We had a fabulous time visiting with our French cousins: family bar-b-ques, seeing the sights, great meals, catching up on family gossip, visiting beautiful beaches and swimming in the azure Mediterranean Sea.
Fabienne and Cloe took us to their favorite beach on Cap Croisette en la Baie des Singes (Monkey Bay). We followed the narrow path along the stark rocky shore and swam in the cool blue water.
On another day, Fabienne drove us to another favorite beach on the Cote d’Azur: Lavandou.
The first time I visited Cassis, almost 40 years ago, it was a small sleepy fishing village just outside Marseille. Today, it’s an upscale tourist destination with gorgeous Mediterranean homes scattered up the surrounding rocky hills.
Cloe joined us and Nicole drove along the back roads of Marseille to take a boat to see the calanques of Marseille and Cassis. These are the narrow steep-walled inlets which are characteristic of this region of the Mediterranean.
After the boat ride, the girls went swimming at the beach and enjoyed gelato in the village. Nicole and I sat and relaxed at the shore. What a wonderful lifestyle!