Monday 17 March 2008

Unfaithful

Calanque de Port Pin, 16 March, 4:30 p.m.

There was lots going on this weekend in Avignon: local elections, a Globe-trotter festival, a Clown festival and an arts and crafts exhibition, but exceptionally I'll be unfaithful to my city. I spent Sunday in the calanques of Cassis, just east of Marseilles. A two hour drive from Avignon, the calanques are one the most strikingly beautiful parts of the French Mediterranean coast. I just had to share that with you.

Il s'est passé plein de choses à Avignon ce week-end : les élections municipales, le festival des Globe Trotters, un festival de Clowns, une exposition d'artisanat, mais exceptionnellement je serai infidèle à ma ville : je suis allée passer ce dimanche dans les calanques de Cassis. Un pur bonheur que j'avais envie de partager avec vous.

In the background is Cape Canaille whose high orange cliffs can be seen from way out at sea.

Au fond, le Cap Canaille dont les hautes falaises orangées se voient de très loin en mer.
A very typical tourist shot of the calanques but how could I avoid it? The colour of the sea is stupendous.

La photo bateau des calanques (!) mais comment ne pas la faire ?
Calanques are deep inlets in the white limestone coast; they are the Mediterranean equivalent to fjords. More about their geological formation here.

Les calanques sont des indentations profondes de la côte calcaire, l'équivalent méditerranéen des fjords. Pour en savoir plus sur leur formation géologique, cliquer ici.

30 comments:

claude said...

Chanceuse ! Beau temps chez toi !
Elles sont vraiment très belles ces Calanques. Moi, j'ai passé mon week-end pluvieux à l'abri dans un hall d'exposition. Je n'ai même pas vu qu'il pleuvait !

Anonymous said...

Photos bateau, mais toujours aussi belles. Ce coin est vraiment superbe.

Peter said...

Malgré la campagne pour le Nord en ce moment, j'avoue une certaine préférence pour ces paysages (et ce qui va avec)! Il y a longtemps, j’ai assez souvent visité ; des amis marseillais avaient un cabanon dans un de ces criques ! Un pays de rêves!

Sally said...

Absolutely gorgeous! Do you think swimming here might be possible in mid- June????? It looks like heaven.

Anonymous said...

The cliffs, the trees on them and the color of the water all together makes some beautiful scenery and wonderful photographs. Really nice.

Anonymous said...

Well Sally, I can tell you that in March, very few people even took a toe dip in the water. We tried and it was bloody cold! The guy you can see swimming here was a rare exception. But in June it should be much better. Worth a try!

Kim said...

Nathalie, I am so enchanted by this area. Thank you for taking us along on your excursion. It's just so lovely. That color of water in the shallows of your first picture is very inviting. . .but not as warm as it looks if it's the Atlantic, eh?
-Kim
Seattle Daily Photo

Anonymous said...

Les calanques???
Mon jardin, ma cour de récré et celle de mes enfants pendant nos années marseillaises, j'y retourne régulièrement avec bonheur, j'aurais pu y être avec ma soeur ce week end mais ne pouvais pas être au four et au moulin!
Merci pour ta présence samedi et dimanche!
A+!

Chuckeroon said...

I was not familiar with these! Seems I wasted time on all those business trips to Avignon in March.

It's cold here now. I rememeber how nice it was to leave UK and fly to Avignon for a short meeting. such a welcome touch of warmth for the bones!!!

Bergson said...

Là tu veux absolument nous vexer alors que nous aussi nous avons un grand soleil ;-(

La vie est trop injuste : Caliméro

Jilly said...

What gorgeous photographs. I've long wanted to visit Cassis. Now I must! Interesting link to the Calanques. I stayed in Piana in Corsica, where they have the calanques - also fabulously impressive and beautiful, as in Cassis.

Looks like you had a great weekend.

Janet said...

Looks like paradise! The water is gorgeous.

John said...

Nathalie,

These views are absolutely spectacular. Not quite the same in Sydney but I am sure you can remember some of the beautiful inlets around the Harbour.

Thank you for sharing these photos with us.

rauf said...

Very sunny and bright Nathalie, such a lovely place, doesn't LOOK very cold.
I would have loved to see the pictures of the clown festival.
Perhaps lot more festivaals to come in the summer months. Enjoy the sun Nathalie

Kate said...

IRISH BLESSINGS!

May soft gentle breezes brush o'er your face,
For each loving touch is God's warm embrace.
May you have enough for all that you need,
And never be hurt by another one's greed.
The Lord keep you safe from terrible things,
And at the end of this life, lift you up on His wings.

Happy St. Patrick's Day and may the Leprechauns be good to you!

Clueless in Boston said...

I had never heard of the Calanques and love your pictures. My first thought upon seeing only a few people in the water and most on the shore still in clothes was that it might be a little too chilly to swim. But the water and limestone cliffs are gorgeous. Thanks for the geology lesson:)

Marguerite-marie said...

il fait toujours beau quelque part...et chez nous ça va venir....je crois qu'on devient de plus en plus exigeants on veut manger des fraises à Noël des oranges en juillet et av.oir l'été en hiver. Merci pour cet avant-goût de l'été.

Thérèse said...

Toutes ces nuances de bleu: magnifiques.

Marie-Noyale said...

Avignon peut attendre,tu as bien fait de prendre ce petit week end.
Quel bel edroit,la mer a la couleur de celle de mes souvenirs dans les iles Greques...
C'est gentil de nous avoir ramener un petit souvenir ensoleillé!

claude said...

Je reviens sur mon histoire de taupe ne sachant pas si tu allais repasser sur mon blog.
La naphtaline les repousse mais là, nous avons eu à faire à une coriace. Le problème c'est qu'elle nous a tout dévirée notre allée en en pavés autobloquants. Nous avions déjà passé un dimanche aprèm entier à refaire un côté, et elle était en train de recommencer.
L'année dernière, elles m'ont retourné tout mon potager. Je n'aime pas tuer les bêtes mais là, nous ne pouvions pas faire autrement. Du côté potager, c'est bien elles mangent les gros verres blancs mais pas que cela. Nous préfèrerions qu'elles restent dans la peupleraie du voisin, mais il faut croire que notre terree est bonne.

Ming the Merciless said...

The scenery is spectacular. The color of the water is sooo mesmerizing.

I bet your didn't miss all the excitement in Avignon.

Technodoll said...

Mon dieu! Tu me rends maalaaaade de jalousie! Oh it is gorgeous... my eyes and soul just drank up those photos like a parched sahara traveller.

I really need to travel again... and soon. Thank you for making me dream :-)

Anonymous said...

Superb place and photos Nathalie. I think we will have to put Cassis on our travel plan.

Kris McCracken said...

There are some wonderful shots there. Now I know where I want to go for my next holiday!

Kunterbunt said...

What a wonderful landscape. I didn't know about it.

Anonymous said...

"soupir".... des fois je me dis que je ne suis pas faite pour les climats océaniques pluvieux....."resoupir"....

Patrizia said...

I've been to Cassis 12 years ago. Wonderful!

Petrea Burchard said...

I think I'll just skip on that property tax payment this year and visit your end of the world. Beautiful (and very well photographed, too).

Fritzthecat said...

Wow ! This place looks like heaven - especially after seeing the gray sky in England today and listening to a weather forecast that's promising snow. Maybe you'd also like to show your photos of Avignon on trivago. trivago is an international community of travelers for travelers.

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