Earlier in the week, I watched as a large platane was taken down near Michel’s and the café Roi Rene at the top of the cours 
Mirabeau. Difficult to get close because of the safety barriers, but it did look like there were significant holes in the trunk.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, trees have been attacked by chancre coloré which means that they, and others in a 30m radius, have to be removed.
Out for a walk this morning, now the rain has stopped, I counted the number of original trees left in the cours Mirabeau, with startling results.
I was counting down from the Hotel Poet, behind the King Rene statue, to the very last buildings before the Rotonde.
On the right hand side, there are just 11 original trees left – and I did count in the 3 which are clustered round the Festival café, offset at the bottom. Ironically the one restaurant which is framed by two lovely shady trees is the one closed for travaux to turn it into Burger King.
On the left-hand side, there are 18: 10 at the lower end, then a very extensive gap before a cluster of 8 at the top.
That gives a total of 29.
Replanting has been ongoing and the new trees seem to have been successfully installed, which is good news; but it will take years to see the cours with the splendidly shady trees that make the summer months so delightful.
For those of you who weren’t here in 2013, the European Year of Culture, this is what the cours Mirabeau looked like, transformed by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. What a delight it was!
aixcentric 
Thank you Lynne for this update on the trees. Thursday I sat next to Festival and loved seeing the old plantains just beside, between all the road construction, the architect’s concept of new concrete terrasses, we are truly seeing our beautiful city change completely its old character.
I remember the polka dot tree covers, it was dramatic and interesting too.
So sad that many trees have had to be removed. The Cours is one of the most beautiful streets and France.
Until the new trees mature, here’s solace from an excerpt from The Boss Dog, MFK Fisher’s charming slender book about her time in Aix with her daughters:
“In the summer the shade on that long street is so deep that people walking in it feel like fish in the bottom of a deep clean river. The great plantains are like immeasurably tall reeds. The air is pure and sweet and sift, somewhat as river water should be to an unbothered fish. There is room to exist.”
What a wonderful piece of writing. Thank you so much for sharing it.