Cassis: a French Seaside Dream.

Cassis, France is one of those places that feels like a dream. I spent a few days here with two of my best friends wandering around in a daze. We kept asking each other if this place was real. Is it a dream? Are we inside of a Monet painting? Did we somehow stumble into a dreamy movie set? I mean look at this place! Plus everyone around us spoke other languages; the wine was made just down the road; the streets were ancient cobbles; and French food!

For many, many years I had dreamed of visiting Provence. I have read countless books about the region and fallen in love with it from afar. This moment- the first glimpse I had of a quintessential Provencal village- I had dreamed of this moment for so many years. It was just as I imagined. Provence turned out to be one of those rare places that was exactly as I had dreamed it would be.

I cannot put into words the childlike joy we felt when we ran down this beach and jumped into the Mediterranean Sea. It was perfect. We spent hours upon hours floating in the salty water under the hot Provencal sun. What a dream. What a magical check off of my travel bucket list.

Look at the balcony at our Airbnb. Honestly I think we might have been living in a dream. We spent hours sitting there, watching the rain, watching people walk past, watching the town go to sleep. Every morning we walked to the local boulangerie and took our piping hot pain au chocolats back to the balcony. Every evening we sat out there with chilly glasses of local rose. My French dreams come true.

These calanques are the must-see attraction near Cassis. Everyone we talked to from the area told us we had to go see them. We opted for a boat tour since the sea was too choppy to kayak. Truly, these cliffs and little inlets were breathtaking.

Seriously, if you ever need to escape to the south of France, I highly recommend Cassis.