICASSO'S PROVENCE

The view of Mont Ste-Victoire
that captivated Cézanne.
 © Julie H. Ferguson (Photos by Pharos)

Travel with a Challenge have just published my latest article, "Following the Painters of Light: The Provence of Cézanne and Picasso."

The editor, Alison Gardner, wrote:Take a drive with Julie H. Ferguson through a region of Provence that captivated two great artists, Paul Cézanne and Pablo Picasso. Our author planned a self-drive route that offers our readers an insightful glimpse of what these artists experienced and why this small part of France became a part of their artistic inspiration.

Enjoy my images and the story at http://travelwithachallenge.com/France-Artist-Driving-Tour.htm and the video here.



RELATED POST:
My travel notes of the journey: http://stampsinmypassport.blogspot.com/2011/08/stamp-2-aix-en-provence.html.  

A NEW TRAVEL VIDEO

None of the markets that published my articles about the hot springs in Aix en Provence wanted a video. So I thought I would publish it here.

My quest for the hot springs in Aix en Provence takes me from prehistory, into the Roman Occupation, early Christianity and onward to the present. I'm led through the markets, into the cathedral, along the Roman wall, and into the garden of the Aqua Bella Hotel in August 2011.

The article should be read first here: http://www.travellady.com 



I hope you enjoy the short clip as much as I did creating it.

Video and images © Julie H. Ferguson 2011-12

Related articles

• STAMP #8: Aix en Provence, France (stampsinmypassport.blogspot.com)

ENJOY TWO MORE ARTICLES ABOUT FRANCE

St-Malo: Then and Now, 1944 and 2011 tells the story of the remarkable restoration of the town after its destruction in WWII. Enjoy the article and images at Europe Up Close.

Prowling Around Provence describes one of my many day trips from Marseille to three very different but Provencal villages. Find the story and images at Europe Up Close.

IMAGES: (c) Julie H. Ferguson 2011

Reuters UK also published both articles. 

  Related articles:

• STAMP: Evenos, France

• STAMP #1: Dinard and St-Malo, Brittany (stampsinmypassport.blogspot.com)

PART TWO OF MY CEZANNE AND PICASSO ARTICLE FROM PROVENCE

Picasso's Chateau de Vauvenargues

Happy to include the link to Europe Up Close where part two of my Provence article, "My Date with Picasso in Vauvenargues" is posted. Have a read here: http://www.europeupclose.com/article/date-picasso-vauvenargues-provence/#comment-50822.

IMAGE: (c) Julie H. Ferguson 2011

NEW ARTICLE ABOUT AIX'S HOT SPRINGS

TravelLady.com has published my article, "In Search of the Hot Springs in Aix en Provence."  You can read it at www.travellady.com/.




PHOTO:  Cours Mirabeau fountain fed by the ancient springs
                 (c) Julie H. Ferguson 2011

FIRST ARTICLE PUBBED ABOUT PROVENCE

My first of a two part article about Provence was published by www.europeupclose.com on September 15. "Cézanne's Mont Ste-Victoire" can be read here: http://www.europeupclose.com/article/cezannes-mont-sainte-victoire-provence/.

I hope you enjoy it. Three more articles about France are finished and I will post the URLs when they are available.

Image via Wikipedia

I know exactly the spot Cézanne painted this view of Mont Ste-Victoire.

STAMP: Evenos, France

Little known to outsiders, Evenos is a tiny medieval village north of Toulon that is perched on a rocky hill. It dominates the countryside for miles and has a 360 degree view above the gorges that surround it. So does it's sister village, Ste-Anne d'Evenos, across the valley (left). From a small viewpoint, I could see the port of Toulon, granite outcroppings, a marble quarry, and a scatter of big Provencale homes clinging to the sides of the steep slopes. Evenos is 1500' high.

We drove the back roads from Aix and wound our way through hills forested with Pin Pignon and the scrubby oak trees and a few small villages. We were in Bandol country so the valley floors were wall to wall vineyards that produce my favourite rose of Provence.

