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France 2024
  • Alan Chapman

France 2024

A 54-day adventure by Alan Read more
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  • Trip start
    July 18, 2024
    Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    London to Marseille

    July 18, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    I left Matt, my niece Beth's husband, in my flat at 10.25, and took the Jubilee Line from Waterloo to Bond Street followed by the Elizabeth Line to Heathrow. The journey only took one hour. After 30 minutes, I was through baggage check-in and security and ready to have lunch.
    The BA flight to Marseille on an Airbus 319 left 30 minutes late at 14.30 but it still arrived on time at 17.00, an hour ahead of London time. The airport was modern but there was no welcome desk for Paris 2024. I took a bus ride costing 10 Euro for the 30 minute drive along the motorway to St Charles Station in Marseille.
    I checked into the Holiday Inn Express which was across the road from the station. The bedroom was fine with air-conditioning although BBC World wasn't available on the TV.
    Returning to the station for a snack, I had a walk around before returning to the hotel to sort things out, including the updated O2 phone contract with free roaming, having been able to text and WhatsApp Dave.
    There were views of Notre Dame de la Garde and downtown Marseille with the bay beyond from the bedroom window.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Cathedrale la Major and Le Panier

    July 19, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    The day began overcast with a little drizzle but, by the afternoon, the sun came out and, with a clear blue sky and no breeze, it became very hot , and even hotter inland later in the afternoon. This was the first day of three weeks of almost continuous sunshine with temperatures in the low 30s.
    After a good buffet breakfast at the hotel and having bought a Daily Telegraph at a tabac in St Charles Station, I walked past Turkish and Tunisian banks and restaurants, and trams on the way to the Vieux Port, and then on to the 19th century Cathedrale la Major. On the way back, I walked through the hilly and historic Le Panier district with its narrow streets, art and craft shops, and cafes before returning to St Charles Station for a snack.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Accreditation and Uniform

    July 19, 2024 in France ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    The reason for leaving London a week before the Olympic Games began was to collect my accreditation and uniform before attending a training day.
    Just before 13.00, I took the first of many Metro journeys from St Charles to Rond-Point du Prado which was next to the Parc Chanot and the Accreditation Centre. Unfortunately, there had been a cyber attack on Microsoft in the morning and Paris 2024's accreditation system was down.
    Rather than wasting the afternoon, I walked for 30 minutes to find the Golden Tulip Hotel which was one of my venues to volunteer as a Doping Control Chaperone. After walking through the Parc Borely and continuing along the promenade, I went to the Accreditation Office at the Marina and got my accreditation for Marseille. However, I still needed my Paris accreditation for the Paralympics plus a public transport ticket for Marseille. I was told that Paris 2024's systems had been restored so I took a bus back to the Parc Chanot and joined the queue to receive my Paris accreditation and transport ticket.
    The uniform had to be collected from the Decathlon shop, not in Marseille, but in Aubagne which was 20km north of Marseille and reachable only via bus or local train. Fortunately, a volunteer from Montpelier gave a lady from Strasbourg and myself a lift to the Decathlon out-of-town warehouse shop, and back to a Metro station..
    For dinner, I had the plat de jour at a restaurant near the station and returned to the hotel to prepare for the training day tomorrow.
    There were many young backpackers in the station plus Lime bikes and scooters on the streets.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Training Day

    July 20, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Another journey on Metro Line 2 to Rond-Point du Prado and then Bus 83 took me to the Marina for the 08.00 start of the Training Day. There was a presentation in French, a tour of the site, and a video connection to one of the doping control organisers. There were about 10 Doping Control Volunteers, all French apart from myself. They kindly translated into English where necessary. We were each given a Swatch watch, water bottle, and ten return-journey public transport tickets. The chaperones set up a WhatsApp group which came in very handy over the next three weeks in conjunction with the Webex app which Paris 2024 used for communications. I had my photo taken with the Olympic and Paralympic mascots.
    In the afternoon, I took Bus 83 back to Vieux Port along the Corniche which was very busy. There were a few rocky and sandy beaches.
    Back at St Charles, I bought a return train ticket to Monte Carlo for 84 Euro for tomorrow's journey.
    I had lunch at a brasserie outside the station and then stayed in the hotel catching-up with things.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Monte Carlo

