Happy birthday to Ken!!

We spent some time on the French highways today. Visited the post-impressionist painter, Paul Cezanne’s painting studio, Atelier des Lauves, near Aix-en-Provence (pronounced “ax”, and if you’re cool, you just say Aix). We just say Aix.

It’s been a really long time since I studied art history. I remembered something about the post-impressionists being annoyed with the impressionists for losing form and structure in paintings. Ish. Cezanne was big into still life painting (hello, structure and form), and his favorite “objects” are still on display in his studio. Decided to photograph my own still life scene. Didn’t think Paul would mind.

Found a stone planter in Cezanne’s garden that I really really want to take home with me.

After we’d had enough Cezanne, we walked through Aix, the city of fountains. A couple of the oldest fountains are covered covered in végétation (in English, we call this weeds), so much so that no one remembers what the fountain actually looks like underneath.

Stopped to buy and try the famous local cookies called calissons. Edible if you need a quick sugar rush, but not delicious.

Walked through the Aix Cathedral. It was originally constructed in the 1st century, with another section added in the 13th, and a final section in the 17th. They very clearly didn’t run this by the local HOA.

Ate lunch in a beautiful, peaceful garden, away from all the tourists in Aix.

Mary Magdalene’s Skull

We drove on to Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume to see the famous Catholic pilgrimage site where Mary Magdalene’s relics are supposedly stored. If I’m being honest, relics are more eeew and less aaahhh for me. Mary’s skull is in a crypt designed for people no taller than 5’5”; we all had to duck. Someone built Mary’s skull a snazzy gold reliquary. I tried to photograph as best as I could; will probably go to hell for said photograph, but you only live once.

Got to experience a fantastic French traffic jam on the way home. DC traffic still wins, though.

Stopped at the local wine shop and bought a special bottle of Champagne for Ken’s birthday, but it’s not even remotely cold, so we’ll pop that tomorrow.