South of France 2018

Between Lavender Fields and Côte d'Azur - The South of France

 

  This summer, a dream came true! Since a few years ago, I really wanted to visit the lavender fields in the South of France. Moreover, we went to Cannes with the whole family, when I was a child. So I didn't have many memories left and wanted to see the area of the Côte d'Azur again too. So I made a travel plan by starting the vacation in Marseille, the 2nd biggest city of France. So I rented a car at the airport of Marseille to be more flexible during this trip. But to be honest, driving in Marseille is so stressful. I was really happy, when I could start to explore the city by walking around. The first place, I wanted to visit, was the Vieux Port, which has been the harbour of the city since the antiquity and is nowadays one of the most attractive sightseeing places in Marseille, surrounded by many restaurants, bars and souvenir shops.
 

  After a little walking tour, I stopped at a wonderful "pâtisserie" for having a little break. Actually, all those cakes, pastries and macarons, I had during the trip in France, were so unbelievable delicious. That's definitely one of the points, why I really like to come back to France again and again.

  After the break, I visited the impressive cathedrals and churches of Marseille, starting with the Église Saint-Laurent, which is located in the North of the Vieux Port. The church was built in 1150 in the simple Romanesque style of Provence and was dedicated to Lawrence of Rome. Then, I went to the Roman Catholic Marseille Cathedral, a basilica minor since 1896, where I had the chance to attend a French Saturday Mass. Even if it was hard to follow the mass, it was quite interesting. After listening the priest for a couple of minutes, I continued the walking tour to see the Porte d'Aix, a triumphal arch, which markes the old entry point to the city of Marseille on the road from Aix-en-Provence. From there, I walked back to the Vieux Port to take a bus to the Notre-Dame de la Garde. The Catholic basilica is the city's best-known symbol and was constructed since 1852 at the highest natural point in Marseille, on the foundations of an ancient fort. It's not only the cathedral, but also the amazing view over the whole city, which made this place to an unforgettable experience. It was definitely worthwile to spend some time there to enjoy the panoramic view on this sunny day.

 The next morning, I firstly went to the Palais du Pharo, a palace, which was built in 1858. From there, I had a wonderful view over the Fort Saint-Jean and the Vieux Port, before I made a promenade at the seaside. I passed the the little beach area "Plage des Catalans" and La Porte de l'Orient, a monument for the African armies. Arrived in the 7th arrondissement of Marseille, I could also see the little traditional fishig haven called Vallon des Auffes. Another highlight was the visit of the Stade Vélodrome, the stadium of Olympique de Marseille, which was opened in 1937. Since it was a long time ago, since I made a tour inside a football stadium, it was really great to make this guided tour and enter the stadium from the player's tunnel.

 

 In the evening, I enjoyed the time at the Vieux Port again by watching the sunset and  observing the stars in the sky. Moreover, there was a magical atmosphere, since a violinist played some mystical, but also relaxing songs, and I could drink a glass of tasty red wine from the region.

   I also had the time to visit one of the trendiest areas in Marseille, the Cours Julien. In this quarter, it's allowed to spray graffiti on the walls of the houses, so the district lives from its street art. Therefore it could be called the "Mekka of Street Arts". But this young and modern district with the famous stairs and the square also has a lot of bars, cafés and restaurants for hanging around. Since I'm a big fan of street art, I was really impressed and euphoric to walk around every small alley of this area.

  On my last day in Marseille, I actually left the city to make a hiking tour. I took the bus from Marseille to Luminy. From there, I started my hiking trip to the Calanque de Sugiton, one of the breathtaking calanques between Marseille and Cassis. I walked around one hour through the "Massif des Calanques", before I finally reached a little beach area. I also took a little break for swimming in this clear blue water, before I continued hiking and climbing in the national parc. But since it was terrible hot and exhausting, I returned back to Marseille not too late, so that I could recover and relax the afternoon.

  After spending a few days in Marseille, I went to Nice by car. After two hours, I arrived in the beautiful city on the Côte d'Azur and I took some time to relax at the stone beach area. Then, I made a walk at the "Promenade des Anglais" for reaching the Old Town of Nice and the "#ILoveNICE" sign.

  The Vieux Nice was really beautiful with many colorful buildings, squares and fountains. One of the highlights was the Cours Saleya, one of the central elements of the daily life in Nice. It's not only a beautiful market area for handcrafted carvings, flowers, fruits and vegetables, it's also a location for feeling the local lifestyle. Towards the Eastern end of the Cours Saleya, there is located the townhouse of the most famous inhabitant of Nice, the artist Henri Matisse. At the Western end of the Old Town is the Place Masséna, a historic place and main square of the city, which was designed by Joseph Vernier in 1843-1844. In the centre of the square, there is the "Fountain du Soleil" with a statue of Apollo. Before taking a break from exploring the city, I went to the Place de Rossetti, a place in the heart of Vieux Nice with the Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate, which was finished in 1685 and has a characteristic bell tower.  