You could smell the heat the moment you left the car to climb a short way to the village entrance. The tightly-packed, ivy covered buildings are below and a part of the castle walls. So narrow in parts, I could touch either side of the alleyways between the buildings with my arms stretched out. No cars here! The fifteen houses are built of stone with thick walls, and roofed with terracotta tiles.

Evenos has a long, long history that includes the Romans, Crusaders, Saracens, and Knights Templar.  Woven through this are legends, myths, miracles, disasters and many superstitions. Here the church is also fortified and dates back to about 900 CE when the first castle/fort was constructed of wood. After several sackings, the inhabitants built a second set of ramparts, but they are gone now - their position marked only by a pathway around the castle. Sadly for me, this path was closed and it is from this that good photos can be taken of the castle.

The castle, rebuilt in the 11th century, is the only one I've seen that incorporates the giant granite boulders that were there from time immemorial. It looks as if it has grown upwards out of the rock like some giant rugged plant. The 10th century engineers must have known what they were doing! The dungeon was at the top and the living quarters, below. When the population grew, houses were built attached to the lower part of the castle walls.

All ancient castles should have a ghost, and Evenos is no exception. Her name is Sybille and she walks near the remains of the White Tower on stormy nights. Her brutish husband threw her out of a window when he caught her in flagrante delicto with a minstrel ....

The only store in Evenos is a small cooperative selling artisanal products from nearby. You climb down a few steps to enter it and can browse the honey, jams, pates, soaps and a few postcards. Obviously this is a new venture in the village and is nicely renovated deep among the stone walls of an old house.

We timed our visit so we could have lunch in the only restaurant in Evenos. La Voute, or archway, can seat about sixteen people on the terrace, which is on the edge of a precipice. We had a table by the railing and looked across a heavily treed gorge. We looked down on the roofs of a handful of homes o utside the village walls. Although hot, we were cooled by a breeze and sat under an orange umbrella. The owner's grandchildren played quietly by a couch which was the bar. Lunch is prix fixe at 15 Euros per person with two choices for the main course. We had fried brie salad with prosciutto and it was filling and delicious. A pichet of Bandol rose was our wine and fromage blanc sitting on a bed of warm baked apples was dessert. Reservations are essential here as the locals love it.

IMAGES: (c) Julie H. Ferguson 2011

STAMP #5: Aix en Provence

This morning I explored a tiny village, more of a hamlet really, called Le Tholonet on my way to the boulangerie for my daily baguette.

There are no shops in Le Tholonet, just a church, a restaurant/cafe, a few houses, and a moulin. Moulins are windmills and this one is an original. I was walking in the footsteps of Paul Cezanne, the Impressionist painter of the late 1800s who was obsessed with Mont Ste-Victoire. He also painted this windmill on one of his many sojourns in Le Tholonet.

This moulin is now a tiny art gallery and was open today. I talked with the artist, Laure Willems. She wore floral leggings and a loose linen top, and her hands were stained with the pigments of her trade. She spoke no English and I spoke little French, but we talked animatedly for over half an hour. Laure too is obsessed with the mountain and paints in the Cezanne style in water colours and pastels. I liked her work enough to buy a small reproduction from her of MSV at sunset with rust red fields in the foreground.

The mill has three levels. The top holds the original millstones that ground the grain for the local farmers. The lower two are now the gallery. Outside is a memorial plaque to Cezanne (top image) and a magnificent view of MSV just as he saw it with the red soil, grey rock, pines, and a brilliant blue sky.

Le Relais Cezanne

Cezanne used to make the journey to Le Tholonet by coach and it must have been a bone-breaking ride up and down mountainsides on a  winding track heading deep into the countryside. He loved the village and returned often to stay at the Chateau Noir in a small room. He ate his meals at the restaurant that still stands at the road junction. It was called Berne in his time and now, Le Relais Cezanne. I was allowed inside to take photos although it wasn't open. I imagine it looks much the same today as it did when he sat at a corner table. Quite utilitarian and none of his paintings, even as repros, grace the walls. However, don't be misled by appearances, the food is excellent and can be enjoyed with the local vin de La Palette. The villages here are surrounded by vineyards producing the famous rose of Provence, which I love.