    July 21, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    The train to Nice left at 08.00 and went via Toulon, Cannes and Antibes on the journey which took over two hours. There was a 15 minute wait at Nice for the train to Monte Carlo which was an old, packed, two-tier TER (Train Express Regional). It arrived at Monte Carlo in Monaco at 11.15 having not stopped at the border This was another country for me to tick off.
    I walked to the Casino and paid to go into the gaming salles with roulette, other games, and slot machines. It was very ornate with lots of coloured glass and windows. In the bar lounge, I had a James Bond vodka martini, "shaken, not stirred", for 25 Euro.
    Outside, I found a restaurant and had a Greek salad.
    The reason for the crowded train may have been that the final day of the Tour de France, the time trial, was being held on the 35km route from Monaco to the Promenade Anglais in Nice because Paris was being prepared for the Olympics. Waiting in the light drizzle, I took a photo of Mark Cavendish with the Casino in the background.
    Walking down the stairs which connected the steep roads in Monte Carlo, I reached the start of the time trial, but it was so packed, I decided to cut my losses and return to the station before the crowds. I was just in time to catch a train to Nice where I had to wait an hour for the train to Marseille at 17.10 which was quite slow in arriving in Marseille at 20.30.
    The weather cleared on the way home and there were some nice coastal views at Cannes and Bandol.
    There was lots of graffiti on the approaches to the station as well as on the streets of Marseille and in the Metro tunnels.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Miramas

    July 22, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    I took a railcar from St Charles west along the Cote Bleue with its beautiful coves. These was followed by the industrial plants on the canals on the Rhone Estuary, and then farmland. It took 90 minutes to reach Miramas but, having walked outside the station and found that there was nothing of note to see, I returned on the next train to Marseilles. This took 140 minutes because the train was stuck outside Marseille for an hour.
    Many of the houses in the suburbs and countryside had creamy walls and red tiles. There was no terraced housing outside the old parts of towns.
    There was a lack of public toilets at St Charles and in the city.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    The East Side of Vieux Port

    July 22, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    After a salad lunch at St Charles and having bought rail tickets for the following three days, I took the Metro to Vieux Port. Boats to Chateau d'If were cancelled due to the rough sea. Although still 30 degrees, this was one of the few days with a breeze, a mild Mistral.
    I walked to the St Victor Basilica and went into the crypt to see the catacombs and sarcophogai. Afterwards, I bought navettes at the oldest bakery in town. These cakes evoke the first evangelists arriving in Marseille by boat.
    I walked to the Parc de Pharo for a great view of the city and port.
    I had grilled tuna for dinner in the Vieux Port.
    Back at the hotel, I changed to a room on the 8th and top floor because there had been music in the courtyard below my 4th floor window the night before. The manager was happy for me to move since I was staying for three weeks. It was quieter although I could still hear live music from somewhere in the city.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Nimes

    July 23, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    At 08.23, I took a train to Nimes which went through Arles and crossed the Rhone at Tarascon with its castle in sight. Nimes is just across the border from Provence into the Department of Gard in the Region of Occitania.
    I bought a ticket for a number of the historic sites in the city. Firstly, I went into the Ampitheatre and had fun climbing up the different levels. The equipment in the arena in advance of shows in August was a pity.
    The city is very smart with wide boulevards, some following the Roman layout.
    The Maison Carree is the former temple in the Roman Forum. The Musee of Contemporary Art opposite was designed by Norman Foster.
    A road on the way to a church and a Roman gateway had many ethnic restaurants.
    An uphill walk brought me to the Tour Magne which, from the top, provided good views over the city.
    I walked through the Jardin de la Fontaine back into the centre and the Musee de la Romanite which was opened five years' ago. It was very impressive with lots of Roman artefacts including funerary monuments and mosaics. There was an exhibition and video about the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War.
    I had snacks outside the station as well as at a branch of Paul inside the the station which had arched corridors as in the Ampitheatre.
    The train-ride back to Marseille took 70 minute, passing through oil refineries and petrochemical plants west of the city before reaching farmland.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Arles

