Tag Archives: Cote de Azur

Aug7

A walk in Cassis – up to the Chateau de Cassis, and out to Plage Du Corton

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Monday, 08-July-2024


The plan for our time in Cassis was fairly open – Nothing firm, but the general theme was targeted at relaxing for the first day, visiting some spots further inland, and spending quite a bit of time relaxing by the water.

To kick it all off, we relaxed in Cassis, and took a short walk around town to get a sense of the various options we had available to us… starting with a walk up to the castle overlooking the town, and then wandering onward as we saw fit.


It didn’t quite go as planned – it turns out, the Castle in town is actually a private hotel. And, in true French fashion, was far too cool to allow tourists to wander the august halls of that high class institution. We found this out, of course, after hiking up the hill to the top where we encountered a solidly emplaced gate and a sign mentioning that it’s a hotel… a truly saddening lack of informational placards, in my personal opinion.

So we continued onward. It was a beautiful day, in a beautiful city, with absolutely no reason to stress of worry… only beautiful water and clear skies to enjoy.

We found ourselves at the Plage Du Corton. Beautifully clear water, lapping waves, and an expanse of beach goers. A small snack shack that we availed ourselves of, and an excellent chance to recharge before our adventure back to the blessed air conditioning of the apartment.

Aug4

A hike up Mt. Puget

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Saturday, 06-July-2024



I had some time between leaving the B&B in Allauch and when I could check in at my rental in Cassis… So I went for a walk. A long walk. Up a mountain.

Because that’s how I walk.



I found the hike by way of AllTrails – an app that I started using in Oregon, and have found to be passably useful here in Europe. I’m sure that I’ll find a better option once I get settled into Dublin… but for now, it’s serving me just fine.

And, in an interesting coincidence, the hike I chose happened to be at one of the spots that I went climbing, back in 2014! I didn’t notice it until I was parked and heading in, but the University of Luminy stood out in my mind, harkening my memory back to ropes and climbing and baguettes.

I headed in, and headed up.

I melted, a bit, but the hiking was lovely none-the-less. I walked when I wanted to, rested when I wanted to, and snacked when the urge hit. I enjoyed the views, enjoyed the adventure, and appreciated the fresh air.

In short – it was absolutely glorious.



I finished up strong, timing the completion almost perfectly. I had just enough time to grab a quick salad before getting back on the road to Cassis… not too bad, if I do say so myself.