The 17th century chateau, also painted by Cézanne, is just across the road junction: golden in the sun with a short avenue of trees leading your eye to the front door. It now houses the headquarters of the Société du Canal de Provence, the company managing the extensive irrigation projects in Provence, and is closed to the public. I snuck in the front gate for more pix and was hurried out by a gardener. Then home to write during the heat of the day in the cool villa and maybe a swim.
 
IMAGES: (c) Julie H. Ferguson 2011

OTHER POSTS ABOUT AIX EN PROVENCE:
STAMP #8
STAMP #7
STAMP #6
STAMP #4
STAMP #3
STAMP #2
STAMP #1   

STAMP #4: Aix en Provence, France

I decided not to do the big expedition today. I slept in, for one thing, and I wanted to start writing about Aix and Vauvenargues. My original ideas for themes have morphed some and I needed to reflect on them. Also visited a tiny village about 4 kms from Aix that has an interesting connection with Cezanne and the Roman occupation.

I thought I should tell about the house I'm staying in and where it is. Just 4 kms due east of Aix off a minor road is Chemin St-Jacques. It is hard to see as it's a tiny, unpaved lane - narrow, rough and bumpy - that winds about a third of a mile down a hillside. On the left I pass an olive grove and a stand of cypress trees. These are like those in Tuscany, tall and pointy like green church spires. I drive in first gear dreading meeting another car coming in the other direction. No room for two and it means one of us has to back up - a very perilous procedure. It's happened twice to me. The last part is very steep, a bit like tipping down a precipice. It's also very rough and the car will bottom if I go too fast. Then 150 metres down at the bottom, I'm home.

The house is a 300 year-old farmhouse that has been modernized and enlarged. The newest addition is the kitchen and dining room, which looks out directly at Mont Ste-Victoire. South of the main house is a new annex - a one bedroomed cottage, kitchen and all. I'm in the main house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, which is cool inside. The patio is shaded by a huge mulberry tree. The pic shows the dining room shutters partly open and a bit of the tree to the left.

The nearest village is Le Tholonet, two kms east. Here Cezanne lived and painted his obsession - Mont Ste-Victoire. I love the rich, red earth of Provence and the stands of plane trees along the roads. I stood in the middle of the road to get this image below, risking life and limb!

IMAGES: (c) Julie H. Ferguson 2011

OTHER POSTS ABOUT AIX EN PROVENCE:
STAMP #8
STAMP #7
STAMP #6
STAMP #5
STAMP #4
STAMP #3
STAMP #2
STAMP #1

STAMP #3: Aix en Provence, France

Put my walking shoes on early this morning. Today was reserved for the Tuesday market in the heart of old Aix, a thorough look at its cathedral, and some serious people-watching while enjoying lunch in a street cafe by the market stalls. Parking is very difficult here, even on non-market days, but not at 8:30am.

                                         Image via WikipediaIts my 7th or 8th visit here and I never tire of Aix - masses of history, no cars in the old town, stunning architecture, honeyed stone, and friendly locals. Must have walked several miles as I hunted for the pix I need. Aix was an old Roman town named Aquae Sextiae then. The Consul Sextius Calvinus destroyed the original settlement of the Salyens and established a permanent garrison here in 122 BCE. He loved the hot water springs, hence the new name, and they still run at 34C. The famous fountains in Aix that are fed by this hot water are covered in moss and ferns, resembling huge green balls (see below). I found remains of the town's walls and ramparts close by the cathedral, along with a defensive tower called Torreluque.

St-Sauveur cathedral is built on what archeologists think was either a Roman temple or forum and has a portion of a wall exposed to show visitors. Christianity arrived in Aix in 312CE. Outside on the West face are stone sculptures and one of the two universities in Aix is opposite. Inside, it is small as cathedrals go, but full of art both ancient and modern. For years I've tried to see the cloister close up but it had been closed on all my visits. Today, open! With a young guide I toured this small but comforting space that's like a quad. The columns' capitals were carved in the 12th century and show Roi (King) Rene de Provence, St. Peter, the nativity complete with donkeys and cows, and Roman eagles, all in miniature. In the centre are herbs, boxwood hedges, and an olive tree. Tours start at 10am and run every half hour, though not when the cathedral is closed for mass or at lunchtime.

