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Posts Tagged ‘Aix’

It’s Coming Home: the Aix Food Market

Posted in Event, Miscellaneous, News, Patrimoine, tagged , , on May 8, 2019| Leave a Comment »

May 28th will see the return of the thrice-weekly Food Market to the newly-pedestrianised and smartly-paved Places Verdun-Precheurs where it was up to 2016.  The Textile and Brocante stalls will stay in the cours Mirabeau, and the two areas will be linked by the Artisanat Market which will occupy rue Thiers. (more…)

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Aix – Even More Plane Trees to be Felled

Posted in News, tagged , , , on January 17, 2019| 9 Comments »

I recently bought this post card dating from the early 20th century showing the cours Mirabeau resplendently lined with a double row of plane trees.

 

What a difference today.  Last year, 23 had to be taken out in the cours Mirabeau and now, it seems, more are to follow from the cours and two other parts of the town centre.  (more…)

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Aix – This Weekend

Posted in Art, Event, News, Patrimoine, tagged , , on December 13, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Don’t forget the lovely Swedish celebration of  Santa Lucia tonight, 13th Dec, at the Cathedral –  Young Scandinavians process down the darkened aisle creating pools of flickering light with their candles.  Unmissable! 18:00hrs.  Afterwards, spiced wine is served at the Mairie.

Tomorrow sees nationally-renowned Aix pottery Atelier Buffile open a show of their work together with Poteries de Sejnane from Tunisia.  This is a group of 100 potteries, mainly Berber women who have been making kitchen pots and decorative items for generations.  Vincent Buffile went to work with them.  Both his work, their work, and collaborative projects will be on show.  The expo is at the beautiful medieval Cave aux Huiles, another reason to visit!Fri 14-18:00hrs, Sat and Sun 10-18:00hrs.  It is featured in the current issue of Coté Sud – read here: cs-12-2018

And finally there’s the Bravade Calendale on Sunday 16th: This is a Provencal traditional offering ‘la pompe de Noel’ (festive bread) to the town authorities.  Lots of traditional music, Provencal dancers and for some reason Italian flag-throwers. General Instagrammable melée. 11:00 in the cours Mirabeau; 14.30 at Mairie followed by procession through centre ville.

 

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Bookshop Petition – Aix Cinema News – Free Parking

Posted in Film, News, Transport, tagged , , on December 13, 2018| 2 Comments »

Everyone I have spoken to has been saddened by the announced closure of the Librarie de Provence.  Now there is an online petition to show local support.  They aim to get 5000 signatures and were well over 2500 when I checked this morning.  (more…)

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BRUT – Restaurant with Tasting Menu Just Opened in Aix

Posted in Food, Miscellaneous, News, tagged , , , on December 8, 2018| Leave a Comment »

After a couple of gloomy posts about things closing, it’s good to be able to welcome a new enterprise: BRUT, is a spacious restaurant which opened in the place des Tanneurs last month to offer an interesting menu of ‘assiettes‘ for diners to combine and enjoy. (more…)

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Galerie À…Tucked Away in Aix

Posted in Art, tagged , , on December 8, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Rue Loubon is one of those tiny, picturesque streets in Aix that are pure Provence. It’s here that German artist Miriam Hartmann has chosen to establish her gallery which is just celebrating its first birthday.

(more…)

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Aix’s Book in Bar in New Novel!

Posted in Book, tagged , , , on November 27, 2018| Leave a Comment »

‘Middle England’ by Jonathan Coe – just published to positive reviews – features an unusual location in its pages:  Book-in-Bar. (more…)

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Chagall at the Caumont – Unmissable!

Posted in Miscellaneous, tagged , , on November 23, 2018| Leave a Comment »

What a terrific show at the Caumont Centre d’Art in Aix.  It features the work of Marc Chagall, from his black and white gravures from the 1920s and 30s, via his white marble sculptures, to his joyously colourful gouaches and oil paintings. (more…)

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Aix Christmas Markets – Coming Up Very Soon

Posted in Event, Food, Patrimoine, tagged , , , , , on November 17, 2018| Leave a Comment »

All of a sudden it seems that Christmas is upon us and Aix really celebrates Christmas in style.

Here are the main festive markets (more…)

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On Armistice Day – the Story of Provencal Soldiers in WW1

Posted in Book, Patrimoine, tagged , , , , , on November 11, 2018| Leave a Comment »

The bells at the cathedral in Aix rang out at 3pm, 100 years ago today, after 1561 days of silence, to mark the end of the fighting.  And by 6pm, the crowds were at the Rotonde to celebrate.

Of the 3000 men mobilised from Aix, 720 were dead, 190 disappeared and 500 left disabled. The story didn’t even end here for those left in the north of France. Despite having been away for four long years, the local regiment was involved in occupation and didn’t arrive back in town until 2nd September 1919.  What a homecoming that must have been.

But when I was writing my book (Aix-en-Provence: The Inside Story) and researching the chapter on the effect of World War 1 on Aix, itIMG_7013 seemed that there was some sort of controversy surrounding the troops from Provence but I couldn’t find details.

Then came ‘La Faute au Midi’, a new book and exhibition, which told it all and it was truly an appalling story.

Here is my post from 2014:

(more…)

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