24 April 2024 – Aix-en-Provence
By Lidia Karanfilovszka Zikic (Creative Writing and English Literature/Year 1)
We went on a scenic 45-minute train ride from Marseille to Aix-en-Provence. The birthplace of Cezanne. A beautiful town, overlooking the famous Sainte-Victoire Mountain which Cezanne painted so many times during his lifetime. We took a walk from the train station through the centre of Aix-en-Provence and passed through a farmers’ market. There were local cheese makers, Provençal spices, vegetables and fruits, handmade souvenirs… It was so interesting to explore every stall that Jenny and I lost sight of the group and for a moment felt a bit lost, but even the feeling of being lost was something to be excited about, and with the technology of today, it is impossible to get lost. We quickly caught up with the group and continued our search for Cezanne’s studio but found out that it was closed for renovation. This didn’t stop us from exploring further, and Saskia took us to the Terrain des peintres, a beautiful garden on top of a hill overlooking the Mont Sainte-Victoire. It was quite a steep walk, but it was worth it because the view was splendid. There were replicas of Cezanne’s few takes at painting the Sainte-Victoire Mountain in different weather seasons and different painting techniques. You could feel the unique energy of this place, surrounded by so many creative expressions. On the way down we passed through cobble-stoned streets with little artisan shops and Jenny, Mariam and I went to have lunch in a local bistro. Afterwards we met with our group at the Musée Granet. We had an organised guided tour through the museum and learned a bit about the history of Aix-en-Provence. We saw archaeological artefacts dating from 100 years BC and a variety of incredibly famous paintings, some of them dating as early as the 14th Century. I was thrilled to see a few of Cezanne’s paintings but still a bit disappointed that there were not a lot of his artworks considering that he was born and spent most of his life in Aix. The ground floor was also home to a range of sculptures which I found profoundly beautiful. The real surprise though was the exhibition in the Chapel of the White Penitents, which was just around the corner from the Granet Museum. This chapel has an impressive three hundred paintings by painters like Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, and Degas. The surprising effect of suddenly witnessing so much greatness in one little space made this visit very memorable for me. After the museum we went to an old “calisson” shop, a famous almond sweet with a very interesting story. It is the story of a King, a candy, and a queen. When the Good King René, who ruled in the 15th Century, was widowed at 45, he married a much younger woman of about twenty called Jeanne. She was unhappy, and everyone began calling her the Queen who never smiled. The King wanted to introduce her to his people and organised a feast, asking his chef to make a dessert, especially in her honour. The chef used candied fruit and ground almonds to create an eye-shaped candy. When the Queen tried it, she smiled for the first time after her wedding. This smile touched the people’s hearts and they felt like she was giving them ‘little hugs’ or in Provençal “di calin soun.” This is how the calisson candy was kept alive until this day. We went to catch our train back to Marseille right after this. I was tired but very happy. Never underestimate the power of good company, movement, and beautiful surroundings.
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