Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report D'Aix: a photo essay of Aix

FlyGirl, this particular trip was during fall 2018. We arrived in Aix on Oct. 5th. We've been to Aix a couple times in decades past. As for your personal debate--why not return there, if its calling to you? Have you been to the Vasarely museum yet? The staff are idiots but the display is unique, due to the SIZE of the art.
Gudava, you are more than welcome. May everyone have their own ways of enjoying their travels, be it photographic, literary, artistic, eating, shopping or whatever.

Franchaucouer, you are more than welcome. I love the way you've described that certain 'je ne sais quoi' Aix appeal. Some places just 'work' for each of us, yeah? The where and the why don't matter. Our photo essay here just drew some snark on another travel site. A poster over there was critical of the overall touristy feel that typical Provencal imagery conveys. Their message was, "Hmph! It works for you North Americans and your fantasies of France. Why don't you go try photographing reality, like the gritty outer suburbs of Paris instead?!"

I guess our response to that would be:
a) one must learn from one's travels.
b) one thing that we've learned is that we are now seniors, with limited energies.
c) another thing that I've learned is to accept the needs of my traveling partner/wife: no more Zambian canoe treks for either of us.
d) travel is not some game with attached achievement scores Burundi 9.4 Sikkim 8.9 Santa Fe 3.7 Niagara-on-the-Lake 2.1 Moldava 7.7 etc. If someone is passionate about a certain locale, who are we to be critical of their preference?
e) does anyone seriously think that a retiree from overseas would come all the way to Paris and spend most of their time in one of the toughest inner-city neighbourhoods? (cue the Marseille beat-down scene with Matt Damon in 'Sweetwater)
f) I spent nearly my entire teaching career in inner-city neighbourhoods; no desire to seek them out again anywhere, during retirement. We don't want to get robbed or stabbed---we're funny that way.
g) we actually chose to rent a house in one of Paris' less-touristy areas near St. Blaise last time.
h) couldn't think of anything to add as an 'h' here.

Fun Fact: BBC Gardening guru Monty Don once spent a year in Aix as a young man.

Bonus Story:
Moments after photoing those Roman ruins near the Palais de Justice, I walked over to a nearby historic building. As I was taking a shot of its façade, there was a local couple nearby watching me closely. He came over and inquired why I was taking pictures there, then after I explained (i.e. they were just for fun), they both exhaled visibly and began to laugh. Turned out that they'd just put a bid in to buy that property and had come down from pairs to seal the deal that hour. They had assumed that i was a competing bidder on the home! We all laughed together and high-fived, a wonderful ending to that tale.

I am done. the storytelling