This is not, repeat not, a walking holiday


A good night, by 2025 standards, which meant that Joff was feeling human for the first time in a while. And a sunny breakfast - yay! 

Friday is market day, so after a cuppa we headed down to see what was on offer and to pick up breakfast supplies. We spent a stupid amount of money on some very fine cheese, drawn in by a superlative salesman, who engaged us with cheerful banter and some fooling around with a hat. 

Looked at that way, we bought not only the actual cheese, but also some cheese theatre, so it was money well spent.


It turns out that the sun hits our balcony only in the mid-morning, so we took our chance, then packed bathers and a picnic (cheese, obviously) and set out on the two hour walk to Calenque d’En-Vau, west towards Marseille.

According to the local tourism info this is the ‘must see’ calanque, and it merits that epithet. The walk is pretty strenuous, with many rugged and sometimes skittery steep ups and downs. So beautiful, though. Pines, sea and rock, of course, and the sun’s heat was drawing out the scents of the various plants - particularly rosemary and other herby stuff.

It was pretty busy, so I’m not sure we’d enjoy it as much during high season.

The cal. itself is stunning. You approach down a very steep slope, then the way flattens somewhat and the walls of rock either side just keep getting higher and higher. 



Some aspects of the scenery reminded me very much of some parts of China that we’ve seen in nature docs - all those precariously perched pines clinging onto limestone crags.

We claimed a spot on the pebbly beach and had our first dip in the impossibly clear and turquoise water. Cold! Wonderfully refreshing after our hot walk, but I couldn’t stay in for more than a couple of minutes. Apparently the water temperature in the calanques is colder than the surrounding sea, due to underground springs. 


We stayed for a couple of hours and a couple more dips, before retracing our steps. There is only the one, exceedingly steep and strenuous, way in and out, and I enjoyed the fact that everyone on the beach had earned their spot. Unlike the many occasions when we’ve slogged up some hill for a fabulous view to find hoards of folk who have parked just the other side and strolled gently to the viewpoint.

Dinner was better than last night, and we rounded it off with some very good ice cream as we wandered back up the hill. 

Only 27,000 steps today. Definitely not a walking holiday.

Em x



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