The Mediterranean!

The best part of Den's day was coming over a hill and seeing the Mediterranean stretched out before us. It really is bluer than blue. We drove to Cassis on the southern coast near Marseille to see the Calanques, which are like fjords. We took a boat tour through three of them and the scenery was spectacular. Seeing all the vacationers swimming off their boats or lounging around on their decks having appies and drinks made us miss our summer boating at home. Hope we can fit in some Gulf Islands time when we return. We found a public beach and I jumped in--not as warm as the Indian Ocean, but lovely and refeeshing. Boating and swimming in the Mediterranean--there are two more things off my bucket list. We had dinner in Toulon in an outdoor cafe right on the promenade--HUGE pots of fresh moulds et frites, mussels and fries in a Gorgonzola sauce.

The French really know how to do things right. No wonder they are sometimes viewed as being arrogant--they know they are a step above others, We have not found a single thing to criticize. From a tourist's perspective, it's all good. The scenery is to die for--rolling green hills dotted with ancient villages and tidy vineyards. Roads are in excellent shape and most intersections are beautifully landscaped roundabouts. The food is fresh, interesting, and delicious and each region has iits specialties. There is a focus on meat, which makes it a little difficult for us, but we have always been able to find vegetarian or seafood choices on menus. Shopping makes sense. Every village has a market where you can buy fresh fruit and veggies, a boulangerie for your daily baguette, and a patisserie for sweets. So far we have steered clear of those. Even the supermarkets are more efficient than ours. You weigh and label your own produce. The people are good-looking and well turned out. No jeans and hoodies here. Did I mention the public washrooms? Open the door to a stainless steel interior, the seat lowers for you, Insert your hands into a compartment for soap, then water, then a dryer, push the button to open the door, exit, and the entire room is sprayed and sterilized for the next person. Love it. Wanna live here.