Caractère
Aix through the Eyes of...
Sun-drenched, cultivated, quite simply captivating! As the capital of art and history, the city of Mirabeau, Cézanne and Portalis, Aix's reputation extends far beyond Provence thanks to those who are inspired by it and make it shine so brightly.
Aesthetic Aix with Jacques Garcia, Interior Designer
As you are particularly sensitive to French heritage and its preservation, what inspires you about a city like Aix-en-Provence ?
For me, Aix-en-Provence represents the very essence of Provençal Baroque; all these houses, all these doors inspired by the greatest designers of the 17th century... It's just wonderful.
People always say that regional areas are lagging behind Paris, but when you're in Aix-en-Provence, you feel like you're in a capital! This city continues to exist, to shine, thanks to the efforts to preserve and maintain all these execptional buildings, and thanks to the Festival International d'Art Lyrique, which brings the joys of this enchanted city to life with irresistible playfulness.
What is your fondest memory of this city ?
My fondest memories are the moments I have shared with my friends at the festival. At this festival, the search for the best, the new, and the extravagant in terms of classical music is always a success.
If Aix-en-Provence were a color and a material, what would it be?
If Aix-en-Provence were a material, it would be stone with a very particular hue, tending towards the ochre, a little like Jerusalem Stone.
Aix as a foodie paradise, with Margaux Touzet, fifth generation owner of the Maison Béchard pâtisserie.
Aix is the city you grew up in, but also the birthplace of your family's business, founded more than a century ago. You must be deeply attached to this place!
I was born here and spent my childhood exploring every street and alleyway ! I really appreciate the gentle way of life, the climate, the human-sized city center, and the incredible architecture. As you walk around, you should keep an eye out for the doors, the fountains, and, above all, look up to discover hidden gems !
Not to mention the Mazarin neighborhood, which is now home to incredible cultural venues such as the Musée Granet and the Hôtel de Caumont.
What memory of Aix-en-Provence would you pack in your suitcase ?
One of the bronze slabs that explain the life of Cézanne.
If Aix-en-Provence was a flavor, what would it be ?
Almond, without a second thought ! The one used in our calissons, to be precise !
That bring us nicely to the Maison Béchard, a pâtisserie founded more than a century ago, whose expertise and heritage you are continuing to uphold today. How did you end up taking over the family business ?
The pleasure of delicious food was the first thing passed down to me !
Then, when I took over the pâtisserie, my grandmother and father were still there, representing the third and fourth generations. I became familiar with the word of business management, but I also spent a lot of time in the kitchens next to the shop, which is where we make all our pastries and cakes.
Which one is your favorite ?
I love the Alexandre. We are the only ones who make this cake, as it was created by my great-grandfather himself. It is a small sponge cake with almonds, covered by a thin layer of praline buttercream and sprinkled with a pinch of powdered sugar. A very light, airy cake that can be eaten at dessert, for breakfast, or as a snack.
Literary Aix, with Annie Terrier, founder of Les Écritures Croisées
Within just a few seconds of conversation, Annie Terrier has plunged us into her incredible world. A world in which a passion for literature forges an eternal curiosity nourished by encounters with the biggest names in writing, but also with all the people involved in the process of literary creation. The framework for these exciting encounters is Les Écritures Croisées, a company organizing debates, conferences, and meetings throughout the year based on specific themes, all culminating in the Fête du Livre, a fair held at the former matchbook factory in Aix-enProvence. Our discussion quickly turns to any one of a thousand anecdotes, and the names come thick and fast, from James Baldwin and Antonio Tabucchi to Ismail Kadare, Satyajit Ray, and Octavio Paz (even before he won the Nobel Prize for Literature!).
But how did it all start? “I founded Les Écritures Croisées some 40 years ago, and this structure is rooted in the history of Aix during the 1970s. I am part of this generation, of this cultural world that, at the time, was an exciting sector building itself around theater, music, singing, fine art, literature, and more! This period was significantly influenced by the launch of a CAC (a Centre d’Action Culturelle) in 1971. The CAC was a highly original, innovative organization that brought together all these cultural players, this motley crew I was part of. All of Aix-en-Provence was brimming with fresh ideas. This era also saw the rise of regional publishing houses such as Actes Sud, L’Aube, Alinéa, and Jacqueline Chambon, which quickly garnered sterling reputations.” Then came the Fête du Livre, which Annie Terrier took over. “We quickly decided that the second edition should be focused on international literature, while continuing to invite French writers whose work echoed that of our guests.”
The gamble paid off, as this “foreign event” which first shone a spotlight on American literature, was a storming success. Over the years and through different themes, presented on Place des Prêcheurs, at the Palais de Justice, and even at the Cité du Livre, the events featured prestigious names including Philip Roth, Russell Banks, Carlos Fuentes, and Nobel laureates Toni Morrison, Günter Grass, V.S Naipaul, Wole Soyinka, Kenzaburō Ōe, and J.M Coetzee, to name but a few. Far from Saint-Germain-des-Prés, these weavers of stories found a home in the city of author Frédéric Mistral thanks to Annie and her teams, who worked tirelessly to welcome them and their creative worlds to Les Écritures Croisées. In fact, Toni Morrison once advised Salman Rushdie: “If you’re going to France, you’ve got to go to Annie’s.” Not a must, but almost! Like so many guests before him, the author of Fury checked into the Hôtel Pigonnet, which Annie Terrier, a regular visitor and close friend of the Swellen family, had of course chosen to welcome the greatest names in literature and the arts, including Henri Cartier-Bresson! “What an era, what an adventure, it was extraordinary,” she says. And already, as we near the end of our conversation, we can feel the frustration of not having personally experienced the dynamic energy of Les Écritures Croisées, whose final event was held in 2023. Proof, if proof were needed, that passion really is contagious.
Published on 23/08/2024
Staying in Aix-en-Provence
Signature hotel
Hôtel Le Pigonnet
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