1/22/2020
(Above: The sun shining briefly over the bay of Cassis.)
Active Summary: Today I woke up, performed the daily calisthenics, ate half a carrot for breakfast, wrote for about thirty minutes, and then ventured to Cassis with my brother. There, we explored for a few hours, walking through town and then up and down the narrow winding roads that scaled the nearby cliffs. At one point, we ventured onto the sandy/pebbly sea shore for a few minutes, but then the frigid ocean came and nipped at us. It got me a tad* but my brother escaped unscathed.
On returning to town midway through our explorations, we stopped for breakfast/lunch at a pastry shop where both us procured a ‘Napoleon’ bar (more in TIL). No contest, it was the best pastry I’ve had in France thus far, and I’m afraid that no other sweet will beat it on this entire trip until we meet with cannolis in Sicily.
After eating, we continued our walk for about an hour and half, maybe more – enjoying the breeze, brief sun, and craggy shore. At 3 o’clock, we decided it was time to head back to Aix to rest. On getting back to the town, though, my brother and I decided to continue walking**. We eventually made it back to the room… but not before procuring some Aix-ian treats for home and seeing a classic French protest parade marching through the fountain square directly in front of where we are presently staying.
Our first view of Cassis. 
Overcast day at the sea. 
Brother for scale. 
Waves of incredible power. 
A view of the clifftop chateau just above Cassis. 
The bay. 
Bordered by cliffs (one near, and one far). 
Cassis harbor. 
Waves crashing against the stone. 
The lighthouse. 
View of Cassis from the Lighthouse. 
The clifftop chateau can be seen even from the heart of town. 
A Napoleon the size of my fist. 
Incredible. 
A interesting garage-door disguise idea (it was painted.) 
Bay of Cassis from above. 
Another view of the bay, farther along the shoreline. 
Grey skies over cliffs and pines. 
A colorful house just adjacent to the Chateau. 
Not open today, but we did manage to get some decent views from a closed public walk nearby. 
A small, straight street in Cassis. 
Distant cliffs to be seen between a narrow alley. 
Walking down to the sea. 
The bay of Cassis. 
Sun attempting to poke out. 
A ‘parade’ in Aix. They didn’t seem happy, but they didn’t seem violent either. The entire protest was escorted by myriad police and a couple ambulances. 
Chocolates from Aix-de-Provence
(7:38 PM Update:) Just returned from the evening out-to-eating with my brother. This time it was at La Boca Loca, a Latin restaurant less than 300 feet from our apartment. Also, we stopped by a bakery on the way back where we acquired the nightly delicacies:
Nachos with beef, jalapeño, cilantro, onion, and cheddar cheese. (Odd lighting on account of the heat lamps.) 
Burrito with beef, black beans, rice, red onion, cilantro, spicy salsa, cheddar cheese, and guacamole. (Again, the lighting was strange because of the heat lamps.) 
The lone, amber eye of an eclair peering out of the patisserie box.
TIL: The ‘Napoleon’ from earlier was so delicious that I had to look it up and see how the pastry was made. Its technical term is Mille-feuille, or ‘Vanilla Slice’, and it is comprised of three puff-pastry layers. Between the bottom and the central layer is a cream or custard filling, and the same goes for the space between the central and top layer. On the very top, though, it is iced in alternating chocolate (variables can instead have some form of berry flavor) and vanilla stripes that are then smoothed together to form the classic ‘combed glaze’ pattern.
Commentary: Today was our warmest and sunniest day in France thus far. We reached a high of 62 F and the sun shone for about 4 minutes. The warm grey weather aside, Cassis was a picturesque town that reminded me of what Aix would be if it were located beside the sea. There were narrow winding streets (most of which were comprised of cobbled stone), a plenitude of places to eat if one so desired, and the whole place was very quiet. The primary differences between Cassis and Aix, of course, was the presence of the sea and of the imposing cliffs that halfway encircled the Cassis Bay. Though many of my pictures did turn out well, they do not do the cliffs or the heaving sea justice.
On note of the sea, we found one spot where it had washed up masses of smooth pebbles and stones. When the waves retracted back into the sea through these rocks, it made a very satisfying noise – one that I attempted to capture in the video below. My brother and I actually remained near this place for quite a while, predicting if the waves would reach far enough to make the odd, burbling sound (it had to breach the stairs’ lowest step for the full aural effect).
Final Note: Tomorrow will likely be another Aix-day. This means that we will probably wander around the town some more and perhaps explore a couple art galleries if they are open.
*Splashed my ankles but fortunately didn’t get into my shoes.
** Riding for an hour in the car will do that.
I so much look forward to your posts… and I miss the ocean
Napoleons — When I was a kid there was a bakery in walking distance. My favorites! I don’t think I’ve had a Napoleon since then.