Tag Archives: France

Aug11

A boat tour of Les Calanques

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Thursday, 11-July-2024



Cassis is, in no uncertain terms, a tourist town. It is also, however, a seaside town… in equally firm terms.

With that in mind, we took a sea-tour of Les Calanques, the French version of Fjords.


It started out early on a Thursday – as a general rule, I’ve avoided getting up early on this adventure… but the opportunity to do the big tour (all nine Calanques over nearly 3hrs) was far too awesome to pass up. Adding to the challenge, though, was the fact that we hadn’t been able to get tickets the previous day, and so the morning found us having a light snack and then quickly heading into town to queue up in line to pick up the tickets.

We weren’t alone in line, but thankfully it went quickly. A quick conversation in broken French and confused English, then a short walk to the boat, and then… we were casting off the lines, and setting off into the Park!



Sort of like hiking, there’s not too much for me to describe here… I mean, we ooohh’d and aahh’d, the captain made announcements in French, and we looked at our English translations. We saw gorgeous sea cliffs, amazing harbors and beaches, passed and were passed by countless other cool looking boats.

It was a glorious few hours, no doubt, made thankfully quite enjoyable by the anti-nausea medications that I’d taken earlier. We had some small snacks and drinks that we’d brought along, but for the most part just focused on the scenery. It was simply lovely, and I 100% recommend it for anyone who finds themselves in Cassis or Marseille.



Of kind of interesting note, there were a few cool posters up about and around the boat we were on… including two old photos of Cassis Harbor, and one very interesting one discussing an underwater cave that was discovered to house 27,000 year old paintings!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosquer_Cave

Aug10

Making dinner at home in Cassis

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Wednesday, 10-July-2024


I really am starting to love tortellini, you know that?

Okay, hear me out. It’s simple, it’s got all your major macros, it doesn’t really need many spices, and the Tortellini in Europe is shelf-stable. It’s a really good meal base to pick up while travelling long-term, when you don’t want to buy spices and such but do want to cook a meal at home every once in a while.

I first found them in Iceland, rocked ’em in Warsaw… and now, my Mom, Steve, and I rocked them in Cassis too!

Steve was our hunter – braving the French grocery store in order to return the required parts of the meal. I was the chef, combining them and plating everything. My Mom was the sous chef, assisting and helping me keep everything on-time and in order. Together, we made a rather excellent meal!

Was it complicated? Well… no. Not at all.

Was it delicious, though? Well, I’ll post some photos here so you can see… but yes. Yes it was, and I was very proud of that fact. Huzza!



Now, a quick recipe, for those travelling who may enjoy a simple meal that can be procured pretty much everywhere in Europe, and requires only a single pot (though I also used a skillet):

  • Tortellini – I prefer proscuitto or chicken fillings, but cheese works quite well
  • Broccoli – Easy to find, chopped up to taste
  • Tomatoes – Really any type, just cut up to be about the size of your thumb, maybe
  • Prosciutto – optional, but adds a nice saltiness to the meal
  • Parmesan cheese – optional, but it just makes everything better

Directions:
Cook the tortellini per instructions, taking it off the boil about 3min early. (Optional: fry up the Prosciutto in a pan, removing it once it’s crispy but leaving the rendered grease in the pan to season the broccoli.) Steam the broccoli with some of the leftover water from the tortellini, and make sure to strain out the rest of the tortellini. Don’t leave it to soak in the water! Toss in the Tortellini, tomatoes, and Parm cheese if you’re using it, and once the broccoli is firm but cooked then serve!

And, uhh… if you don’t have a bowl big enough, don’t be afraid to get creative. Like putting the broccoli in a flower vase.

Not that I’d know.

Aug9

Driving around Cap Canaille, the first

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Wednesday, 10-July-2024


Above Cassis, a rocky cliff looms with a Castle. Far above that, looms an even greater cliff face – The highest sea cliff in France, soaring 394 m (1,293 ft) above the sea below.

I’ve taken quite a few pictures of this cliff already, from various vantage points in or around Cassis… but I’ve never actually driven up to it. Clearly, that needed to be remedied.

And so, after a lovely day of relaxation and some light adventure, my Mom, Steve, and myself piled into the car and headed up the winding roads above Cassis to see what the fuss was all about.


Well.


I…

I see the draw of Cap Canaille. I do indeed.



(With many thanks to Iris and her friend, two random folks who we met up top having an evening smoke and watching the sunset, for letting me do an impromptu photoshoot)