Aix en Provence (Five)

 Two weeks removed from our trip to Aix en Provence and I’m finally sharing some of our favorite experiences (food and otherwise!) as promised.

This trip was truly one of my favorites. It was surprising, charming, relaxing and full of little indulgences along the way. I think we may have scored on both the weather and timing fronts: we got mostly sunshine all week long (only one or two nights of evening drizzles) and it was still technically off-season so the streets were never overwhelmed with people. When Saturday rolled around after a full week of weekday exploring, we got to see Aix en Provence as it probably is during the summer: buzzing with people who had come to stay for a quick weekend getaway. It was fun to see the energy, lots of smiling people walking around, and liveliness of the university students enjoying the start of their weekend. But we especially loved the quiet days: the ones where an empty alleyway would lead you to a whole other square of restaurants and shops that we hadn’t seen before. Plus on the quiet days it meant our daily dose of Christophe’s Madeleines wouldn’t require a wait in a long line. More on that below!

One of my first stops in Aix was to see my friends at Sezane. Isabelle wrote down some of her favorite places and we quickly learned that she was definitely a connoisseur! Here are some of our must-do’s while in Aix:

• Cote Coeur. My favorite meal was here – I had an incredible steak! Loved the space too. Also, we witnessed a lovely French couple get engaged at their dinner table, which was super sweet and romantic.
• Christophe’s Madeleines. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth anymore, but when I do, it’s for bakery items like madeleines. These were so good the three of us shared a bag of 6 every single day. Craving one right now, actually.
• Atelier Cezanne. To be honest, I didn’t know much about Cezanne until we decided to come here and I learned that this was one of the main attractions. He built a house/studio here in his final years and although it was just one room, it felt pretty magical to be standing in the same spot where he painted some of his most revered works.
• Brulerie Richelme. Really great coffee spot in a busy square perfect for people watching.
• Empanadas Club. After a lot of french food (delicious as it is), a change of pace is much appreciated and we found that respite in this easy, casual spot.
• Art Galleries all throughout town. We stumbled on a few small little art galleries and loved picking out small pieces (small enough to fit in our luggage) to bring home with us. It’s something we have started to do on our travels and I love that we’re building a collection of pieces from around the world.
• Colde. Perfect little brunch or lunch spot – the sandwiches are so good!
• A day trip to Cassis. My aunt took us to the coastal town of Cassis. It was adorable and we even did the touristy tram around the town. Beautiful vista points and beaches. I can only imagine how busy it gets in the summer!
• La Tomate Verte. Our last dinner in Aix and it was the perfect end to a perfect trip! Fresh and delicious comfort food.

My only regret is that we didn’t venture out to all the small little towns around Provence… but for that reason I’ve made it a goal to make sure we head back sometime! Til next time, Aix en Provence!

Happy weekend, hope you have a wonderful one and thank you for stopping by!

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Blouse (here)
Skirt (here)
Blazer (here)
Bag (here)
Sandals (similar here)

PS: Loved all the pieces I wore on this trip! Their newest collection launches tomorrow – check out the preview here! There are a lot of printed blouses on my wishlist…

Recent consignment finds: