05 - An Aix-tra special surprise

Having survived our hostel ‘nightmare’ we got back on the road for another long drive out of Andorra and into the land of the frogs. After an early start and a brief stop at Froix for a spot of breakfast (note - a cappuccino in this part of France means espresso and whipped cream, do not recommend) we arrived in the quaint French commune of Aix-en-Provence that afternoon. After finding our Airbnb, I suggested that we go for a walk and find a place to have a drink as a reward for the 6 hours of driving we’d done that day. What Melissa didn’t know is that the bar that I “looked up on trip advisor” was in fact a bar suggested by her brother, Matt, who would be joining us there shortly after.

Melissa was caught by complete surprise when Matt and his fiancé, Vanessa, walked up to our table and were able to share in a lovely weekend with us in this beautiful part of the world. We enjoyed a very cheerful evening, filled with steak, vin rose, and of course an ice cream to cap the night off.

Vanessa had done her research with all the trendiest bloggers and instagrammers to find the hottest destinations within reach of Aix. I’m not sure we can quite call these bloggers our peers just yet, our subscriber base needs to extend beyond immediate family before we quite feel justified with any comparison, yet nevertheless we set off in search of the ultimate swimming spot where we might be able to pose for a photo or two. As we pulled into Cassis, a fishing port the other side of Marseille, we were all stunned by the beauty and serenity of the beach as we drove in.

Soon enough we were on the beach and successfully fought off the numerous Speedo adorned men and topless women to secure a spot. While I started to think about how a pair of these Speedo’s may actually suit me and highlight the work I’ve been doing on my glutes, I missed Vanessa running into the crystal clear sea. Before long we were all swimming in the refreshing med with the reassuring phrase “it’s lovely once you’re in” uttered more than once. Vanessa spied a set of steps that led up to a picturesque villa on the side of the bay and jumped in with a squeal that made everyone on the coast of the French Riviera turn to look. Everyone except for Matt who missed it completely, presumably equally distracted by the French men in Speedos, which meant Vanessa had to jump again.

Cassis is a beautiful beachside town with a lovely, if slightly touristy, feel to it. We walked into the marina for lunch and struggled for a table where the menu wasn’t hideously overpriced. In the end we settled for a shop bought salad and sandwich and sat in the shade watching the world go by. It was too difficult to resist another quick swim before we returned back to Aix and shared a couple of delightful blog-inspired Pizza’s in one of the pretty squares for dinner.

Aix-en-Provence has the characteristic Mediterranean small, weaving streets that suddenly open out into lively squares with families and tourists enjoying dinner or a drink. The packed restaurants and numerous street artists, ranging from the typical saxophonist to the less-known-in-these-parts didgeridoo-ist (didgeridooer?) all give the streets a welcoming feel in summer. We said our goodbyes to Matt and Ness and took a last minute wander around the main street and the seemingly 24 hour market before calling it a night.

We’ve experienced our first taste of the French Riviera and are excited for our next few days along the coast in Nice.

J & M

p.s. you’ll be pleased to know that my interest in a pair of speedo’s was cut very short on realising that all of the other French men presumably had the same mental image of how they might look in Speedo’s and how different they looked in reality…