aixcentric

The first treat is the resumption of the ‘Navette Maritime’ service in Marseille.  Previously called the Bateau-bus, the boats run from the Vieux Port, once an hour to either Pointe-Rouge to the south or L’Estaque to the north. Both places have lots of places for lunch and the beach at Pointe-Rouge is good for a paddle afterwards.  Cost 5€. Saturday 28th April to 30th September, 8-18:00hrs, later in high summer. Timetable here: http://www.rtm.fr/guide-voyageur/se-deplacer/navettes-maritimes.  Guaranteed lovely views of Marseille and the beaches in one direction – and the docks and lots of boats in the other.  A bargain!

While in Marseille, there is a new exhibition starting tomorrow at MuCEM entitled ‘Or’.  They say, ‘ Gold is an object of desire and conquest, and a traditional symbol of power and wealth, but its plasticity also makes it the material of metamorphosis, a quality that has made it a favourite material in the arts. Combining history with contemporary art, this exhibition assembles masterpieces that bear witness to Euro-Mediterranean civilizations’ fascination with the material over more than three millennia’.  Read on here: http://www.mucem.org/en/gold.

At the same time, you could check out the small Picasso exhibition which is next door in Fort Saint Jean and dedicated to his design work for the Ballet Russes. There are some of his costumes and sketches: it’s linked to the ‘Picasso Voyages Imaginaires’ exhibition at the Vieille Charité. https://vieille-charite-marseille.com/expositions/picasso-voyages-imaginaires

In Aix, the new exhibition at the Hotel Caumont features the interesting artist, ‘Nicolas de Stael en Provence’, concentrating on the 71 paintings and 26 drawings he produced from July 1953 to June 1954 working from his ateliers at Lagnes, then at Ménerbes.  Can’t wait to see this one! Begins Friday 27th April.

Alternatively this weekend sees a ‘Salon du Vintage’ with 100 stalls gathered together at the Grand Theatre de Provence to sell fashion, furniture and records from the 50s-90s.  Details: http://www.aixenprovencetourism.com/fr/fiche/32385/?utm_source=Sarbacane&utm_medium=EMAIL&utm_campaign=V%20-%20newsletter%20printemps%202018