That's me and the little cutie is my daughter- soaking up the awesomeness of Aix. We all know that most European cities ooze charm, but on this visit, I figured out why. Here's a recipe for creating the most perfect and darling cities--start with the street.

Street design in Aix en Provence is simple, beautiful and safe. The stone curb clearly separates the street from the sidewalk and thin metal posts say "hey, just in case you didn't realize, no cars or motorcycles allowed on the sidewalk."

And the designs make so much sense. Check out the photo above. Two metal posts topped with white ornaments show exactly where one should cross this fairly wide street. They've added a cute triangular island, properly known as a pedestrian refuge, to shorten the crossing distance and added a familiar white stripped crosswalk.