| Villa Gallici - Boudoir Bliss
Villa Gallici in Aix-en-Provence is one of the most endearing, enchanting and embracing hotels you will find anywhere, let alone in this wonderful spa town with its opera festivals, galleries, shops, museums and alluring old town shaded by the plane trees on Cours Mirabeau.
Chic Boutique or Petit Luxe?
It's charme, charme, and charmant. Boudoir, boudoir de plus en plus, petit salon, Chelsea chic, Nobilis. It has a Provencal-Florentine-style with beautiful gardens enclosing a magical private universe. The warm and wonderful staff have no airs and graces. It's discreet, cosseting, homely and almost decadent in its appeal; but there is also a citrus freshness that lingers, creating a vibrancy that is fairly unique to this part of the World.
The Rooms and Suites
There are 18 rooms and 4 suites, all spacious and romantic with a familiar Baglioni boudoir twist, beds made for that essential all-cosseting comfort and bathrooms, strewn with rose petals and sweet peas. The four suites have terraces with views of the lush gardens and Saint Victoire mountains. We stayed in a corner room with a private terrace, loungers and views of the pool and glorious Provencal, almost tropical, gardens. Breakfast on your terrace, complete with what seemed like 10 different jams in adorable glass pots, is an imperative here. It all has that 'je ne sais quoi' aspired to by so many, but achieved in this way by so few.
The restaurant is Provencal in essence, though the dishes seem to span the Mediterranean with exquisite surprises. Eating under trees on the glorious terrace is truly magical and citronella fresh.
Shopping
The shops in Aix - if you want to sprinkle some Provence around your home - are fabulous. L'Esprit des Liux en Provence, 10, Rue G. de Saporta has some of the finest and most colourful home accessories whilst Terre e Provence, 6, Rue Aude has crockery to kill for. You can buy fabrics to re-cover some cushions, candles and home sprays you can't get back home and nougat to go nuts for.
Celebrating Cezanne
From the 9th of June 2006 until the 17th of September 2006 the centenary of the death of Paul Cezanne, the most famous artist of the region, will be celebrated with extraordinary
festivity. A series of exhibitions and shows highlighting his genius for illuminating the colours and light of Provence will be on spectacular display and, in certain parts of the city, will actually be re-painted in his honour. Street art shows, local and national artists, restaurants, locals will all celebrate this great man with pride and affection.
Returning to the chic retreat...
Villa Gallici is an excellent hotel to base yourself while exploring some of the other areas of Provence. From here you can explore Les Beaux, St Remy (both places host favourite restaurants), Avignon, and, of course, for those viticultural enthusiasts, you can organise a visit to Chateauneuf du Pape. The hotel is only 20 minutes or so from Marseilles Airport, 30 min from Avignon (with Eurostar and TGVs) and only 90 minutes from a lunch at Club 55 in St Tropez!
This really is THE place to stay in Aix-en-Provence. For a weekend, a week, or en-route to the Riviera; a stay here will stimulate your chic and sensual senses for a long time and, like many before you, you will be destined to return for more.
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