A new home for Sawday's Special Self-Catering Places in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Eire, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal

Step out of the calm, high-ceilinged, mosaic-tiled apartment into Aix-en-Provence for cafés, patisseries, culture. Romantic pied-à-terre

A great base for delving into the cultural depths of Aix-en-Provence: step outside to a parade of pedestrians, boulangeries, cafés, florists; the Cathédrale to your right, the Mairie to your left. Up in the spacious second-floor apartment, all is calm. You step straight from stairway to elegant 1930s-style salon: high ceilings, tall south-facing windows over a quiet courtyard, a splash of blue accentuating colours in the mosaic-tiled floor, abstract artwork, a fireplace. Arched dark wood doors lead to a cheery kitchen in red and deep grey. Eat here around a contemporary table, light streaming through a rooftop window. Glass doors conceal the bedroom suite, a zen-like space with its pale colours, king bed, sofa behind a voile divider and tall window catching the morning light. As the owners' pied-à-terre it's fully equipped with all practicalities, including modern gadgets if you really must work. The Roman city's cobbled streets were made for walking so don't even consider a car: within an easy stroll lie vibrant markets, festivals, fountains, gardens, a lively student population, cultural activities galore.

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