    July 24, 2024 in France ⋅ 🌬 30 °C

    I took a train to Arles which was smaller and more compact than Nimes, nearly everything being within the ramparts, parts of which remained facing the Rhone.
    I went into the Roman Ampitheatre and Theatre, the latter being prepared for a film or show.
    The L'eglise Saint-Trophime and Le Cloitre Saint-Trophime both had wonderful stone carvings. The nearby Les Cryploportiques were underground passageways with a modern art installation.
    I had the plat du jour at a restaurant in the Place du Forum near the cafe frequented and painted by Van Gogh.
    I visited the Thermes de Constantin, and Le Musee Beattu in the former priory of the Knights of Malta.
    Outside the ramparts, Les Alyscamps was a Roman and medieval graveyard surrounding the St Honorat church. Nearby, Luma Arles was a complex with old sheds repurposed with modern art, and an exhibition tower designed by Frank Gehry with great views from the outside terrace on the 9th floor.
    Arles has a photography festival in July and August, plus lots of restaurants, museums and galleries in the compact space.
    I had dinner back at St Charles where there were lots of SNCF staff welcoming spectators for the first night of Olympic football.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Avignon

    July 25, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    I took a train for the 90 minute journey to Avignon up the Rhone valley. The ramparts were still in place, and it was a mixture of Nimes with its historic buildings and Arles with its touristy streets.
    The Palais and Jardin des Papes were very interesting despite the strange art installations in some rooms. There were beautiful painted walls and ceilings in other rooms. A histopad acted as a guide.
    I had an entrecote steak as the plat du jour at an alfresco restaurant in the Place du Palais.
    There was a view of the Rhone, the Pont St Benezet, and the castle in Villeneuve les Avignon across the river from the Rocher des Doms gardens.
    I walked across the Pont St Benezet and a small section of the ramparts.
    I stopped for a glace on another hot day before walking past the Theatre, the Palais du Roure, the Eglise Saint-Pierre, Les Halles, the Eglise des Celestins and the Temple Saint-Martial.
    At 16.00, I took the train back to Marseille.
    In the morning, there had been eight Paris 2024 volunteers and staff at St Charles, and, in the evening, there were many SNCF helpers but the number of spectators at the women's football was only 9,000 compared to 63,000 for the French men's match the previous evening.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Chateau d'If

    July 26, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    This was the first day for a while without setting the alarm to catch the Metro or a train. After breakfast, I spent an hour sorting out bus stops and bus and metro times, using the RTM app, in preparation for my first shift early tomorrow morning but, in the end, it proved unnecessary because the shift at the Golden Tulip Hotel was cancelled the previous evening, the first of three cancellations.
    I took a tram for part of the journey to Viieux Port to catch a boat to the Chateau d'If. The sea was calm. At the Chateau, I went into some cells which either had factual occupants such as Mirabeau or fictional characters such as Edmund Dante, the Count of Monte Cristo, the hero of the novel written by Alexandre Dumas. Monte Cristo is near Elba in the Tuscan archipelago.
    I had a good 3-course lunch in the courtyard after walking around the ramparts from where I saw boats practising near the Olympic Marina.
    After returning to the Port with good views of the city from the boat, and taking the Metro to St Charles, I saw lots of passengers milling around the station due to the sabotage of the TGV track further north which had led to lots of cancellations.
    Back at the hotel, I did some washing before watching the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics on TV.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    More Sightseeing in Marseille

