A Journey Through Provence

How to describe Provence? Enchanting. Each town, the narrow cobblestone streets, quaint cafès run by the same family forever, artful fountains, medieval cathedrals, castles, lavender, carousels, wine, and pastries so richly delicious you throw your cholesterol counter into the Rhone. Toss away the map of the village and wander around aimlessly.

These are small villages, so being lost won't last long. The doors, walls, stone steps, and flower boxes in the windows take you back in time.

We began our journey in Aix-en-Provence. From the Marseille airport, a drive to Aix-en-Provence takes about half an hour (hire a driver, take the train, catch a bus, rent a car). Aix (pronounced Ex, comes close to the local sound) is one of the larger towns and offers many affordable accommodations like an AirBnB or a small boutique hotel. Travelers need time to adjust to the new time zone and a comfy hotel with amenities like a restaurant and bar will come in handy when you return to the hotel on tired feet needing a nap. Hotels, like the Marriott, offer convenient locations with staff who can direct you to transportation, sites, and restaurants.

In the Marriott's backyard, you'll find the town library. It's worth a visit just to see the larger than life books at the entrance. The casual, almost industrial, space inside offers relief from rain or heat. Relax with a book, if you are fluent enough in French to read one. The children's section has many picture books if your French is rusty.

The streets of Aix are easy to navigate. Some are main thoroughfares and typical European squares, while others are quaint narrow passages that harken back to Medieval times.

Be aware that pedestrians, cars, and motorbikes share these skinny roads equally.







Just when you think you are walking on a pedestrian path, a car will round the corner to prove you wrong.

Restaurants offer dining inside and outside with plenty of cover in case of rain or bright sunshine. Take a look at the menu located near the door of every place you pass.





The variety is endless. Local dishes are prepared to perfection with fresh ingredients and family recipes.

If you are lucky enough to be visiting on a market day, you can enjoy the amazing fresh fruits, vegetables, baked breads, and special cheeses which you can purchase and take back to the hotel or your AirBnB to prepare a picnic lunch for the next day. Baguettes and croissants can be found in every boulangerie while irresistible sweets will beg to go home with you when you pass the pastry shops.  

By the end of a typical day, you'll have walked off every calorie so don't hesitate to indulge.


Next we'll be headed to Avignon. I'll share photos and a bit of what we found in the next blog. Meanwhile, if you are planning your own trip, I would suggest this site (Culture Trip) https://theculturetrip.com/europe/france/articles/how-to-spend-48-hours-in-provence/ which I used extensively before we left for France. 

Snowless in Minnesota

Anderson Sculpture Garden, Minnesota

The late arrival of spring last year postponed our trip to Minneapolis to visit an art installation. Art installations come and go no matter what the weather has in mind. We've visited Minneapolis several times in the past ten+ years, but this is the first time we chose to fly and not drive. For us, the drive totals less roughly nine hours with one stop to fill up tank. Through Iowa. So, it might seem a few hours longer.

We, however, like driving through Iowa where we can count the erratics alongside the road. Fans of Frank Lloyd Wright will find even more reasons to stop and take a tour or two. On all of our previous drives to Minnesota we've seen and done it all, even stretching the journey into two days in order to catch all the thrill to be had in Iowa.

On the other hand, Southwest flies direct to Minneapolis and that sounded inviting this year. Despite the shattering of plane windows on two Southwest flight recently, we booked our flight and headed north. Minneapolis is one of the few cities where tourists without cars will have an easy time of getting around to the sites, tastes, and treats in town using public transit at a very reasonable cost.

For the second time, we stayed at the Courtyard Marriott hotel near Mall of America which places us close to airport. The light rail system services both locations all day and after midnight. Add to this convenience the hotel's shuttle service to and from both locations and ya gotta wonder why anyone would bother driving through Iowa or for that matter across the Dakotas or Wisconsin.

As far as chain hotels go, the Marriott's Courtyard meets the home away from home criteria. It has a restaurant with a typical selection which is to say pretty plain and palatable to weaker taste buds, particularly at breakfast. In addition, the bar is conveniently located in the lobby and nicely decorated with plenty of seating. The hours for the bar suffice for Happy Hour and a night cap, but early drinkers better walk the half mile or so to the liquor store. Rooms are clean and the beds are comfy. The staff have been well trained in the Marriott tradition and in many cases remember the guests by name. If something isn't right, let the desk know and things will be to your liking soon.

Whether you arrive late and relax before heading out or jump back on the shuttle to catch the next light rail trip, convenience is always key for the first day. The shuttle runs regularly and the drives can answer all questions regarding getting around Minneapolis by rail. Be aware, though, that if you aren't prepared to do long walks between museums, restaurants, sporting events, and general touristy sites, you will need to hail a ride from Uber, Lyft, or the traditional taxis all around town.

We planned accordingly and the light rail took us all the way to downtown Minneapolis. From the rail station we walked a dozen blocks to have lunch and await the opening of the installation in the Warehouse District. Along the way, the Mill Museum, the library, and the plentiful shops along the "sky-way" walks between buildings filled our day. When our legs began to complain, we found pleasant seating inside building lobbies, benches in parks outside, and randomly placed Adirondack chairs right on the sidewalk.


 Don't forget to visit the Anderson Sculpture Garden  and walk around the amazing sculptures.