Revisiting Provence, and its true colors

Shadow dancing plane trees in Sanary

Dessert after a barbecue at friends' in Aix (i.e. impromptu banquet)

Have you ever had the experience of revisiting places you knew years ago and have the past wash over you like a wave? Small and big memories come flooding in (ok, I’ll stop with the imagery) and you can’t quite seize the present because the past is gushing in so powerfully? 

I had that experience recently on a trip to the south of France. I had first discovered the region as a student on my summer abroad, and then years later researched the area in order to create art tours and fell in love with the quaint villages, hilltop towns, centuries old Roman settlements, and colorful seaside port towns. But one thing is certain, the sun has its particular role in near everything from the heightened flavor of fruits and vegetables, to the outdoor living, to the play of light on architecture, water, and nature all around, inspiring, of course, artists.

Oddly enough, who would have ever thought that Provence would be the first place I would venture to after months of lockdown?  (Precursor question : who would ever thought there would be lockdown?) Other inquiries: were my senses heightened because of  months of house arrest?  More to the point : are flavors or is light often as strong after incarceration?  I believe so, yes, in part, but having lived in the southwest desert in my youth, I know sunshine, and how it penetrates and heightens colors, how you live with its attributes and how the pace, outlook, temperature and tone is different.  I'm talking, of course, about the color orange.  No, I'm not. Yes, I am...?

The hotel Boyer d'Eguilles in Aix soon to be converted into a museum of essential oils

Second dish in aforementioned impromptu banquet...

Fountain on Place d'Albertas in Aix

First of all, Aix-en-Provence.  I mean, did those Roman engineers, city planners and techies really just accidentally lay out the most beautiful city center ever?  Are the fountains so incidental?  Are the Provence colors and hues that so perfectly define this jewel of city and their soothing tones an accident of nature because they ran out of more garish colors at the hardware store (called in those days Homus Depotus).  

True, this former Roman settlement, initially called Aquae Sextiae (the waters of Sextius), founded in 122 BC, has been a thermal city since antiquity but has throughout the centuries come of its own as an important cultural entity.  Known as the City of a Thousand Fountains, there are in reality about 40 (probably over a hundred if you count the wall sconces and faucets), that add cadence to a stroll through town, the most impressive ones dating to the 17-19th centuries. They grace Aix by the element of surprise they add to your walks, the playful sound of water trickling, and the respite they provide on a hot day. Probably been like that since the dawn of Sextius' time.   

There are many things not to miss in Aix : one of the most renowned markets on the place Richelme with its luscious sun-drenched produce and Provence objects, perfumes and colors, the Granet museum with its galleries dedicated to Cezanne, a native, most notably les Grandes Baigneuses, or the Bathers, the Cathedral of Saint Saveur, the emblematic fountain of the Rotonde...  Some personal favorites : sitting at a café on the Cours Mirabeau people-watching or reading a book or composing a story or catching up (gossiping) with friends, visiting Cezanne’s atelier (when you know the number of important paintings created in this atelier, it becomes an artist's mecca) or a bit further from town, hiking along the trails of Mount St Victoire, tasting calissons d'Aix, a local delicacy made from candied melon and almonds with a tiny bit of orange blossom.  Once again, the orange.  

One thing has changed since my student days visiting the south for the first time : the number of friends who have moved and settled down here. Experiencing the south from people homes, having barbecues, exploring their gardens, picking plums or pears from their fruit trees, hiking on their backroads and picking herbes de provence from hillsides, sitting in their favorite cafés or restaurants, now that's another aspect of Provence I hadn't known. 

 

Another place I discovered on this recent trip was Sanary-sur-Mer.  Granted, there are hundreds of beautiful villages in the south, some truly mind-blowing, one even more beautiful than the next. But here I was pleasantly surprised, I hadn't expected it to be so well-kept and quintessentially Mediterranean. Perhaps I was remembering my first discovery trips of the south, with their run-down old streets, paint peeling off walls, colors fading... 

I had planned a pan-European trip with my family coming from the US this summer.  You all know the rest of the story, border restrictions, cancellations, etc. So it was bittersweet imagining what could have been with my family... But its charm washed away all regret.  The night markets on the boardwalk with wares including local olive oil, artisan baskets, handmade savons de Marseille, paintings of southern villages, dried sausages..., sitting in a terrace café under the striped blue and white umbrellas whiling away the afternoon while sipping sirot à l'eau (flavored fizzy or still water, with grenadine, orge, mint, I often get lemon), and watching the glorious sunset view from the marina, you are immersed in the essence of the south.

A bit of history : there are traces of Greek and Roman vestiges in Sanary, previously named Saint Nazaire before this century. During the time between the two world wars, Sanary became a refuge for German and Austrian intellectuals fleeing Nazi rule. One person who hid here from the Nazis, as well as his invention, was oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, who invented a certain underwater breathing device and tested it in nearby Bandol. But I will treasure in my memory, the winding streets with colorful old fisherman's houses, the plane trees and their shadowdance on the walls, water fountains hidden in the old streets (so useful for rinsing pandemic hands). 

A quick and short mention about Saint Cyr Sur Mer, also nearby, with its lovely beach of Les Lecques.  Our sunset visit was too short but one of the most memorable. We had watermelon mojito cocktails and appetizers in one of the loveliest beachfront cafés and out there with its comfortable cushions and tables dangling over the boardwalk. The sky, however, was the star of the show, taking on hues unimaginable. As the sun sets late, the beach is the place to be (around 9 pm) with people setting up evening blankets to watch the show. Coupled with the true colors of the south, it can seem unreal, but a true moment to treasure.  And orange.

Here's a taste of Provence to add to your "apero" or cocktail and appetizer spread, la tapenade (an olive paste with the the true ingredients from Provence):

300 g unpitted olives (black or green)

120 g of extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, diced

60 g of capers 
6 anchovies
1 teaspoon of thyme or oregano
A pinch of pepper (no need for salt, it will be salty enough with these ingredients)

Put all the ingredients in a mixer or blender. If you prefer a creamier paste, mix/blend for a while.  If you blend less, you will have a chunkier mixture, it all depends on your preference.

Serve with crackers or toast.  You can top with cherry tomatoes, or fresh herbs like basil or green onions, or sardines...

Bon appetit !