MARSEILLE: The town of Cassis and the Calanques

Bonjour everyone: Another sunny and bright morning here in Marseille! We decided to take a trip to the town of Cassis today. It was a short metro ride on the M1 line from the Vieux Port area, near our apartment, to Castellane/Prado. In Castellane, we had coffee at a neat little place while waiting for our bus. There were many different types of quiches and delectable fruit tarts:

Our bus pulled up and we climbed aboard for the 40 minute ride to the town of Cassis. As the bus wound its way through the hills and very narrow roads to Cassis - my eyes were glued to the beauty around us. Approaching Cassis, we were very high up, and it was a bit hazy. You could see the endless blue water in the distance. The bus wound its way down the hillside and soon we arrived. The minute we stepped off the bus, it was easy to see we were in a magical place.

The town of Cassis is a Mediterranean fishing port. It is very famous for its cliffs and the sheltered inlets call 'calanques'. Cassis is also famous for its wines - which are white and rose (not to be confused with black currant cassis). We could see some vineyards the bus drove into town. Since Wednesday was market day in Cassis, we headed for the town square called Place Baragnon. There were all kids of stalls loaded with soaps, clothing, jewellery, table linens, meats, herbs, vegetable, cheese, flowers, olives, nuts, and dried fruits.

Here's a lady with a lovely smile, who was selling jewellery. We talked for a few moments and she told us she divides her time between Paris and Cassis. Today was her first day back at the market here. She said in the summer, it is so crowded in the market, you can barely move! We felt lucky to be moving freely about.

Cassis is very picturesque. It is everything that the word "Provence" conjures up in the mind. Light, sun, color, food. I was so taken with it, I wanted to move to Cassis as fast as possible. I couldn't believe the cleanliness. I couldn't see one shred of graffiti anywhere. How refreshing! Not one speck of litter!

So, not only did we want to see the beautiful town of Cassis, we also wanted to see the world famous Calanques, which are limestone cliffs that plunge into the Mediterranean. We went to a small information booth by the water and bought tickets to see 8 calanques on a ferry boat. It was a 1.5 hour thrilling boat ride and an experience which I will never forget.

While on the boat, it soon became very apparent that a wind called 'Le mistral' was blowing, and not only was it very chilly, it was creating huge swells in the water. The mistral is a strong, cold northwesterly wind that blows in southern France and is common in the Spring. Our boat continued to pound over the waves and we were mesmerized by the beauty of the cliffs! We had to wipe the sea spray from our faces and sunglasses from time to time. The boat chugged into the peaceful inlets, and everyone could look down into crystal clear, aquamarine colored water to see schools of royal blue fish, which shimmered underwater. There were people sunning themselves on the sands of some of the inlets. There were also rock climbers ascending the steep cliffs.

So, when the boat headed back towards Cassis, it was clear that everyone had enjoyed the experience. When we left the boat, we stopped to decide what we would like to do next. We found a little café on a corner. It was very sunny and warm, and protected from the cool breeze.

We decided to spend more time strolling around the lovely town. There was such a relaxed atmosphere in the town. We didn't worry about being run over by cars or motorcycles at any moment. We enjoyed the quiet and the calm. Soon, we walked along the port and chose a restaurant which had a beautiful view of the water. Ron ordered the Tagliatelle a La Carbonnara. I ordered a salad. This salad doesn't warrant a picture, because I dislike dull looking tomatoes on any salad. This should just never happen in Provence! But here's a picture of the carbonnara:

Looking up from the water we could see what appeared to be a castle high on the hill on the east side of the port. We discovered that it was a 13th century castle and is now called Le Chateau de Cassis. It's private property and now a Bed & Breakfast. Wow! The things you find out.

Walking on, we went past a group of men playing the famed sport of Petanque. This game originated in 1907 in La Ciotat in Provence. It involves the goal of throwing hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet. It is usually played on hard gravel surface and is a common sight in different towns and cities of Provence. It's really quite interesting to watch.

We started back towards the town square, where a few hours previously, there had been a busy, vibrant market. Now, it was an empty, shiny, sunlight square (with me sitting on a bench). There wasn't a lettuce leaf or any litter in sight. A few people strolled through. A few locals stopped for conversation. A few children ran about playing a game of tag.

Our last stop before leaving Cassis was at the Musee de Cassis. This was an interesting little museum which had a special showing of the paintings by an artist called Louis Toncini. As well, there were interesting relics from shipwreck discoveries as far back as the 1st century. Pretty amazing. Soon, we caught our bus back to Castellane. Honestly, this was another fascinating city. Near the metro in Castellane was a beautiful monument called Cantini Fountain.

When we finally arrived back in Marseille, the sun was setting over the port. What a great day!

Karen