Aix-en-Provence Archives - Got My Reservations

We all have our things that we want to buy when we travel. Some of you buy art, and some buy jewelry. My thing is linens.

I was determined to bring home at least one gorgeous Provencal tablecloth when we went to France in April. Normally, I settle for interesting tea towels and pot holders when we travel, but there was no chance I wasn’t going to bring home a special keepsake from our Provence trip.

GotMyReservations -- La Victoire in Aix-en-Provence Lined Tablecloth

I won’t keep you in suspense; this is the one I bought.

On our first full day in Aix-en-Provence, I spotted La Victoire on the Rue Vauvenargue. While the men hung out at the market on the square, I made a beeline for the shop with my female traveling companions.

It did not disappoint.

There were tablecloths…

…and bolts and bolts of charming fabrics.

There were tea towels and aprons…

… and bags of all sorts made from Provencal fabrics.

I didn’t have nearly enough room in my suitcase to bring home everything I wanted to buy, but I was really coveting the coated fabrics — so practical!

There was also a charming English-speaking storekeeper and her equally charming grandfather (I think). He did not speak English, but he allowed me to take his photo after I explained that I was going to feature their shop on my blog. 🙂

If you want authentic Provencal linens, I highly recommend La Victoire in Aix-en-Provence. You can order from them online but a personal visit is more fun. 🙂

La Victoire
34 Rue Vauvenargue
13100 AIX-EN-PROVENCE
Bouches-du-Rhône
Tel: April 42 23 14 36
Fax: 21 58 00 April 42

Got my bags, got my reservations,
Spent each dime I could afford.
Like a child in wild anticipation,
I long to hear that, “All aboard!”

Music and lyrics by Bud Green, Les Brown and Ben Homer (1944)

Image Credit

I love movies, even if they are documentaries.

While not precisely based on the book, Cezanne in Provence is a wonderful background documentary to start my study of Cezanne’s work. Stemming from the National Gallery of Art’s 2006 exhibition of Cezanne’s paintings, the documentary film gives a lot of background information about Cezanne’s life in Paris and Provence and about his painting style.

The catalog from the exhibit has also been published in a 350 page coffee table book and shows Cezanne’s paintings in more detail. I’ve been slogging through it during cooking down time — you know those times when you are stirring something or waiting for something to come out of the microwave. I have to admit that I kind of skimmed all the really good stories and text in the beginning to get to some of the art and I’m feeling a little guilty about it. It’s really a gorgeous book and I’m looking forward to spending some quality time with it this week!