Ten years ago, I think we didn't even realize how lucky we were to do our Erasmus year in the picturesque Aix-en-Provence, in Southern France. Now that we celebrated our ten years of friendship with my three best Erasmus friends and we visited beautiful Provence again, it struck me how I had missed the region. It's clear blue sky, the smell of rosemary, the rough but friendly French accent, the fresh produce in the market at Place Richelieu. Ah, pure happiness!
One thing we did appreciate already a decade ago, was the presence of the majestic mountain of St. Victoire. It is the true symbol of Aix-en-Provence, made famous by Cezanne's paintings. A nostalgic trip to Provence of course included a hike to the summit of the mountain (1011 m).
This time we started our hike from the Maison St. Victoire (you can take the bus L110 from the city centre of Aix), where we acquired information on the various hikes to the top. Some of the paths are more demanding, so with our little rosé hangover, we opted for an easy one that we were already familiar with. The path follows the Southern side of the mountain and it offers beautiful views of Mont St. Victoire as well as the surroundings. The climb to the top is not very difficult but on a hot day, bring enough to drink with you and wear good shoes.
At the top of the mountain there's a little chapel and also a cabin where you can pass the night. We have great memories of the nights passed in the cabin, but this time we just enjoyed the views for a moment and after gathering our strength we made the descent to the other side of the mountain where we could take another bus (L140) back to the city (well, in the end, there was no bus and we hitchhiked, but that worked out fine as well).
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