Date Nite in Aix en Provence

Aix-en-Provence is home to Cézanne’s studio and inspiration (the mountain of St. Victoire), sprawling fields of lavender, and one of the most beautiful cities in France, perhaps the world. Aix-en-Provence was my home for two years while studying French and teaching English. I’ve cultivated a community of friends. It’s truly an inspiring place, with endless outdoor cafés, abuzz with conversations in various languages. One of my favorite gathering spots, “Les Artistes,” located in the shopping area just outside the tourism office, has the best servers and ambiance.em

Aix is also where I encountered so much unscrupulous nepotism and discrimination while apartment hunting, as I constantly found myself competing against individuals who seemed to have an unfair advantage due to personal connections. This made the process incredibly frustrating, as many listings were quickly snatched up by those who already had insider knowledge, leaving little room for newcomers like myself. Furthermore, the subtle yet pervasive bias I faced from landlords and real estate agents only added to my sense of helplessness in this challenging market, reinforcing the notion that without the right contacts or background, finding a suitable place to live would be an uphill battle.

This was our first Xdate, and my husband was excited to share his Xstory. His son went attended the local University. . After showing me where his son lived, he asked to see my old apartment. I wasn’t particularly enthused to walk the extra three blocks until it occurred to me how lucky I was to have a husband so adoring. In that moment, the chilly night air became warm as I walked him through the area, pointing out my university, the summer rental where I lived the summer prior to moving to Bandol (where we met), and my favorite patisserie.

We enjoyed dinner a wonderful little Japanese restaurant. I was excited to see traditional ramen noodles on the menu. Eric seemed disappointed at my selection, as the Bento boxes offered an assortment of tastings. The ramen did not disappoint, the bouillon was rich yet not too salty, the egg was perfectly cooked, the seaweed was fresh, and the pork was thin, tender and tasty. Eric’s bento box was full of fresh salad, gyoza, tempura chicken, miso soup and yakitori. Insisting I taste the chicken roll, I picked up the crispy morsel with my chopsticks (les baguettes Chinoise) and immediately shocked by the flavour and texture.

Strolling back to the garage after dinner, enjoying the warm feeling of having created new memories in this beautiful city together.