Sun Chaser

So! The toussaint holidays are in full swing and I have decided to chase the sun in earnest. So while everyone is freezing their butts off going to Paris, Strasbourg and Lyon, I decided to head to Arles and Marseille for a short stint.

Arles in 5 words. Small, quaint, caves, great market. That's it. lol

Marseille...wow Marseille. BEYOND Words. I mean, yuh stink. The city could do with a good scrub, more garbage bins and less horny africans and Algerians (more on that later), but WOW. What a gem. If you really want 'to do' Marseille you either have to be youngish or a pretty active older person. All of the gems are on a mountain, around the corner, 20 kms away. Some attractions, comme Notre Dam, you can get to by using the little choo choo trains for les gens paresseux. (this immersion is doing wonders! Im starting to drop in french randomly nowadays lol). Others, like Les Calanques, you better walk with your defibrillator if you're not up  to scratch on the fitness. There's no choo choo, no plane, no shuttle. The bus drops you at the bottom of the cliffs and you are on your own.
My advice after doing a portion of Calanques in 4 hours - Make sure you leave energy, strength, mental fortitude for the walk back. I barely made it back. BARELY.

Anywhoser, I arrived in Marseille on Thursday 24th. Coincidentally I had a journey booked to Germany for the same period but that fell through. However, I am ecstatic that I didn't spend my time being cold in Germany (although I am not ecstatic about the Euro100 wasted, I'll try to forget that in the next 10 years or so lol). It was 22 degrees C. Warm enough in my books and I decided to set off early and take advantage of my midday arrival. After being stalked by a Senegalese on Rue de la Republique who decided he would DIE if he didn't tell me how beautiful I was, I decided to head to Notre Dam. Yaz, who I rented my studio from, assured me that 'everyone' does Notre Da9m by foot... :\  . Silly and stupid me. I was the ONLY person huffing and puffing, knees to chest, trying to counteract gravity on my way up a 70 degree slope (I swear) to the Notre Dam. After about 15 minutes and much sweat later, I finally made it. And, it was soooooo worth the work. Marseille is laid out like a lady in waiting at your feet. The views are breathtaking and it's easy to tune out and lose yourself in them. Alas, the Frioul islands were waiting and I had a date for the 4.50pm boat shuttle. After sprinting past an accident and a man floating in mid air begging for money (I swear!! these marseillans), I made the shuttle to do even MORE hiking (and risk a buss ass) on the Frioul islands. Another worth while experience.
Calcite veins, limestone mountains and a small fort all made the journey, by foot, an exciting one.

On Friday, I woke up sore and decided to head to the Calanques. I decided there and then comfort over fashion and donned my running shoes. Thank GOD I did that or else I would've died a most grizzly death up in those mountains/cliffs. 4 hours. 4 hours of highs lows, feeling vulnerable and small or like a conquering lion. And I didn't even do the whole thing. Apparently all of these cliffs are connected and you can explore a series of them. In the 4 hours I was there (I walked for 3.5 hours) I did 1 Calanque (Surgiton) and went to the 'beach'. But again, entirely worth it. I'd like to bring my family up here one day if they come to visit, but I am sure someone will suffer with some coronary issue...soooo..scratch that lol). It is beaaauuutiful.

Back to the studio at 6pm and I get a text...hey! wanna come to Aix to lime? uuuh.why not!! So off to Aix I go where I had 45 minutes of blissful sleep (and thank god I did that) where I met up with a trini ex-convent girl studying in France. We shared tales of when she just arrived 5 years ago and the constant faux pas she made. With all that said, her french is pretty bad ass right now. I have hope. lol So 4 hours, 2 sangrias and 2 horny africans later, I return to my studio knowing that i'm going to feel this on Saturday morning.

Oh and feel it I did. Waking up and stretching was an exercise in patience and trying to unfurl myself as my body set into some type of rigamortis. Muscles, joints everything. Stiff and painful! Ah well! Vacation is still happening so! Gotta go! I discovered in the cafe across the street that they serve a sinful chocolat chaud. I was informed that they have two types of chocolat chaud..the regular milo/nesquik type and the OTHER type. The OTHER type is just melted chocolate..yes thick, rich, warm, melted chocolate served in a tea  cup...WHAAT!! yeaaah... the OTHER type won hands down. I don't think I can drink regular hot chocolate ever again :(

So after being followed by an Algerian named Assiz who gladly showed me around old Marseille, it was time to go home. I was sad as Assiz informed me that I was missing the last night of some huge music festival happening that night, but I just really wanted my bed in boring, snoozy ole Nimes. It was fantastic, but it was time.

So! That is it! Back to reality where I have to go to the bank tomorrow to curse and threaten as after 5 weeks, I STILL have not received my bank card from La Banque Postale...wtf!

More on that....