The town of Cassis, France, is, in my humble opinion, one of THE most beautiful places on earth. It is set on the very, very blue Mediterranean sea. It is an old fishing village which has become a mecca for tourists because it so spectacular with a beautiful harbor, buildings of many colors surrounding the harbor, sheer cliffs, sandy beaches...something for everyone! Nearby there are what is called 'calanques' which are pretty much french fjords.
We had a lovely day today. We packed up and drove south to the sea. We strolled around Cassis for a while - it happened to be market day - always fun. We had a wonderful lunch right next to the harbor. Then we drove over to see the nearby calanque. There were a couple thousand sailboats moored in it, I swear.
Then we walked back to the other side of the penisula and saw people swimming off the rocks. The water was so clear. Unfortunately, we didn't have our bathing suits on or we would have gone in for sure. It was gorgeous.
Then we drove down the coast a little to La Ciotat which is a beach resort. The weather is a little cooler here (85 ish rather than 95ish) but it is more humid so it still feels very hot. The sun is very strong. We swam for a while (the water was wonderful), rinsed off and drove to our hotel. Our room is fine - spartan, but has some air conditioning. There is wonderful swimming pool right off our patio. Tonight we dined in the restaurant at the hotel - it was terrific. We have been enjoying the food quite a bit as we find better and better places to eat and learn more words that we find on the menus. Tonight we learned the words for ribs- when Larry's pork turned out to be pork ribs!
I need to add just a word about the challenge of driving in France. We have pretty much mastered the art of navigation. All you really need to know is what city (or cities) you are heading towards. That is how the signs are set up. You pick a direction. Route numbers aren't teribly useful. For example, this morning when we went to get on the highway we had a choice between Lyon (230 km or so to the north) or Marseille (100 km to the south). You have to know where these places are to pick the right direction. So anyway, we have gotten pretty good at that, but we have yet to master the tolls. The stress of entering the toll booth is enormous! As you approach there are many different lanes - ALL LABELLED differently with symbols we can't decipher. We have figured out that 't' is to ticket and CB is for credit card, and sometimes there is a picture of a person (which means that lane is manned), but it seems that each time we approach there are new and different symbols.
We got caught a couple of times today. Once we were in the credit card lane which we were feeling pretty confident about, as we had successfully negotiated that kind of transaction before. Well, this time it rejected my card and said 'try a different card'. It then rejected Larry's card and then our other credit card. By now the people behind us are backing out of the lane and going to another lane. I finally, in a panic, pushed the button to call for help. Since the machine had swallowed my ticket, I couldn't just take it and go pay in cash at another lane. A very nice women came over in less than a minute. I explained the problem and I paid her in cash - the machine I was at didn't have any way to pay cash or I would have gladly done that. She opened the gate and told me not to worry about the 'whur-whur' sounds that would occur when I drove through and sure enough, as I exited the toll booth, the alarm sounded but I drove on anyway....what an experience. I trembled as we approached the next toll booth.
Tomorrow is another beach day - this time on a lovely island off the coast. I can't wait to see it.
I am really enjoying your journey. Not having A/C can be a distraction but there is so much beauty, food and wine, you can overlook that inconvenience!
ReplyDeleteBetty G
The toll thing is pretty funny. Wonder why they make it so complicated. I can feel the anxiety as you approach the tolls. The pictures of the water are so pretty. Wish we were there. It was 97 here and your air conditioner never stops running. Cut the grass to day but it has all but gone dormant and brown. All of Cary looks dry.
ReplyDeleteHope you get some cool days soon.