We woke up to a beautiful Saturday morning, enjoyed a relaxed continental breakfast at the hotel, and then headed out to explore the Saturday markets in Aix-en-Provence, held across Place Verdun and Place des Prêcheurs.
They were exactly what you hope for from a traditional French market — stalls piled high with fresh fruit and vegetables, cured meats and salamis in every direction, alongside artisan leather goods, clothes and all the usual market bits and bobs.
In a questionable attempt to look as effortlessly stylish as the locals, I bought a rather bold flowery shirt. It did not have the intended effect. Alongside that, we picked up fresh fruit, olives and a rustic loaf of bread for dinner later that evening.
We found a small café in one of the squares, ordered strong coffee and spent twenty minutes doing some top-quality people watching before heading off for one last wander around the city, and then back to face the challenge of escaping the underground car park, which I’d been quietly dreading since arrival.
Aix-en-Provence: A City Worth Returning To
It has to be said, we really enjoyed our short time in Aix-en-Provence. The pace of life, the architecture, the sunshine, the food and that unmistakable Provençal “joie de vivre” all just worked.
Aix has been an important city for centuries, originally founded by the Romans as a spa town thanks to its thermal springs. Later it became the historic capital of Provence and is famous today for its elegant boulevards, fountains and strong connection to artist Paul Cézanne, who lived and worked here for much of his life.
It’s one of those places that feels cultured without feeling intimidating, lively without feeling chaotic, and it’s definitely somewhere that has whetted our appetite for a proper, slower exploration of this part of Provence in the future.
As Arnie said in Terminator, “I’ll be back.”
Heading Towards the Riviera
Compared to previous days, this was a relatively easy run and only around 100 miles, leaving Aix and joining the A8 motorway before cutting off towards the Plaine des Maures National Nature Reserve and eventually dropping down towards the coast via Cogolin and Grimaud.
It’s one of those drives where you slowly feel the geography change as you head south. The air feels warmer, the colours feel sharper, and you know the sea isn’t far away.
Port Grimaud: One of Our Happy Places
Our first proper stop of the day was somewhere that holds a lot of memories for us, Port Grimaud.
Port Grimaud is often described as the “Venice of Provence”, built in the 1960s as a purpose-designed marina town, with canals instead of roads in parts and pastel-coloured houses lining the waterways. It manages to feel both carefully designed and completely natural at the same time.
We first visited Port Grimaud back in 2008 on a family holiday, camping in the South of France with my sister. We drove our brilliantly modified Mitsubishi Delica 4×4 all the way down, spent a couple of weeks here, and then headed home via the Alps. Since then, we’ve been back several times and have always loved the area. The restaurants, the atmosphere and, like so much of France, that slightly slower, more relaxed pace of life is perfect.
Our Mitsubishi Delica 4x4 in the Alps in 2008
Oscar being Oscar on his first trip to Port Grimaud in 2008
Camping in the South of France in 2008
Whenever we’re anywhere nearby, we always try to stop, even if it’s just for a wander and an ice cream. Thankfully, Port Grimaud was every bit as lovely as we remembered, and the ice creams have definitely not declined in quality over the years.
First Proper Riviera Driving
Leaving Port Grimaud, the drive along the coast was exactly what you imagine when you think of the Riviera. Mountains and countryside rising on one side, the deep blue Mediterranean on the other, and a steady procession of beautiful villages and marinas along the way.
We passed through Sainte-Maxime, Les Issambres and Fréjus before finally arriving in Saint-Raphaël and making our way to our base for the next week at Camping Douce Quiétude.
Settling Into Our Riviera Base
We chose to stay on a holiday park mainly for the practicality, having easier parking, sensible pricing and a good location. The “mobile home” was a bit of an understatement. It was more like a compact holiday house, complete with its own garden and private hot tub, which felt pretty perfect for a week of driving and relaxing.
The park sits just outside Saint-Raphaël, backed by forest. The only downside was the road leading up to it was full of potholes and speed bumps, which is not ideal when you’re driving something low and German.
Thankfully, being early in the season, the park wasn’t overly busy and the usual background noise of screaming kids was kept to a minimum.
Our unit was tucked away in a quiet spot towards the back of the park, which would have been absolutely perfect if it hadn’t involved a long uphill walk to the main centre where the bar and restaurant were. That said, it probably helped offset some of the calories from the trip, so not entirely a bad thing.
First Night on the Riviera
After settling in for a couple of hours, we walked up to the bar for some well earned beer and food. It was going to be an early night as we had an early start planned the next morning, with a drive along the coast to Monaco and our first taste of classic motorsport for the week.
Langres to Aix-en-Provence: Toll Roads, Lyon Traffic & First Impressions of Provence
