Why Provence?

On our first visit in 1985, Aix-en-Provence had an irresistible charm. When we came back with our kids in 1999 we thought “wouldn’t this be a great place to live?” When we arrived in France last fall we thought we’d settle in either Aix, Montpellier or Toulouse. Each had its attractions, but we when we stopped first in Aix and were taken in by Servas hosts Sylvie and Philippe Halle, the choice quickly became clear.

Sylvie housed and fed us for six days, took Karen to markets, connected us with other special people, and took a personal interest in our finding a nice place to live in or around the city.

Since then we’ve had many great times with the Halles: home-and-home dinners, parties with new friends, field trips such as to the Salon du Chocolat, and a guided visit to Le Corbusier’s iconic “Cite Radieuse” in Marseille, hiking in the Calanques (see http://picasaweb.google.com/rpwildau/HikingTheCalanques#) and visiting Philippe’s elderly parents in their amazing home near the Luberon village of Vaison-la-Romaine, built on the third century foundations of a house that apparently belonged to St. Quenin, an early bishop of the town. This weekend I even got to fly over the local area in Philippe’s plane.

So we had every advantage in getting established here, but between Provence and any other region in France where we might have settled, there’s just no comparison. Within 90 miles of Aix we have

• Cannes and the start of the French Riviera (the “Cote d’Azur”)
• The fascinating flora and fauna of the Camargue -- Rhone delta rice fields, marsh grasses, flamingos, black bulls (for fighting or eating), white horses, gypsies and their own breed of cowboy.
• The “alternate-papal” capital of Avignon and towns like Nimes and Arles built on Roman foundations and full of Provencal color that has attracted artists in all ages.
• Marseille, the third-largest city in France with great art and culture, food and folklore, and its international airport just 25 minutes from Aix.
• The exquisite high-perched ancient towns of the Luberon range and the foothills of Mont Ventoux made famous by Peter Mayle in “A Year in Provence” and other books.
• Gorgeous beach towns east of Marseille from Cassis to Bandol -- less chic and less overbuilt but just as beautiful as the famous places on the Riviera.
• Vineyards and olive groves almost everywhere, but especially north and south of the jagged Alpilles where you find Les Baux and nearby St. Remy de Provence.
• The Mont Ste. Victoire range visible from most of Aix: “Cezanne’s Mountain” criss-crossed by beautiful hiking trails and sheltering Picasso’s last home at Vauvenargues, 50 minutes by bike from where we live.

Aix itself is the perfect size. It's a brisk walk of 15 minutes across the whole central city; you don't want to drive across it because there's no place to park. There are numerous colleges and universities and an active cultural life. The Anglo-American Group of Provence (AAGP) brings together the large Anglophone expat community (arguably a mixed blessing) and puts on a bunch of programs every month. A mile-and-a-half beyond the peripheral boulevard you're in gorgeous countryside.

And that’s without mentioning the food! Provencal cooking can be salty and features some of my less-favorite items like capers and anchovies. One misses the taste of a juicy steak; the French way of butchering produces more thin cuts and small roasts. The spicy Asian foods I love are at best under-represented. But French food is so good everywhere that one is never unsatisfied. The little snacks you find at bakeries and chocolatiers on every block, the cheese, sausage and bread tastes you are offered in the markets, and even the by-the-slice pizza we get in Aix are a never-ending wonder.

Fortunately my beautiful wife and companion is also a skilled and adventurous cook, so I glide by fine restaurants knowing that there will always be something good on the table at home.

The weather has been a real surprise. We thought the famous South of France would be like a nippier Northern California, but what we got has been colder than Atlanta even in normal years. There have been two major snowstorms and no temperate (above 55 F.) days since early December. (I know we'll be singing a different tune--along with the cicadas--in the heat of summer.) But it’s remarkable how many people are still out and about, jauntily swathed in big scarves, walking, hiking, hanging out, even sitting in cafes!

Finally, it’s amazing to walk down the Cours Mirabeau--the main boulevard of Aix--on a golden winter day, with the facades of 17th century mansions gleaming behind still-leafless plane trees and the streams of the big round fountain catching the sunlight in the Rotonde at the foot of the Cours, and realize that this is home for us, at least for now. So much so that after 10 weeks back in Atlanta, we are coming back here on June 1 for a whole year.

We’ll have a nice apartment for the summer months, and a beautiful house in the nearby country from September onward, and count on having lots of guests.

You’ll find but a small collection of pictures recapping these past months at http://picasaweb.google.com/rpwildau/ProvenceHighlights?pli=1#