Woke up to a cloudy overcast day as predicted. As we had run out of Valium had decided no driving today as had also discovered yesterday a rather efficient little bus service ran between our little hamlet of one old lady, two dogs and 73 cats and the nearby tourist hub of Aix- En-Provence. If nothing else I was eagerly awaiting to see how a bus drove on these roads. So after a beautifully prepared continental breakfast we stood on the side of the road at designated spot. We did not stand together as that would have blocked the road ! Bus arrived duly on time and we headed off. Don’t know what you Aussie drivers moan about – there was a minimum of two wheels on the road at any given time.
We stopped off in middle of town and started to wander slowly towards the 3 main attractions. A Mens Toilet , A Ladies Toilet and a Cezane Appreciation Statue. They do love the guy here. Actually it is a very nice town with plenty of good eateries and some classy shops along a central “mall” . Of course there is a church and a bell tower. And plenty of lousy coffee. We first tried Les Deux Garçons where Cezane used to hang around with at least one more clown I assume. Had the cappuccino and the cream on top was about 4 inches thick. Sadly the coffee underneath was la terrible. We were not surprised. However while wandering up and down the lanes we saw a blackboard outside a small shop called “Coffee to Go ” and amongst many listed there was Flat White and Latte! This had to be worth a go. Inside the menu board had an Aussie $50 note on it along side “Gooday mate ” . Could it be possible? Ordered a flat white to go. Perfect! So we wandered a around a bit more always planning to head back there later to have more coffee and get lunch and dinner to go from nearby shops. This time we sat down and had same coffees only in mugs when noticed there was ” free wifi” . Yeah right. It was lightening fast and reliable! I did not want to leave. It was then we noticed that the Barista had been trained in Spring Hill Brisbane !
But we did. A surprisingly young and hot female bus driver drove us home with aplomb . Our lovely host Martine had told us there was a beautiful lake only 5 mins walk from La Charlotte. Perfect for our purchased Snail baguette. 15 minutes later after walking down a goat track I saw a lake in the distance. It was indeed beautiful. It was still 20 mins away . Bloody French. We sat on two rocks and imagined what the cool clear water may indeed feel like.
So our time near Aix-En-Provence was not quite as planned but still enjoyable and very comfortable. Once you stopped driving. I have seen some things in my life but never wifi so slow it was uploading a file at -68% of 0 ! Tomorrow it is another 300 K to Chambery where we can drop the car off and start to relax!
But I will miss that coffee…..
flashman181 