Thursday, September 14, 2017

Aix Postcard #1



The Flight(s):

A flight is a flight is a flight.  This a bit worthwhile noting though, for a couple of reasons. 

First, Air Canada latest version of pod seating.  A noticeable improvement over something we already loved.  I know it seems a small thing but it makes long distance flights possible for Geri and usually makes for a more enjoyable or less terrible flight for me.  See the photos for details.

A newish discovery was that once a wheelchair or cart is booked at one airport AC and its Star Alliance partners follow through on all connecting flights.  At Copenhagen it was particularly nice as they have a special lounge area just for people requiring assistance and with no prodding drop you off and collect you.

When you get to the luggage carousel they scoop your bags for you too, even when one of you likes to think of himself as not terribly unfit.  Perhaps best of all not only did I get a cart seat too most of the time but when we had to clear customs/immigration (Copenhagen and for some reason Marseille) we just zipped right through, skipping the lines entirely.

Lufthansa’s domestic business class the usual disappointment compared to Air Canada. Economy seats three across with the middle seat left empty.  And this time around we didn’t even have a removeable tray bolted over the empty seat as has been the case in the past.  I can recall being very annoyed on a Munich to Istanbul LH flight, stuck in an economy seat but using up a business class number of points.

Arrival and Settling:

Marseille was seamless, nice tour of the outside innards, if that makes sense, of the airport while Geri was wheelchaired from the aircraft end of the air bridge to the front of the passport control lines.  We had met an elderly woman on the plane who was meeting friends in Aix but had missed a flight and the connecting bus.  Our landlord, Jean-Philippe, was kind enough to take her into town when we asked.  Her hotel was in the (80% of central Aix) pedestrian zone but someone of her party came out to help roll her bags.

Jean-Philippe wasn’t as lengthy in his intro as he was last time as we have been here before.  So he was out the door in 30 minutes.  We quite like the lovely man but he is just so full of tips on what’s on etc. that sometimes it can take a while.  😊

He had to come back in the morning to replace the electrical box that provides power to the fridge and dishwasher, we had a cup of coffee with him and got a number of tips we will likely follow up on.  If you’re not exhausted from a long flight he is a wealth of knowledge about what’s going on in the area.  Or nearby as he had two out of town ideas we are certain to follow up on.

I woke with a cold.  So we walked just to see how far the street re-paving extends (we are just inside the western edge of it) and to do some shopping as the market was closing up. 

Most importantly Bar Les PTT and its Corsican beer and cheap Provence wine offerings is still around.  Been given a minor reno though.  New bar top (the well-marinated wood replaced with marble) and the wainscoting replaced with fresh wood.

A bit disconcerting was the lack of cigarette butts and peanut shells on the floor.  Vapourizers are tolerated and peanuts have been replaced with a variety of olives as free bar snacks.  The olives all pitted though so the pleasantly seeding days of the place may been gone, at least for a bit.

And, whew!, the boulangerie that rolls fancy frankfurters up inside croissants is still in business.  If feeling better tomorrow, I’ll see if they are still on offer.

Geri’s back gets the rest of the day to recover while I will my cold away.  With luck tomorrow we’re trotting 20 minutes south to one of several small museums with shows one or both of us want to see.  And if I can get enough of the cold symptoms behind me to start tasting things…

Flight photos HERE.

A few first day photos HERE.

The apartment before we settled in with a bit of clutter HERE.

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