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Marseille, France Port Reviews
Aix en Provence - On Your Own Shore Excursion
By: Tom Ogg
Beautiful Aix en
Provence
Marseille is the capital of
the Provence district in France and is known as the Gateway
to Provence. While Marseille itself is an underrated port
with a ton of experiences to offer its visitors, the wonders
of Provence are what beckons visitors to Marseille. I think
the ideal way to experience the port is to visit one of the
villages in Provence and also, see a bit of Marseille.
Fortunately, this is quite easy to do on your own. The ships
all sell shore excursions to the villages in Provence, but
you are much better off to do this one on your own and here is
why. You will probably port in the outer harbor and if you
purchase the ship's shore excursion to Aix en Provence, you
will likely not get to visit Marseille. Plus, Aix en
Provence is not the kind of place you can enjoy with a group
of 40 of your closest friends. Sure, you will get a walking
tour of Aix en Provence, but its charm and beauty lies in
your personal experiences. Here is how to do it.
Fort St. Jean, Fort St.
Nicholas and the Notre-Dame de la Garde
First you want to make your
way into Vieux Port. If you are docked in the inner harbor
walk around Fort Jean and along the inner harbor.
Notre-Dame de la Garde
One can't help but to realize
the magnificence of Notre-Dame de la Garde as it towers over
all of Marseille.
Marseilles Vieux Port
The vistas as you continue
alongside the harbor are what make up Marseille's enjoyable
atmosphere. Restaurants, boats, tall buildings with unique
architecture set Marseille apart from many of the other
French ports.
Vieux Port
Once you reach the foot of
Vieux Port, look for the street named La Canebiere. You will
find the Marseille tourist office located here.
If you head inland on La
Canebiere two blocks you will see a street to your left that has an arch
at the end of it.
The Arch
Once you get to the arch you
will be on the street that the bus to Aix en Provence
departs from.
The Blue Bus is parked at
the
Aix en Provence Bus Stop
If you turn 90-degrees to your
right you will see the bus on the upper street parked at the
bus station for the Aix en Provence service. It is important
to look from the street, as if you follow the sidewalk, you
will not see the bus because it is hidden behind a wall out
of view from the sidewalk to the right of the lower street.
The Bus to Aix en Provence
The bus operates every ten-minutes so you won't have to wait long to depart. The fare
is around 6 euros per person each way. You can also take the
train and the train station is adjacent to the bus, however
the bus is the most comfortable and enjoyable way to get to
Aix en Provence.
Aix en Provence Train
Station
If you do want to take the
train instead of the bus, here are the directions to the
train station. At the corner of Vieux Port where the HoHo
bus leaves from, you are standing on Quai du Port. Almost
right across the street you will see Rue du Juge du Palais.
Cross the street and walk up Rue du Juge du Palais about 60
yards until you hit Rue de la Coutellerie. Continue on Rue
du Dr Denis Avierinos (the street changes names) until you
hit Rue de la Reine Elisabeth where you turn right. Rue de
la Reine Elisabeth turns to the left and changes its name to
Rue de Bir Hakeium. The train station is located directly in
front of you about 400 yards away. You will also see
the arch as a reference point. IMPORTANT: If you do
take the train be sure to take the regular train to Aix en
Provence and not the TVG train, as the TVG station is miles
from town while the regular train station is
right in the heart of Aix en Provence.
While the directions to the
train station sound
daunting, it would take no more than 5-minutes to take the
walk from Vieux Port. If you want simpler directions, follow
the directions to the Aix en Provence bus and then continue on to the train
station.
The Fountain at the
Entrance to Aix en Provence.
The bus will take 30-minutes
or so to arrive at Aix en Provence and will make two stops
before arriving at its destination. Everyone will debark the
bus when it arrives. Simply walk back to the intersection
where the bus turned left, look up the street and you will
see this fountain. Aix en Provence is just beyond the
fountain. The fountain is located on
Le Cours Mirabeau,
the main thoroughfare for Aix en Provence and worthy of
exploring its shops, restaurants, mansions and beauty.
The Aix en Provence Open
Air Market
One of the first things that
you will notice is the open air market. While located
outside of the Old Section in Aix en Provence, it is worthy
of your time.
Aix en Provence is Noted
For its Wonderful Soaps
You will see a wide variety of
local products at the open air market and the section that
features Aix en Provence's soaps is difficult to pass up.
You will find soaps here that are found no where else on
Earth.
The Local Art is Excellent
Local artwork is also
abundant, inexpensive and very collectible.
Provence is Famous For its
Fruits, Vegetables, Cheeses and Wine
The section that I loved the
most was the extensive fruits, vegetables, cheeses and wines
that were being offered. One would wonder why the people
living in Aix en Provence are not overweight with the
excellent quality of fine produce and food that is available
to them.
One of the Many Restaurants
Surrounding Aix en Provence
Across from the open air
market, one finds a good number of restaurants featuring all
sorts of French cuisine. They are busy and excellent. Just
when you are starting to think Aix en Provence is pretty
cool you discover that there is a lot more to it.
One Entrance into Aix en
Provence Pedestrian Section
While walking along
Le Cours Mirabeau
you will occasionally see openings between buildings on our
left hand side. This
is your invitation to explore Aix en Provence's old section.
Once a medieval village, this section of Aix en Provence is
what you came to see.
The Narrow Pedestrian
Streets of Aix en Provence
The pedestrian streets meander
their way around the village's labyrinth of pathways, nooks,
crannies and squares.
Just One of the Shops in
the Old Section
Each street has its own wealth
of small shops selling everything imaginable.
Shopping Opportunities
Galore
There is Something For
Everyone in Aix en Provence
The shopping in Aix en
Provence for items unique to Provence is overwhelming. There
is such a diversity of specialty products it is hard to
decide what to buy. Most visitors end up buying a lot.
Aix en Provence
Architecture
One can't help but be
mesmerized by the extensive amount of art used on the
buildings.
One of the Churches Found
in the Old Section
One notices the large amount
of churches located in the old section. Some are simply
gorgeous.
Another Old Church
As you continue to wonder
around Aix en Provence, it becomes crystal clear why Provence
has so many admirers. It is simply breath taking.
One of the Restaurants
Located in a Square
Every turn offers a surprise
that treats the eyes, ears, nose and palate. Small French
restaurants are everywhere and offer excellent cuisine and
ambiance. It is hard to not stop for some wine at every one
that you see to enjoy the surrounding buildings, people and
flavor.
Another Aix en Provence
Street
All too soon it come time to
start making your way back to the bus to travel back to
Marseille. However, finding your way out of the Old Section
may require asking for directionsmore than once.
The Way Out of Aix en
Provence
Eventually you find your way
back to
Le Cours
Mirabeau, the fountain and then down the hill to the waiting
bus to take you back to Marseille. If you are like me, all that Aix en Provence
has done is whet your appetite for more of what Provence offers. |