    July 27, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    In the morning, I walked past the Porte d'Aix on the way to Cosquer which was in the redeveloped area near the quayside. Cosquer was a replica of the prehistoric cave under the sea near Marseille discovered by Henri Cosquer in 1985. I travelled in a tub, 37m down, around a circuit showing stalactites, stalacmites, and the outlines of animals, human fingers, seals and penguins drawn or painted 10,000 to 30,000 years ago. The actual paintings were being submerged gradually by the rising sea level.
    Next door to Cosquer was MUCEM, a new museum about the cultures of the Mediterranean peoples. There were also galleries with exhibitions about naturism and contemporary art. MUCEM was joined by a bridge to Fort Saint-Jean at the entrance to the Vieux Port which provided great views over the city from the ramparts.
    I looked inside the nearby Eglis St Laurent but there was a wedding.
    I had an alfresco fish lunch in a square in Le Panier.
    I walked back to the hotel, having bought a paper at St Charles plus a coffee at Starbucks. The station had been closed in the morning, presumably to prevent overcrowding caused by the TGV cancellations.
    Tomorrow's early morning shift at the Golden Tulip Hotel was cancelled via Webex in the evening.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    More Marseille Museums

    July 28, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    I walked to the Hospice de la Vielle Charite, a museum which housed exhibitions about Greek pottery, and the history of the penthalon and the Olympics, plus galleries showing collections about Mexican, Egyptian, African, American and Oceanic civilisations., and a gallery with items from other museums in Marseille.
    After another alfresco lunch in Le Panier, I went to the Musee Regards de Provence which had exhibitions of paintings of the port and ships, photos and models about surfing, and historic shipping-line posters advertising their routes to and from Marseille.
    I walked back to the hotel. There were lots of gendarmerie at the Port and at St Charles.
    I watched the Olympics on two French TV stations. Naturally, they tended to concentrate on French success in the swimming pool, judo, and fencing.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Notre Dame de la Garde and the Corniche

    July 29, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    The teeth were sensitive so the hotel receptionist booked me an appointment for tomorrow morning.
    I walked downtown, past the Opera, followed by a stiff walk uphill to the Notre Dame de la Garde which was the basilica-style church dominating the city's skyline. There were boats hanging from the ceiling plus great views over the city from the terrace outside.
    Helpful locals helped me find the roads down to the Corniche Kennedy at Oriol where I had a lunch of ravioli and canoli. Oriol was a quiet residential district with attractive villas.
    Walking back along the Corniche to the city, I saw flotillas of boats going out for Olympic races.
    There was clear water by the cliffs with sunbathers on the rocks. The Playa des Catalans was a sandy beach nearer the city. I passed the Maregraphe which measures the rise in sea-level, and the Monument aux Morts de l'Armee d'Orient.
    I stopped for an aperol spritzer in Vieux Port where the Foreign Legion were recruiting. Gendarmes were outside the Radisson where Olympic officials might be staying.
    Returning to St Charles on the Metro, the crowds had cleared.
    It was interesting to note the large number of pizzerias plus other restaurants with pizzas on the menu.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Dentist, Musees and Football

    July 30, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    I went to the dental centre in the centre of town for my 11.00 appointment. Without waiting, I was seen by a female dentist who took an x-ray which showed a broken filling which had exposed the nerve. She repaired the filling which held until I saw my dentist in November, and she mentioned that an orthodontist would have to deal with the nerve. Differently to my BUPA dentist, there were no glasses to wear nor a rinse cup. The cost was 50 Euros although this appeared twice on my credit card statement.
    I went to the Musee Cantini which had mostly 20th century art.
    The Musee d'Histoire de Marseille had lots of exhibits about Greek and Roman periods in Marseille, including a Roman trading vessel.
    Having walked back to the hotel, I left again at 17.00 to take the Metro to Rond-Point du Prado to go to the Stade de Marseille for the men's football match between France and New Zealand which France won comfortably 2:1. Before the kick-off at 19.00, I bought the Olympic and Paralympic mascots from the official shop.
    My uncomfortable seat was in the cheapest price category behind one of the goals. I was surrounded by some of the 45,000 mainly French spectators. There was lots of singing of football chants and other songs.
    Walking back to the Metro station after the match, it was fortunate that an empty train soon arrived.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Le Corbusier, Beaux Artes, and Football

