Travel Diary: Aix-en-Provence 🌞

All the things we did in the south of France

Aug 28, 2024

I’m baaaaaaack! 🙋‍♀️

Hello, hi there, I hope you’re well and had a lovely bank hol weekend. I promised you a proper catch up on what I got up to in France last week with James’ family, so here’s my travel diary for your reading pleasure! Brace yourselves, it’s a long one.

We stayed about a 15 minute drive from the centre of Aix-en-Provence, but if you’re looking for a city break, I can highly recommend finding an Airbnb or hotel in Aix-en-Provence itself - it’s such a lovely place.

SATURDAY 17 AUGUST

A 6:00am wake up on the morning of our travel day wasn’t ideal after only getting into bed at 2:30am after the Eras Tour (I mean, it’s a lovely problem to have, let’s be honest), but the holiday excitement and anticipation pulled me through as we sipped our takeaway coffees on the train platform. We met James’ mum Mel on the train and made our way into London, through security at St. Pancras and then on to the 10:30AM Eurostar to Paris.

I love the Eurostar, and although our journey took much, much longer than if we had flown, there are so many benefits to going on the train. No luggage restrictions, an onboard meal, super comfy, spacious seats and much nicer toilets - it’s a win for me. A couple of glasses of rosé later and I was feeling marginally more awake and ready to explore the capital.

With three hours to kill in a very rainy Paris, we decided to walk to the Louvre and then jump in an Uber from there to Gare du Lyon, where our next train would be leaving from. By this point, the rain was getting heavier and heavier, but it was so worth it to walk through the streets of Paris and see the Louvre in the flesh for the first time - I absolutely loved it.

Arriving at Gare du Lyon with plenty of time to spare, we ducked into a brasserie opposite the station for a glass of vino and some frites to keep us going for the next leg, before hopping on our train down to Aix-en-Provence.

The change in weather from Paris to Provence was dramatic, to say the least. We pulled into the station at 7:30pm to be greeted by blue skies, warm air and the most beautiful French countryside stretching out ahead of us. A 10 minute cab ride later and we were pulling up outside our home for the week.

SUNDAY 18 AUGUST

After a slightly broken sleep due to the overly chilly air con in our room (we did indeed survive this calamity, thanks so much for asking), we set off to find coffee and pastries in the local village, Les Milles, about a half hour walk from the house. Most places were closed due to it being a Sunday, but we did manage to buy pastries and some brioche at a tiny boulangerie, plus some gorgeous fresh peaches.

The rest of the day was spent by the pool, eating bread, cheese and meats and loosely planning out the next few days. That evening, we ate pasta for dinner (very kindly made by Mel), drank wine, played cards and revelled in that first night of the holiday feeling. There’s really nothing like it, is there?

MONDAY 19 AUGUST

Morning coffee consumed, we decided to head into Aix-en-Provence to get our first taste of the city life. The big market days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and a lot of the smaller independent shops are closed on Mondays, but there’s a smaller food market that is perfect for picking up gorgeous fresh produce if you happen to visit on a Monday.

We grabbed a coffee and a pastry in a pretty little square and then wandered through the cobbled streets, stopping in at various shops and admiring the architecture of the buildings. It wasn’t too busy for August and we absolutely loved the slower pace that people seem to adopt here.

Back at the house, it was straight into my swimming cozzie for the afternoon. We spent a few hours by the pool and then I got started on dinner - chicken thighs with potatoes, leeks and lots of herbs, plus a salad with the most beautiful fresh tomatoes to serve on the side. I left it to cook away in the oven for two hours, in which time I got showered and changed for dinner.

Luckily, dinner was a hit with everyone (who doesn’t love chicken and potatoes?) and we spent another evening together around the table, watching the sun set, drinking French wine and playing cards.

TUESDAY 20 AUGUST

Another day, another visit to Aix-en-Provence, this time to see what the big market was all about. There’s a really great mix of antiques, furniture, jewellery and vintage items (think crockery, cutlery, ceramics, textiles, vinyl), plus a lot of women’s clothes stalls and, unsurprisingly for the south of France, basket bags galore. Wherever you walk in the city, there’s almost always a little string of market stalls nearby.