Old Aix is peppered with squares and on non-market days they are filled with tables and chairs under awnings and umbrellas that spill from the cafes. But on market days (x3/wk) they are completely taken over by stalls selling everything. There are fruit and veggie markets, flower markets, clothing, antiques and junk markets. Provencale goods of all kinds, fabrics, china and pottery, leather, bread, charcuterie, and remarkable fish and cheeses are sold. By 11am every market is seething with people - mostly locals and a few of the many tourists. This is where I prefer to do my food shopping. Prices have gone up since my last visit, but are cheaper than supermarkets, and the local bounty was probably picked yesterday. It's tomato season and there are tiny sweet cherry ones and some as big as my fist; yellow and white peaches are huge and juicy ripe. Had to buy a bucket of fromage blanc to have with them for breakfast - as close to divine as I'll ever get!

While I had lunch, within ten feet of the stalls, I got whiffs of spices on the breeze - curry, cardomom, and others I didn't recognize. I watched the shoppers and learned a few things:

• When it's hot French women wear loose dresses - I saw only two of hundreds in capris.
• Both men and women wear sandals.
• Everyone carries a basket for their purchases.
• North Americans stick out in their jeans or cargo pants and runners. Each carries a bottle of water.
• French casual fashions are so much better than ours because no-one looks the same. They have style+.
• All the cafes serve what I call "bowl salads" that are big and filling. Healthy too. No burgers and fries here!
• Coffees are small and strong.
• Everyone drinks bottled water with meals, in addition to wine.
• Oh! And nuns here have denim habits!

I was home with a bulging shopping bag by 2pm and ready to start work again. Tomorrow my big expedition ....

 

IMAGES: (c) Julie H. Ferguson 2011

OTHER POSTS ABOUT AIX EN PROVENCE:

STAMP #8
STAMP #7
STAMP #6
STAMP #5
STAMP #4
STAMP #2
STAMP #1

STAMP #2: Aix en Provence

1. Mont Ste-Victoire

Today's adventure was to drive all the way around Mont Ste-Victoire and visit Pablo Picasso's Chateau de Vauvenargues.

I started early to avoid the heat of mid-afternoon and got to see the morning mist burning off the vineyards and mountains. I stopped often walk up the trails a bit and to take photos. Driving the back roads is the best way to see the countryside but they are very narrow. (Amused that the speed limit was 90kmh and I couldn't drive faster than 45kmh.) There are no shoulders to the road and barely enough room to pass oncoming traffic, so driving is not for the fainthearted here, especially on the switchbacks. I found it nightmarish passing the fanatic cyclists, of which there were many, because I couldn't see far enough around the bends.

Drifts of periwinkle-blue cornflowers line the roads and colour the fields. Scrubby vegetation takes over  higher up and small oak trees predominate lower down along with the umbrella pines so common in the south of France.

Mont Ste-Victoire dominates the landscape east of Aix en Provence - rugged, grey granite rocks tower above you with not a tree at the top, just the Cross of Provence on the peak. The road does not go to the top, you have to hike the trails or rock climb to get there. I followed the mountain along its southern flank, and once past the first village, the fields became vineyards as far as I could see.

An hour and a half later, I pulled off the "main road" into Vauvenargues, a small village strung out like washing on a line along a narrow steep valley on the north side of MSV. Its main road is narrow and twisty with the front doors of houses opening right onto the street. Cafes' put their tables along its sides too making driving along it nerve-wracking given the kids and dogs playing. Later in the day parking would be impossible here, but I was early.

I went straight to the chateau and learned, "Yes, it was open but you need a reservation to do the tour." After some sweet talking with the woman at the gate, I was "in." Ten Euros per person, eight if you're a senior, gets you into the chateau for a guided tour and into the exhibition of Picasso's etchings. (They were odd!)

