We’re starting to think about closing up shop here in Aix so today was about taking care of some chores and final prep.
Mary spent some time tidying up the apartment and I cleaned up some of the finances. It’s an interesting process keeping track of bills when gone for a while. It’s a pain in the butt, but still interesting.
On to shopping! I needed to pick up a shipping tube to transport a poster we purchased and have been anxious about how to communicate what we need to a French-speaking clerk. No worries – the local equivalent of an ‘Office Depot’ is a block away and we were able to find something suitable without butchering the language. Next up was the Monoprix just down the street for last minute provisions and ‘favorites’ to take home (mustard!). ‘Nichols’, the local wine merchant, is next door to Mono. They stock a ‘vin blanc’ from Cassis which Mary enjoys so we stop in for a purchase and pick up a couple of really efficient corkscrews that she has been seeking our whole trip.
We had another fantastic dinner in the old quarter at ‘Licandro Le Bistro’. It’s a very tiny space with ‘intimate’ seating (that means you rub elbows with the table next to you) and really great food.
Earlier in the trip we had stopped by an interesting beer joint that carried only local Aixois brewery products called ‘Aquae Maltae, Bierarium’. It’s a new venture and their ‘Inauguration de la Boutique’ was tonight. After dinner we took a walk by the shop and tried one of the draft wheats from the house ‘gypsy’ brewery – Aquae Maltae. They had a good crowd with music and poetry readings (in French) while we were there. Quite unique and fun.
D.
Ahh, almost the end. Kind of the bittersweet time of the vacation. Having the apartment has been wonderful, but housekeeping chores are included. We had a very late-night last night, so we slept in a little this morning. Since there were no immediate plans today, a chance to have that extra cup of coffee, and enjoy an omelet that Dick makes this morning to use up our market eggs.
There is some laundry to process and general cleaning to be done. It takes a couple of hours but it’s ok. Also, we have a few errands to take care of. Dick needs a shipping tube for a poster we bought several weeks ago and we need a small grocery store run for yogurt, juice, milk for the next couple of days. Included is a wine run to Nichols as they have been carrying this great vin Blanc from Cassis, so we get a couple of bottles (the 2017 was very limited, and the store only has about 20 bottles left). I’ve been looking for a specific kind of wine opener that I have only seen in France. I have one from a previous trip and I am hoping to bring home a few more. I was able to find something similar at the wine store, so I got a couple to bring back.
We have dinner reservations at Licandro Le Bistro, in the old town. All the reviews have been great, but it is a very small space. No outdoor seating (due to location), can seat 12 people upstairs and maybe 18 in the lower level. There are just three people working and I suspect one is the chef and owner, one a sous chef and the third a wait staff. We have an early seating (7 PM) and we are joined with two other American couples in close proximity, nice to share travel experiences. Our meal starts with a pate with pistachios for me and an egg, pasta, carbonara type dish for Dick. The mains are grilled hake with tapenade and seasonal vegetables for Dick and a Paella dish with grilled prawns for me. We finish with crème Brule and a chocolate mousse that should be illegal.
On the way back, we stop in at the new Aix local craft beer stores grand opening. We have a ½ pint and listen to a French poetry reading set to gentle guitar music. A unique experience and good finish to the evening.
M.
