– Aix-en-Provence, France –
(This is part 1, click here to view part 2)

August 27, 2005 – We arrived in Aix-en-Provence earlier this week and there is just one word to describe it — astonishing. I was told that Aix is considered by many Europeans to be the most beautiful city in France. However, this information was volunteered by residents of Aix so it's possible their objectivity has been compromised. Still, I tend to believe them. I can't imagine any town more beautiful.

Aix, which is located just 24 kilometers (15 miles) northeast of Marseille, has a long history. It was established as a camp in 123 BC by the Romans. By the next century it was a bustling town. It later became the capital of Provence, an independent country that was "absorbed" by France in the fifteenth century.

The old city center, where we are staying, was once protected by a stone wall with 39 towers. Much of that wall is long gone and only one of the original towers – constructed in the 14th century – has survived. Happily most of the old buildings still stand. Constructed in the 1700's, they have been carefully preserved over the centuries. They stand shoulder to shoulder, topped with mottled clay tiles. Their weathered walls are warm in color, painted in a pallette that ranges from terra cotta to gold, with every shade and nuance in between. The streets of "old Aix" are cobblestoned and impossibly narrow. The entire area is packed with countless old fountains, scenic public squares, shops and restaurants of every description, busy open air markets, ancient stone churches and a variety of historical museums.

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