After a bit of a clean up and a trip to the recycling depot (just a few wine bottles!) we were loaded up and on the road to Cassis, a fishing village/holiday town east of Marseille. It is only an hour and a half from Lourmarin and we had a few hours to kill before we could check into our apartment so we went to Aix-en-Provence, a city of 160,000 dating from Roman times. Aix is famous for its fountains, its artistic connections and its universities as well as for its sunny climate and surrounding countryside, including the very distinctive limestone mountain, Montagne Sainte-Victoire. Cezanne lived and worked in Aix and many of his paintings depict the local scenery.
Aix is a 50 minute drive from Lourmarin which was fine until we reached the outskirts of the city and then it was traffic bedlam. Miraculously, and after a turn around the hair-raising La Rotonde roundabout in the middle of town, we were able to disappear into an underground car park with a collective sigh of relief - passengers and driver alike!
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| La Rotonde, Aix-en-Provence |
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| Cours Mirabeau and fountains |
It was time for lunch and there was no shortage of places to eat - the one we chose was just off the Cours Mirabeau but with a view to the great fountain of La Rotonde. The food was delicious - salad for Mel, pasta for Jess, bruschetta for Maree and a cheese galette pour moi. We were amused to see a little white fluffy thing of a dog sitting up at the neighbouring table with two elderly ladies. The dog was being fed macaroons! Ah, such is the life of a French dog.
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| More macaroon please! |
After lunch we strolled further into the old town - and it certainly does look pretty ancient. The streets were not so crowded but now the restaurants were full. There are lots of museums and historical sites to visit but we didn't have time today. Gradually we made our way through the narrow streets, back to the Cours Mirabeau and across to the shopping precinct. Of course all the shops were advertising SOLDES so we had to have a look. Despite the crowds of shoppers we all managed to get our hands on a few bargains - we even braved the queues for the "cabines" (fitting rooms). Happy with our purchases we thought it was about time to get on the road again and fortunately remembered where in the underground labyrinth we had parked the car. Getting out of Aix proved to be relatively straightforward and it wasn't long before we were on the long descent into Cassis.
Cassis is a town of 8000 residents and is still a Mediterranean fishing village although these days it is crowded with holiday makers in the summer. It is sandwiched between the calanques and the high sea cliffs of Cape Canaille, the highest sea cliffs in Europe (399 metres). Behind the town the terrain rises steeply as well - hills covered with vineyards. Our route through the town and to the Ave des Calanques was somewhat tortuous but on arrival our host, Jacques, assured us that it was only a 12 minute walk into the heart of the town and the port - downhill. Coming back could prove to be interesting - the hills are steep! We are staying in a rather stylish part of town in a large security-gated villa that has been divided into 4 apartments. Each apartment has a private garden and there is a large shared pool which Jess was quick to test - verdict 10/10. We have three bedrooms and a spacious kitchen/living room but I imagine that we will be outdoors most of the time making use of the outdoor dining area and large sun umbrella. The neighbouring properties are huge villas with tree shaded gardens and very high security walls. Our street leads to the Port Miou Calanque and we hear people walking past on their way to this unique geographic feature. The trees on this hillside are mostly Mediterranean pines, very typical of the region. Cassis has 300 days of sunshine a year and a low rainfall so there are frequent warning signs about forest fires.
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| View from my bedroom window, Cassis |
A quick trip to the supermarket was necessary after we settled in and then around 8 pm we decided to walk into town - still daylight of course. This was our first real view of Cassis harbour and we were not disappointed. As we wandered down the hill the view opened up before us with the low evening sun shining on the high cliffs and quaint pastel coloured buildings that surround the harbour. High on the hill above the town is an impressive castle. This place has it all!
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| Walking to Cassis town |
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| Cassis - so pretty in the evening light |
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| Cap Canaille from Bestouan Beach
At the bottom of our hill is Plage de Bestouan, a small rocky beach, still quite crowded with people and swimmers enjoying the blue waters. Across the bay we could see the port guarded by a lighthouse and further along another beach. Then it was up hill and down again before we finally reached the seafront of the port - a little longer than 12 minutes, but we did stop to take photos.
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| Cassis Waterfront |
The whole town was out promenading along the waterfront or eating at the restaurants (mostly seafood) which overlook the harbour. We walked as far as the beach, then into the centre of the town where a small market (clothes and jewellery) was in full swing. As it began to get dark a full moon rose above the castle --ooooooh, so gorgeous.
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| Cassis Chateau and the full moon |
It was a truly lovely evening so we sat at one of the bars and had a nightcap before tackling the long trudge up the hill to our apartment. Actually it is not that bad and we have had plenty of hill-climbing practice over the past couple of weeks.
The apartment is very modern inside and comfortable but we can't help comparing it with the Lourmarin house which was so charming. We are more than happy with Cassis - it is a delight and we look forward to some more exploring tomorrow. Weather prediction - sunshine, 30+ degrees and light breezes all week! Bliss!
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