Aix en Provence - Parlez vous Francais?

Today we chose to follow the Cezanne walking route through the historic district often depicted in the artists' paintings of Aix en Provence.  Catching a bus from the rented apartment in Pont de l'Arc into Aix en Provence centerville was stressfree.  We started at the tourist office and their assistance is invaluable, both in the offering of free brochures and their willingness to answer our questions.  All of the employees have been multi-lingual in each information center thus far and this assessment includes the small villages of the Alsace region. I am annoyed that I do not speak their language because the ability to converse in the native tongue would enrich my experience.  I find the French to be helpful as I stumble through my pronunciations - slaughtering the beauty of their romantic language. An important note:  on 9/11 I was offered reflected sympathy by each French person encountered.  For example, at check-in the Annecy hotel owner expressed her sadness that we had such an event to remember.  This thoughtfulness was appreciated.