I bartered with a lovely French gentleman for a beautiful ceramic dish (as soon as I saw it sitting there, I knew it had to be mine), and then I found the perfect woven bag that I just couldn’t leave behind. There’s something very satisfying (and also unbearably smug) about being able to say, ‘Oh, this? I picked it up in the south of France…’ if someone asks you where your lovely vintage dish is from.

Treasures acquired, we returned to a lovely square we had found on the previous day for breakfast and then continued exploring. Mel treated herself to a basket bag and we picked up a couple of baguettes and some fresh tomatoes for her to carry around in it, like a true Frenchwoman. Don’t say we didn’t have the authentic French experience!

We headed back to the pool for the afternoon, and before I knew it, it was time to start getting ready for our date night at a local restaurant, about a half hour walk from our Airbnb. There’s nothing better than holiday makeup imho: tinted moisturiser, a lil dusting of bronze and blush, mascara and a bold lip and you’re good to go.

James had booked Gaodina for our dinner, a Provençal farmhouse with tonnes of outdoor space and a gorgeous alfresco dining area almost entirely covered by huge trees. It was honestly so beautiful. A very, very special place, one I will remember forever - truly a total gem of a find. Well done James 👏

Share Not That Deep

The food and wine were both exquisite, but most importantly, we just had the best time together chatting away as the sun set. It was magical.

WEDNESDAY 21 AUGUST

A train trip to Marseille was on the agenda for Wednesday, so we all piled into the car and drove off to the station. I have to say, Marseille felt a little too far out of my comfort zone - it’s much bigger and busier than Aix-en-Provence and has a real grit to it. I’d love to go back and see more of the historical buildings and churches another time!

We walked down to the harbour, had some lunch in a little Italian sandwich shop (the focaccia was delicious) and then I decided to head back to Aix-en-Provence on the train as frankly, it was far too hot for my very English disposition. James didn’t want me to go alone so he came with me.

By the time we arrived back in Aix, had a quick drink and bought some food supplies for dinner that evening, it was time to meet the family back at the car and drive home. James’ dad made a curry for dinner and we all collapsed into bed before 11pm.

Not the most photo-worthy day, but a lovely one nonetheless!

THURSDAY 22 AUGUST

My main objective for Thursday, the second to last full day, was to…well, not move a whole lot. I donned my bikini and one of James’ caps, grabbed my book and made myself at home on a sun lounger.

The day whizzed by in the blink of an eye, as they always seem to do on holiday. One minute I was eating my lunch with the sun on my face, my only plans to go in the pool and then have an ice cream, and the next I was changing into a linen jumpsuit and slicking my hair back for a family dinner out at a restaurant we found in Aix.

I think my favourite thing about European cities is the outdoor dining and cafe culture; cobbled streets lined with little bistro tables throughout the year, bars and restaurants on every square teeming with friends meeting for after work drinks, catching up over an aperol spritz or enjoying a quick beer before dinner.

We grabbed a drink (chilled white wine for Mel and I, beer for James and Neil, coca cola for James’ sister Liv and her boyfriend Levi) at a very busy square in the middle of the city before walking over to our dinner spot. Three burgers, two pasta dishes and a couple of glasses of vino later and we stumbled back through the lanes, stopping off to get ice cream on the way and have a look at the market stalls which were still open for business at gone 9pm. There’s such a lovely buzz about the place that none of us really wanted to leave.

I can’t take credit for this photo - James took it! how glorious is this scene?

FRIDAY 23 AUGUST

And just like that, we had arrived at the last full day in our beautiful villa. We had our coffee out on the terrace and then said our goodbyes to James’ dad Neil, who was starting out on his two-day drive back to Blighty that morning.

The rest of us spent the day hopping in and out of the pool, sunbathing and cracking open the wine we had leftover from the week so we didn’t have too much to take back on the train with us. James made dinner and we played a last game of boules while it was cooking (at which point, I got bitten to death by mosquitoes - it was just as the sun was setting and they were in a bloodthirsty mood judging by the amount of bites on my legs). James and I won the last game though, so it was worth it.

Last meal eaten, dishes washed and wine glasses drained, we played a final game of cards and retired to our beds early, ready for our long travel day.