East of Cassis is St . Tropez , made famous by Brigitte Bardot in the film And God Created Woman . The yachts were certainly bigger than those in Cassis , and we speculated who owned the black one with the skull and crossbones ! Although the town was fun to explore , we decided that Cassis was more pleasant and down-to-earth than the haunt of the rich and famous .
After watching Gerard Depardieu as a crimefighting mayor in the series Marseille , we were somewhat anxious about visiting that port city ; however , we were happy to overcome our reservations . Located by the lovely old harbour , the museum “ Regards de Provence ” features impressionist paintings of local scenes . The famous cathedral Notre-Dame de la Garde is situated on a hill in central Marseille . Dominating the skyline , the church spire allows you to see the town spread in all directions , with views of the port
and the island where the Count of Monte Cristo was supposedly imprisoned . The church itself is built with that special layered design of white limestone and green sandstone . Inside , beautiful mosaics line the walls , and mobiles of ships hang from above . We saw abundant messages of thanks for the safe return of sailors from the sea — but no criminals !
Cassis is a fantastic base for a vacation in the south of France and allows dozens of outings within a two-hour drive . For those who haven ’ t visited the Roman ruins of Arles or the papal palace in Avignon , these are also within driving distance . Travel by public transit is less convenient ; however , one could happily spend a couple of weeks in Cassis itself and just relax and enjoy the local ambience .
A retired teacher-librarian , Rosemary Kennedy lives in Calgary with her husband and travelling companion , Selim . For the past two years she ’ s enjoyed jaunts in the Rockies and B . C ., but who knows what the coming year may bring .
Port Miou , Parc national des Calanques
news & views AUTUMN 2022 | 23