Cours Mirabeau, Aix's version of the Champs-Élysées. I find it slightly ironic that the Christmas market was closed on Christmas.
Oops. I got a little out of order here. With not quite enough days to cover all the places we wanted to visit in Provence, Aix became our Christmas Day trip. And how different it was from Marseille! In short, Aix-en-Provence is smaller, cleaner, rustic rather than gritty, and just generally more well-to-do than its neighbor. Many businesses were closed to observe the holiday, but there was still a surprising number of pedestrians milling about who, like us, were out to absorb and admire the town's charm.
Thanks to the surrounding lavender fields, Aix is known for its perfume shops that allow you to design a custom scent. Guess I'll have to go back in the springtime.
