Why a Booktrail?
2000s looking back: A companion piece to The Gastronomical Me
Map of Another Town
What you need to know before your trail
M.F.K. Fisher moved to Aix-en-Provence with her daughters after the Second World War. In Map of Another Town, she traces the history of this ancient and famous town, known for its tree-lined avenues, pretty fountains and ornate façades. Beyond the tourist sights, Fisher introduces us to its inhabitants: the waiters and landladies, down-and-outs and local characters all recovering from the affects of the war in a drastically new France.
A companion piece to The Gastronomical Me, in this memoir Fisher finds herself alone, older and with two small children to care for, while at the same time discovering a sense of belonging and acceptance. This is an intimate portrait of a place, which is also a self-portrait. As Fisher writes: ‘Here before me now is my picture, my map, of a place and therefore myself.’
Locations
Reset- France - Provence - Aix en Provence
- A: Aix Cathedral
- B: Rue Gaston de Saporta
- C: Cours Mirabeau
- D: La Rotonde
- E: Les Passagers Agard
- F: Rue Cardinale
Travel Guide
Explore and discover Aix en Provence with Map of Another Town
A wander and gentle stroll around a city. A city close to the author’s heart and she has gone back in time and history to paint a full and colourful picture. Food, landscape, streets, alleyways, people and language: it’s all there.
“So here is the town, founded more than two thousand years ago by the brash Roman invaders, on much older ruins which still stick up their stones and artefacts. ”
From the grand St Saveur cathedral, down to the rue Cardinale where people are keen to rent out rooms it would seem, this is a guided walk and jaunt into the past of a city so many of us don’t know. It’s a city which grew up around its baths and so water, fountains and of course the roman baths are still very much a part of the city. Even the cathedral was built up over a temple bath!
There’s plenty of insights behind the main streets such as down the passageway of Agard which is described as the artery of the city. The fountains are musical interludes in this tour around the city. The Rotonde fountain is perhaps the most well-known and this is a landmark in the city as well part of its history.
It’s a lovely and fascinating tour around a stunning city!
Streetview Maps
C)France - Aix en Provence - Cours Mirabeau
D) France - Aix en Provence - Rotonde fountain
BookTrail Boarding Pass: Map of Another Town
Destination: Aix-en-Provence Author/guide: M F K Fisher Departure: 2000s
Back to ResultsWhere Next?