  But it's not only the beach area or the Old Town, which makes Nice to an interesting city for tourists. I was quite surprised to see many different kinds of churches, like the St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral, the largest Eastern style Orthodox church in Western Europe, or the Saint Jeanne d'Arc Church, a Roman Catholic church, which is dedicated to Joan of Arc and has a unique architectural style. Another sightseeing area is the Cimiez district, located on a hill, with the Cimiez Monastery from the 16th century with its rosarium, and the ruins of the ruins from the Roman period.

  From Nice, I took a bus for 1,50 € to Monaco. The reason, why I mention the price here is, that I was quite surprised about the cheap price of the bus tour, because everything else was quite expensive in the South of France. When I arrived at the Casino of Monte Carlo, I started to walk around the Formula One track with the Fairmont Hairpin curve and the tunnel, by stopping at the Japanese Garden and the famous Yacht Harbor. It was also worthwile to walk up the stairs to see the Prince's Palace of Monaco, the official residence of the Sovereign Prince of Monaco, which was built in 1191. From there, it was also possible to have really amazing and breathtaking panoramic views over the city and the harbor. 

 

  The next destination on my route through the South of France was the beautiful university town Aix-en-Provence, the former capital of the Provence. In Aix-en-Provence, there were a lot of great markets in the city centre, where it was possible to buy not only vegetables and fruits, but also handcraft, flowers or lavender products like lavender honey or lavender soap from the region. At the Cours Mirabeau, a 440 meters long and 42 metrs wide boulevard in the city centre, it was also possible to relax in one of the amazing breakfast cafés, by watching the double rows of plane-trees or the fountains like the historic Fontaine de la Rotonde, which was built from 1840 to 1850.

  Moreover, there were different other areas for relaxing like the Place d'Albertas or Place des Quatre Dauphins with beautiful fountains. In generally, Aix-en-Provence could be something like the "City of Fountains". It seemed like everywhere in the city centre, there were artistic fountains. After a little break with a tasty Bubble Tea, I went to the Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur d'Aix-en-Provence, a basilica minor since 1875, which was completed in the 16th century and includes a Romanesque and Gothic architectural style. But two of the most beautiful places in Aix-en-Provence were the Pavillon Vendôme, a historic pavilion surrounded by a lovely French garden and the Parc Jourdan, a great relaxing area, which is located in the neighborhood of the city centre. Another highlight was the dinner in the Cambodian restaurant called "Angkor Restaurant", where I had a really delicious a three course meal.

  One reason, why I really wanted to visit Aix-en-Provence, was the possibility to drive through the little villages of the Provence. Moreover, I could make my dream come true. When I saw pictures of the lavender fields in the Provence, I really wanted to go there to feel the atmosphere in the lavender fields. And actually, it was much better than I expected. I was on the way to Valensole and I didn't stop only for the lavender fields, I also saw beautiful sunflower fields. But when I finally reached the lavander fields, I felt like in heaven. Everywhere was the smell of lavender, even when I just opened the window of the car on the road.

   Before I went back to Aix-en-Provence, I decided to visit the village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, a village in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, which is declared as one of the most beautiful villages in France. But unfortunately, it started to thunder in the mountains, so I decided to drive back to Aix-en-Provence, without visiting the Gorge du Verdon. So I still have something to see in the South of France for another travel experience.

   Before I went to Avignon, I made a jaunt to the Luberon Valley, located in the department of "Vaucluse" in the region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. The villages of Gordes and Roussillon are also among the most beautiful villages in France. When I arrived the city centre and the Château de Gordes in the early forenoon, there was a military parade. After the parade was finished, I started to walk around the village, which is located at a maximum altitude of 635 m, where I found many beautiful alleys and medieval stone buildings. At the village exit, I luckily found a wonderful place to enjoy the panoramic view over the the village.

   Then, I continued my tour to Roussillon, a village, which is 10 km away from Gordes and which is famous for its large ochre deposits found in the clay surrounding od the village. Before I walked around the village, I walked around the "Sentier des Ocres" (Ochre Path) for almost one hour. It was really breathtaking, because I never saw so colorful and well preserved ochres before. The walking tour was a real adventure. When I finished the Ochre Path, I went to the church of the village and I noticed the red, brown and yellow-orange colored buildings. The ochres are pigments, so they were used to color the stones for the buildings. In my opinion, Roussillon was the most beautiful village, I visited  during my holiday in the South of France.