    July 31, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    I took another Metro journey to Rond-Point du Prado and then walked to the Unite d'Habitation (Cite Radieuse) designed by Le Corbusier and opened in 1952. Besides the apartments, there were some offices, a shop, a hotel, a restaurant and a cafe where I had a morning break. There was a good view from the 9th floor roof terrace. especially of the Stade de Marseille.
    Taking the Metro back into the city, I went to the Musee des Beaux Artes in the Palais de Longchamp which exhibited a mixture of painting styles.
    After an alfresco lunch opposite the Palais, I walked back to the hotel.
    At 17.00, I took the Metro to Rond-Point du Prado again for the short walk to the Stade de Marseille for my one and only shift at a football match, a women's match between the USA and Australia which the USA won. There were water breaks during the match because it was so hot. The Doping Control Chaperones watched the match on TV in the Doping Control Centre rather than in the stands. The female volunteers acted as the chaperones whilst I used a tablet to record the entries and exits from the Centre.
    Because it was so hot, the players were dehydrated and some had difficulty in providing a urine sample so, although the match finished at about 21.00, I didn't leave until midnight to catch the Metro back to St Charles.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Aix-en-Provence

    August 1, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    I took a train for the 45 minute ride to Aix-en-Province.
    I went to two Granet Musees to see a mixture of religious and contemporary paintings, and sculptures, including works by Picasso, Rubens and Cezanne.
    After a break for an alfresco lunch, I walked around the Quartier Mazarin and went to the Caumont Centre d'Art in the Hotel Caumont which also had a nice garden. There was a film about Cezanne who lived near Aix, plus an exhibition about the Japanese influence on Pierre Bonnard.
    I went into a couple of churches. There were lots of smart shops and cafes and, like all the cities in Provence, lots of tourists.
    It was another hot day with a clear blue sky and wonderful light so it was easy to understand why many painters chose to live and work in Provence.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    First Shift at the Marina

    August 2, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    03.50. Woken by the alarm.
    04.58. Caught the first Metro to Rond-Point du Prado
    05.07. Began the 20 minute walk to the Marina since it was too early for a bus.
    05.30. Met Doping Control doctors and volunteers.
    06.00. Walked to Nhow Hotel next to the Marina but volunteers unable to access because the update to our accreditation hadn't been done overnight.
    07.00. The volunteers left the Marina for a "formula" breakfast at a cafe across the road.
    08.50. Accreditation updated.
    09.00. Entered Nhow Hotel but too late because the doctors had found and tested the chosen athletes.
    10.00. Volunteer dining hall opened so I had an early lunch.
    12.00. I went to the Marina Doping Control Centre who were short of chaperones, and I chaperoned one athlete.
    17.00. Left Marina because the lack of wind led to the cancellation of the races.
    It was 32 degrees during the day and I may have caught a little sunstroke when standing around on the beach where the boats and athletes landed.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Callelongue

    August 3, 2024 in France ⋅ 🌬 31 °C

    I took the Metro again to Rond-Point du Prado, and then buses 19 and 20 to travel east along the coast from the sandy Playa du Prado, Montredon, Point Rouge and Les Goudes to Callelongue, a small fishing village and the start of the Parc Nacional des Calanques with its rocky coastline, coves and fishing villages like Callelongue. The Parc was closed due to the dry vegetation and the fire risk, especially since the Mistral had picked up today with "white horses" out in the bays, and waves hitting the beaches.
    I had a nice lunch in the village at La Grotte, after which I returned to the hotel by the same route.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Les Baumettes

    August 4, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Another ride on the Metro to Rond-Point du Prado and then bus B1 to Luminy, but the Parc Nacional du Calanques was still closed and there was nothing except university buildings at Luminy so I returned on the B1 to a bus-stop where I caught bus 22 to the end of the line at Les Baumettes. The Parc was also shut there so, instead, I had an alfresco Sunday lunch with cerviche de loup and a Cafe Gourmand.
    Les Baumettes was an attractive district with the hills of the Parc in the background.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Joilette