              2. Picasso (Image via Wikipedia)I loved the chateau from the outside. It sits high on a rock surrounded by trees and dates back centuries with towers, ramparts, and a private terrace that Picasso filled with his sculptures. Picasso fell in love with the chateau at first sight in the late 1950's and lived in it from 1959 to 1961 when he was 80+ and still working. He never painted this home but did a few paintings of the village. Sadly, he couldn't stay longer as ill-health demanded he move closer to his doctors on the Cote d'Azur.

Inside, the building is austere and not as big as I expected but, even so, Picasso and his wife must have rattled around in it. The rooms are very plain where the family lived, stark even. Some of the artist's sculptures are dotted about, but no paintings. The ravages of time and water damage are apparent everywhere.

Overall I found it hard to imagine Picasso living here because there was so little left of his spirit. One exception was the bathroom he had installed next to his bedroom. In this huge, rather bleak room bigger than most people's living rooms, Picasso had painted an exuberant mural of a faun playing a flute in a forest on the wall behind the bath. His second wife, Jacqueline, bought garden furniture to fill the emptiness of the room. The only other room that spoke volumes of the man was his studio. Left as it was when Picasso left, there are easels, huge pots of paints on a refectory size table, his brushes, and two chairs on which he painted designs on the upholstery. Even his paint splatters are still visible on the tiled floor.

Picasso was buried right outside the front door in 1972 and his spouse stuck a large bronze nude of his on top of the grave. In 1986 after Jacqueline committed suicide, she was buried beside him. Now the chateau is owned by her daughter (Picasso's step-daughter) who dreamed of establishing a foundation to open the chateau permanently soon afterwards. The locals opposed her idea and that's why the chateau has been inaccessible till last year.

Visitors are not permitted to take any photographs of the exterior or interior once inside the gate, which disappointed me, likewise, the unwillingness to accommodate English-speaking art afficiandos. When I asked for a photocopy of the brief translation of the guide's long talk, I was again told it was not allowed. How many more people would come to pay homage to one of the world's great artists if there was more effort to welcome them along with a website that was up-to-date. I couldn't even find out if the chateau would be open next summer.

3. Chateau de Vauvenargues. Picasso's grave is here.

IMAGES 1 and 3: (c) Julie H. Ferguson 2011

OTHER POSTS ABOUT AIX EN PROVENCE:
STAMP #8
STAMP #7
STAMP #6
STAMP #5
STAMP #4
STAMP #3
STAMP #1

STAMP #1: Aix en Provence, France

Sitting in the shade of a huge mulberry tree on the terrace of a friend's house near Aix as I type my first post from la belle France. It's 25C with a gentle breeze from the south-west. I have a perfect view of Mont Ste Victoire, Cezanne's favourite landscape to paint, and the light changes on it every five minutes. This is a quiet day for me as I recover from the rigours of 20 hours of travel.

My flight from Montreal to Paris was delayed 3+ hours which meant I missed my train. Full marks to the Air Canada concierges in Montreal and Paris who got my train reservation switched and told my rental car company that I would be late. I had to run for the train but made it as it pulled into the CDG station. Whizzed down to Aix in three and a half hours and felt the dry heat as soon as I stepped onto the platform. Bliss.

Dejeuner sur la terrasse

After a 12 hour sleep I had no jet lag today. My breakfast of fresh, juicy apricots and fromage blanc set me up and I drove in the local village to the boulangerie for a fresh baguette and found a bottle of rose and yummy cheeses at tiny corner store. Lunch with four young friends and a swim.

Tomorrow will be my first expedition - I'm going to do the drive around and up Mont Ste-Victoire and have a picnic with a view. In the afternoon, I plan to spend some time in Vauvenargues, a village where Picasso bought a chateau and lived in it for four years while he painted feverishly. His daughter now owns the chateau and it is occasionally open to the public. I'm not hopeful, though, as it was open last summer. We'll see.

IMAGE: (c) Julie H. Ferguson 2011

OTHER POSTS ABOUT AIX EN PROVENCE:
STAMP #8
STAMP #7
STAMP #6
STAMP #5
STAMP #4
STAMP #3
STAMP #2