Cassis: Charming Alleyways & Markets
Author Virginia Woolf called Cassis a "little paradise" and it most certainly is! It’s a lovely, quintessential French seaside town that has inspired many artists over the years. Although the harbor is picturesque, it can also feel busy and crowded, which ultimately is not my favorite. Yet, the good thing about humans is they tend to clump together, so it’s easy for this human to get away from the clumps. Just 1 block off the busy harbor there are so many adorable streets overflowing with all the provincial charm one could ask for and where I could wander, find some peace, and take pictures at my leisure.
As with every provincial town, there are outdoor markets multiple days of the week and Cassis is no exception. Their outdoor markets sprawl through several squares and down a few streets with stalls that offer fruits and vegetables, cheeses, delicatessen, fish and seafood. Stalls also sell clothes, accessories, jewelry, artwork, household linen, kitchen supplies, products from local crafts…yes, you can find pretty much everything.
So many “off the beaten track” lovely cafes with yummy food and wine that I enjoyed discovering as I wondered the back streets of Cassis.
The Cassis landscape is dominated by and famous for the highest sea cliff in France, Cap Canaille at 394 meters/1293 feet with its clay that shows up incredibly red at sunset. When I was there they used the side of the mountain to showcase a laser light show all about the history of Cassis. That was fun to see, although all in French of course, so I didn’t learn much.
