After Marie's 10 days in Le Puy and after Dave's Chemin de St. Jacques, we took the TGV train to Aix-en-Province. We booked into the beautiful Oblate Mission House on the Cours Mirabeau, right in the middle of everything. We were welcomed by Frere Benoit and had dinner with the 2 Oblate priests present and Benoit.
Well the next day was a market day. The Cours Mirabeau and all the surrounding squares were plene a craquer (packed) with food, clothes and flower vendors. Not to mention the smell of lavender and other delicatessen fragrances for which Provence is well known.
We toured the sites where St Eugene de Mazenod was born, grew up and founded the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate with which Dave is associated. Benoit gave us a private tour of the original mission house and surrounding town. We attended 2 masses in the original Oblate church that had been a Carmelite abbey products to the 1789 French Revolution.
We also did some souvenir shopping and sampled the local wines. We were treated to jazz music in the cloister as there were receptions each night for various groups. It was absolutely fantastic and drinking in the history of the Oblates was very moving for us.
We'll we left in a rental car for St Maximum de Baume to visit. Marie Magdalene”s grotto where she settled after the crucifixion and resurrection of our Saviour.
See the pics attached.
mattersofthemoment 