Tag Archives: French Riviera

Aug15

Two days of snorkeling in the Mediterranean

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Monday and Tuesday, 15-July-2024 and 16-July-2024



I’m in the French Riviera, and I somehow haven’t really gone swimming yet.

I mean, I’ve dipped toes, and even whole legs, into the ocean. I dunked my head underwater at least once, too. ‘Till Monday, though, I never really went Swimming. I had three days left in Cassis, and that state of affairs had to be remedied.


Monday morning, after tracking down my now-traditional pastry-breakfast from my now traditional pastry-bakery, I slathered on some sunscreen and headed out toward Les Calanques. I procured a snorkel set along my way, and combined that with my already-held beach towel to create the ultimate Mediterranean adventure kit… along with a sandwich and my book, of course. And a full water bottle. And a cold soda.

The ultimate adventure kit has a lot of components, okay? My bag was heavy and bulky.



I’m not a strong swimmer, I freely admit this. I don’t really even like swimming, 90% of the time. I like being able to take breaks during my activities, to rest and appreciate the environment, and being underwater is distinctly inimical to taking a breather. Unless…

Unless I’ve got a snorkel kit on!


I arrived, staked out my spot on the cliffs, and braced myself for the plunge. One of the many upsides of being a rock climber is that I’m quite adept on the cliffs, and was able to quite easily pick out a simple and easy descent route from my spot into the water – one that’s end wasn’t too deep, had a lovely shelf for me to rest on… it was perfect, and soon enough I was slipping into the cool waters of the Mediterranean.

When my stepdad Steve first came out, he mentioned that these are the primordial waters of civilization. Xerxes, Alexander the Great, all the way back to the first civilizations in Jericho… these waters have a bit of history. It added a bit of mystique to the swim, I’ll freely admit.



And so, I swam.

I paddled around, after I got accustomed to the snorkel kit, and enjoyed my time in the embrace of the sea. I regulated my breathing, appreciated the sounds, and regularly kept an eye above water to make sure I didn’t mindlessly bonk into someone (or something) like a water zombie.

I saw some fish, lots of interesting rocks, and even some kelp fields. Interesting note – the way the kelp fields swayed in the tide got me super seasick… so those quickly became no-go zones for yours truly. Aside from them, though, I absolutely adored my adventures – Plage du Bestouan, Port Miou, both saw adventures on various days, and both gave me absolutely lovely opportunities to explore the aquatic world.

Next time, I think I’ll aim to schedule a SCUBA dive, and see what the bottom is all about… but for now, snorkeling was absolutely magical, and I’m so thankful that I got a few days to enjoy the embrace of these ancient and historic waters.


***Note: And yes, I did try to get some underwater photos while swimming. I used my backup camera, which was at one point waterproof. The lack of underwater photos in this post should give a hint as to whether or not it was still waterproof when I got out of the water… Which is to said, phone = dead, and photos = none. But hey – that’s the point of using the backup, right? Measured risks.

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.