    August 4, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Having taken a bus back to Rond-Point du Prado, I took the Metro to Joilette, a regenerated district by the docks in Marseille with new buildings designed by architects such as Habid, and old buildings, such as the Silo and Dock, repurposed into shopping and restaurant arcades, and arts centres.
    From the nearby car-ferry, you could travel to Corsica, Tunisia and Algeria.
    I walked back to the hotel, stopping for a non-alcoholic beer at a Muslim cafe and buying pastries for tea.
    I watched Djokovic win the tennis gold medal, plus archery, fencing and judo, on TV.
    There were lots of unemptied rubbish bins at the Metro stations.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Iles de Frioul

    August 5, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    I walked to the Vieux Port and took a boat to the Iles de Frioul, passengers having been dropped off at Ile d'If on the way.
    I walked part of the length of Pomegues which was rocky with small coves and beaches on either side plus small forts or lookout posts.
    Then I walked across the causeway joining the two islands to Ratonneau where, for lunch, I had aoili, a fish, with vegetables followed by a tarte tatin.
    In the afternoon, I walked to one end of Ratonneau to the old batteries defending the entrance to the Port of Marseille which may have been used by the Germans in the Second World War.
    After looking down at beaches and marinas towards the other end of the island, I returned to the Vieux Port and walked under the Ombriere, the mirror-ceilinged pavilion designed by Norman Foster on the quayside.
    I returned to St Charles by Metro where I bought a mug as a souvenir of Marseille.
    There were many Tunisians at the station going to support Morocco in the men's football semi-final at the Stade de Marseille.
    The seedy reputatiion of Marseille, partly due to the French Connection, didn't seemed justified any longer. Maybe being European Capital of Culture in the past had helped. There were some beggars and rough sleepers but I felt safe walking through the Muslim quarter near the hotel.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Second Shift at the Marina

    August 6, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Taking the now-familiar route, I arrived at the Marina at noon for another shift. However, the lack of wind meant that the afternoon medal races for the men and women's dinghy class were postponed until tomorrow.Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Third Shift at the Marina

    August 7, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    In the morning, I had a haircut at the barber's next door to the hotel.
    The usual route took me to the Marina in time for my final shift starting at noon. The lack of wind delayed the dinghy medal races but they went ahead eventually, and I chaperoned one athlete and also witnessed a medal ceremony near the beach.
    I bade farewell to the doping control doctors, managers, and volunteers.
    The doctors and nurses were all local apart from two from overseas. The eight other volunteers were all from Provence although a couple of them lived abroad.
    The volunteering had been interesting despite the cancellation of three of my seven shifts although the cancellations had the benefit of me not having to get up at 04.00. The fine weather helped although it was too hot on some days and the volunteer uniform tended to cling to the skin. I lost my bucket-hat so wore my cap instead.
    The lunches had been OK; mainly pre-packed salads, yogurts, pastries and fresh fruit.    Read more

  • Alan ChapmanFrance 2024Traveler

    Cassis

    August 8, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    I took the Metro to Castellane to catch Le Car to Cassis. The 45 minute scenic ride went across the Massif de Calanques in the Parc Nacional de Calanques.
    I walked around the backstreets of Cassis before following others to the start of the trail in the Parc. The trail took me to the Calanques de Port-Miou and the Port-Pin which were very scenic, the first with a marina and the second with a beach. It was very hot and sunny so I didn't go any further in case I ran out of time to see Cassis.
    Back in Cassis, I had an alfresco lunch on the promenade before walking around the harbour and marina. Given all the marinas around Marseille, I wondered who owned all these boats.
    Cassis has one of the highest sea-cliff walls in Europe. The promenade and some of the backstreets were very scenic and, given the Provencal weather and light, it was easy to understand why painters stayed there.
    I returned to Castellane by the same route, and walked back to the hotel through a district I hadn't visited before.
    After watching a webinar about the Olympic Village in Paris, I went to a nearby Tunisian restaurant, Sur le Pouce, for an excellent meal of couscous, vegetables, lamb, sausages, dessert and tea for only 20 Euro.    Read more

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