   After exploring the beautiful villages in the South of France, I arrived in Avignon, the capital of the Vaucluse department. Until 1791, the city of Avignon was under papal control and during the Avignon Papacy (between 1309 and 1377), seven popes resided in Avignon. Since 1995, the Palais des Papes became a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as the nearby Avignon Cathedral, a Roman Catholic church, and the Pont d'Avignon, also known as Pont Saint Bénézet. The construction of the impressive palace started in 1335 and nowadays, it's one of the most important Gothic buildings in Europe. During the tour around the palace, it was possible to see around 25 halls like the Great Hall, the Pope Chamber or the Chapel Saint Martial, but it was also an opportunity to have an amazing panoramic view over the city of Avignon and the Rhône river. 

   Since I bought a combination ticket, I could also visit the famous medieval Pont d'Avignon, which was the inspiration for the song "Sur le pont d'Avignon" and is considered as one of the symbols of the city. Moreover, I could see some parts of the 4330 m long city wall, which surrounds the historical old towwn of Avignon. After a long tour around the historcal city, I found the restaurant "Tanoshii", where I had a really tasty Korean barbecue as dinner.

   After crossing the Pont Edouard Daladiers and Pont du Royaume, I arrived in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, which is famous for the Benedictine Abbey of St. André, which was built in the 10th century, and the Fort St. André. On the way up to the Mount Andaon, I could also see the scenic Jardin Pompidou and the Tour Philippe le Bel, a medieval tower, which marked the end of Kingdom of France in the period of the Avignon Papacy. Finally, after walking across the narrow alleys, I reached the medieval fortress and the abbey. From the terrace there, I also had a wonderful view over the Palais des Papes in Avignon. Moreover the garden of the abbey was declared as one of the most beautiful and remarkeable garden areas in France.  

   From Avignon, I made a one day tour to explore the footprints of the Romans in Vers-Pont-du-Gard and Orange. At first, I visited the Pont du Gard, one of the best preserved ancient Roman aqueducts, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 because of its historical importance. In the past, the aqueduct bridge was part of the Nîmes aqueduct, a water carrying system from Uzès to the former Roman colony of "Nemausus", which is today known as Nîmes. There, I also made a kajak tour to enjoy the view of the aqueduct from the Gardon river.

   The next places, I wanted to see, were the Roman Theatre and the Triumphal Arch of Orange. Since 1981, both places are on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site. Especially the theatre, which was built in the 1st century AD, is rightly described as the most impressive still existing Roman theatre in Europe. It was possible to make an audio guided tour through the whole theatre and it was really informative and exciting to learn about the past of the theatre in the Roman period. 

    On the way back to Avignon, I coincidentally found the Cave of Thouzon in Le Thor. It was really great to make the 45 minutes guided tour through the cave, not only because of the spectacular formation of the stalactites, stalagmites, draperies, gours and pearls, it was also good to escape from the heat outside, because inside the cave, there was a temperature of 15 °C. The 230 m long cave was discovered in 1902 during the exploitation of a quarry and since it was immediately converted, it's still undamaged. It was definitely astonishing with it's surprising yellow colored stalactites. Moreover it's the only cave of Provence, which has been converted for the tourism.

  From Avignon, I went to Montpellier, the 7th-largest city of France and a real university city, since nearby one third of the population are students.. At first, I thought, Montpellier won't be so interesting and I just wanted to stay there to have a better chance to visit Carcassonne. But when I was really surprised. It's a vibrant city with a lovely old town and different squares like the Place de la Comédie with the Fountain of the Three Graces, which was built in 1790, or the Promenade du Peyrou. The construction of the royal promenade started in 1689 and consists of the Porte du Peyrou, a majestic triumphal arch, the statue of Louis XIV and the Château d'Eau. After climbing up the stairs behind the Château d'Eau, I could also see the old aqueduct of the city. Another interesting building were the Tour de la Babote, a historical watchtower from the 12th century, which became an observatory in the 18th century and the Gothic style Montpellier Cathedral.

  But the biggest highlight was the Jardin des plantes de Montpellier, the historic botanical garden of the city. Since 1593, the garden is an important part in the heart of Montpellier and with its more than 2500 plant species, it's the most beautiful botanical garden, I ever saw yet. I could really enjoy almost an hour with the green and calm atmosphere in the botanical garden.

  On my last day in the South of France, I went from Montpellier to Carcassonne, before I had to drive back to Marseille on the same day too.Since a long time ago, I really wanted to visit the medieval Cité de Carcassonne, the fortified part of the city, which is the largest walled city in Europe. After entering through the porte Narbonnaise, I started to walk through the narrow street with many souvenir shops and restaurants. Then, I made an citadel round trip, where I walked on the city wall and where I passed the St. Nazaire Basilica and the Théâtre de la Cité. On the one side of the fortress, there were sticked yellow aluminium stripes and circles as a kind of art project, made by the Swiss artist Felice Varini, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017. After the round trip in the medieval fortress of Carcassonne, I had a long tour back to Marseille, from where I had to fly back to Germany.