Last day in Aix

This will be a short one. Most people from the choir have gone home, some of them expensively as there was supposed to be a plane strike today – so they made alternative arrangements – which didn’t materialise.

I have packed, breakfasted etc and then went to see the cathedral (no service on a Monday morning I hoped) and the Musee des Tapisseries housed in the old archbishops palace, next door.

The cathedral, looking towards the altar. I’m not sure if the green bits on either side are one organ or two. Impressive, nonetheless
This altarpiece is by a 15C French artist called Nicolas Froment. It shows Rene of Anjou on the left and was commissioned by him for the church where his entrails were buried. Its title is La Vierge au Buisson Ardent (the Virgin and the burning bush). Who knew there was a connection?

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Buisson_ardent_(Froment)

Two other interesting things I found – two 18C plaques in memory of English aristocrats…….

John Webb, Count of Dorchester and Lord Baron of Canford, Poole etc.
John Dolben, Baron of Finedon in Northamptonshire, Elizabeth his wife and their son William.
Stained glass window.
The baptistery. This is at a slightly lower level than the cathedral – almost down to the Roman forum. The pillars are Roman and the hole in the middle is a baptismal pool. With piped water.

Unfortunately, the Tapestry Museum was closed. I was able to read the blurb on a panel outside. In the 14C the archbishops’ palace was moved inside the walls for security reasons. It was much rebuilt over the years, especially (like the rest of the town) in the 17 and 18C. All the kings of France from Henri IV in the 16C to Napoleon III in the 19C stayed there

The Archbishops’ Palace

A few more random street photos. This town has at least 3 cheese shops, two that only sell truffles (and not the chocolate sort!), a pistachio shop and an Uber Eats lad on a single wheel electric scooter.

As French as you like
Memorial to members of the Resistance shot or deported during the Second World War as well as the 20000 Jews sent to Auschwitz. Of them, 100 were children, the youngest one year old.
Girl busking with violin.

I had lunch in this square. When I got there there were a few market stalls open. They closed exactly on 12, packed up and left whereupon several trailers of cafe tables arrived to join the chairs already stacked at the side to take their place. Before they could be put out, though, the street cleaners arrived to sweep and wash the square. If only……

Next stop Avignon

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