Up early again today for our tour to Aix-en-Provence, only a short way out of Marseilles. We walked from the main fountain down Mirabeau Ave and into the newer section. We saw the high school that Cezanne & Zola attended, and many beautiful hotels. The meaning of "hotel" in French is a big, beautiful home. They usually have "vanity" staircases - a grand staircase only going up 1 floor, and they leave their front door open (there is only a hall downstairs, a large hall) so people can see their staircase (in the olden days). The hotels were usually 3 levels: bottom (empty), first (family) and second (servants). Each floor had windows with flat columns on each side - ionic, gothic and romanesque?

We also saw the little shop on Cours Mirabeau where Cezanne's father sold hats, and a most famous cafe "Les Deux Garcon" where Cezanne used to spend time. We then walked up to the medieval side where we saw several markets - f&v, clothes, jewellery, fish. We went to another Hotel where King Louis had stayed for 3 months, so the owners had a Belgian artist paint scenes around their staircase. The king liked it so much that the artist then worked at Versailles and was known as "The King's Artist".

We then went to Cathedral St Sauveur which has 3 eras - Gothic, Baroque and Roman. It was beautiful, and huge. They have a stunning pipe organ on one side, and to make it pleasing to the eye, they made a copy and put it on the other side!!

We then had time to wander. There was nothing we wanted to buy - only a Cezanne book but no-one had it in English, and Shannon had crossed his name off her list. When we arrived back we caught a shuttle in to Marseilles and posted a letter and a card, and found a shopping centre. Still nothing interesting to buy! I bought a cheese, tomato and lettuce roll (and broke a tooth). At 2pm we did a tour of the ship's bridge.

Tonight we went to the World Club party (more champagne) before our formal dinner. Talked with an interesting English couple.