About Us Work With Us Write for Us
About Us Work With Us Write for Us
blank

Download Our Summer Menu Collection

Featuring 25 recipes from the South of France for summer weather, along with menu suggestions, all designed to make your cooking experience enjoyable. Download this PDF, which includes recipes for starters, main courses, side dishes, and desserts.
Purchase Today

Remember to Keep Looking Up in Aix-en-Provence

Explore · Guest Post · Villages Towns and Cities

When at home in Aix-en-Provence, we never tire of strolling the cobbled lanes, looking up and around to see what new treasures we can spy – have we noticed that fountain before? And look at that interesting frieze just below a roofline! 

Looking Up in Aix

We have guided our Music and Markets Tours guests through the beautiful town of Aix en Provence for the past 17 years. Along the way, we point out the many niches, filled with Madonnas and saints, and on corners of buildings. During medieval times these comforting icons were installed during the plague so that the quarantined residents, unable to attend mass, could instead pray to these figures that they could see from their windows. 

Flatiron Madonna Looking Up Aix-en-Provence

 

Did we ever imagine that, once again, our world would be confined to our homes as we were earlier this year? France imposed a nearly two-month lockdown in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

In the Heart of Aix:

We can see the cathedral bell tower from Ambiance d’Aix, our home in Aix en Provence – do you think that would “count” as a prayer niche?! 

Belltower Looking Up Aix-en-Provence

 

One of the things we love about our French home is the sound of those church bells. On the last Wednesday of March, church bells rang out throughout France for 10 minutes, beginning at 7:30 pm, as an act of solidarity and hope, and people were encouraged to light candles in their windows at the same time.

Someone Watching Over You

Throughout the town, Mother and Child statues seem to bless the lively squares below. I think of this one as the market Madonna. 

Market Madonna Looking Up Aix-en-Provence

 

Just around the corner from our home is this unusual Black Madonna, on the corner of “scrape your elbows” lane – a cobbled path so narrow you have to hold your arms against your body as you walk through. 

Aix en Provence black madonna

 

As we stroll our favourite lanes, we look at these historic niches with new eyes, and hope that they may continue to smile down on busy-once-again squares!

Author’s Bio: Anne Woodyard

Anne Woodyard Bio Photo

The best way to describe the Woodyards is that they’re interested in the stories that make the places they visit come alive.

They’ve visited Europe more times than they can count, learned some entertaining stories there, and met some warm and helpful people who also enjoy the wonders of music and life in Europe. They look forward to sharing these stories and friends and experiences with their Music and Markets guests.

Since 2003 they’ve hosted Music and Markets tours in France, Italy, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, England and Spain, and in 2019 added Wonder Tours with a more intentional concentration on art and architecture, local culture, food and wine, and less time dedicated to concert-going.

They also design and host custom private tours – previous locations include many French, Spanish, British and Italian regions.

Between their music-related travels, they split their time between their homes near Washington DC and the south of France. While both have experience in organizing travel and music groups, Anne is an accomplished pianist with over forty years of teaching and performance experience.

Please share this with friends and family.
Explore France
,
blank

Full-Day Wine Adventure from Marseille: Exploring the Côtes de Provence Appellation

Join us for a captivating day tour as we explore the Côtes de Provence wine appellation! Your adventure begins by unveiling the beauty of Montagne Sainte Victoire, an iconic symbol of the area.

Book this Experience
Legal
All rights reserved. Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission. For usage information, please contact us.
Syndication Information
 
Affiliate Information
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Some recipes, posts and pages may have affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that does not impact your price. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to maintain Perfectly Provence.

Related Provence Articles

Explore · Guided Holiday Tours

Exploring with Provence Authentic Tours

January 18, 2016
Jessica and Elodie are celebrating an anniversary. These tourism graduates launched their travel agency Provence Authentic one year ago, in January 2015. Originally from Lyon, Jessica has lived in Provence for a decade, and Elodie is local. She was born in Carpentras, only 15kms away from their headquarters in Vacqueyras.   These trilingual ladies (French, …
Continue Reading
blank

Guest Post

No Comment

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

blank
Provence food, lifestyle and Mediterranean living magazine.

About Perfectly Provence

Perfectly Provence...is an essential online resource, a digital magazine for locals and visitors alike, with content collected from the region’s top regional writers. Focused exclusively on Provence, Perfectly Provence includes targeted regional content for both tourists and for those who have chosen the area for their permanent home. About Perfectly Provence

Our Provence Marketplace

Shop our collection of handcrafted and limited production French products. We feature beautiful items for home décor, accessories, beauty products, and gifts. These companies focus on traditional designs and promoting artisanal culture. In addition, our partners are environmentally conscious and work only with top-quality materials. If you are interested in collaborating please get in touch via our contact form. Visit the Marketplace

Explore Our Contributors

Our Perfectly Provence contributors share a passion for the region. Their varied backgrounds include writing, culinary arts, wine expertise, photography, video production, tour operations, and more. These voices help us create a unique collection of Provencal content presented in a digital magazine. Explore Our Contributors