Rugby in Aix-en-Provence

After a very welcome lie in and slow start, we caught the bus into Aix-en-Provence. The town used to be the capital of Provence and has some very grand buildings and lots of squares and fountains. The place was vibrant and, although bustling with people, had a calm and relaxed vibe… maybe because most of it was traffic free. We enjoyed wandering through the beautiful streets of the old quarter in the sunshine.

The main squares in the town were filled with market stalls, selling regional produce, clothing, household goods… pretty much anything you could think of! Bars and restaurants lined their edges, and people sat watching the world go by.

While we stopped for a drink, I broached the subject of a new camera. We were disappointed not to be able to take underwater pictures when we snorkelled, and I’ve been thinking of buying a small compact camera for a while because my OM1 isn’t suitable for taking cycling and paddling. We agreed to dip into our savings and pop to a camera shop to buy a Tough TG7, which we can use in these circumstances. I hope we get to go snorkelling again 😊

By now it was lunch time. The man in the camera shop recommended a little French restaurant down a back street that the locals use. Unfortunately, it was fully booked so we headed to a restaurant we’d seen in a quiet, shady little square, which John said had good reviews. We weren’t disappointed. The food was delicious and it was a peaceful spot to relax for a while.

By now, it was almost time for the rugby… one of the main reasons we were visiting a town on this day, with John wanting to watch it in a bar. We’d passed another little square with bars more like British pubs, and we ended up in one with an Irish sounding name. Football was showing on the TV in the front bar, but the barman put the rugby on in the back for us. We ended up watching both the Wales and England games there, and the place got quite lively as the afternoon turned to evening.

Finally, after having drunk more than usual, we dragged ourselves away from the bar to get the bus back to the campsite. It took a while to find the right bus stop, but thankfully a bus arrived just as we did. We were soon back at Bertie after another good day 😊