Cassis in Brights v. 2.0

H&M One Piece, Sunnies & Bag | Zara Shorts | Forever 21 Sandals

Remember my use of a one-piece as a top a couple weeks back? Well, followed suit with this look worn first in Italy and then again in Cassis, France. It's perfect because it passes as a normal outfit yet you can shuck the shorts at any given moment to assume the tanning position. Fellow sun addicts will sympathize with said sense of urgency as we all join in a concerted effort to fight seasonal depression and soak up every last ounce of Vitamin D before the start of fall this weekend (really?). I digress.

Back to Cassis...which was a lovely little, unpretentious town (especially when compared to St. Tropez) positioned on what is said to be one of France's 'most breathtaking coast lines.' And I concur. Why you ask? Because of the huge limestone cliffs that span the 12 miles west of the town to Marseille. You can charter a boat, rent kayaks or, if you're feeling adventurous, hike along the rugged landscape through a series of eight different calanques (pronounced 'kalonk' not 'colonic' we discovered), a series of white sandy inlets and secluded beaches formed back in the day by glaciers. Given our short time frame, we rented a boat to explore all 8 calanques. As with pretty much everyone in Cassis, the guide did not know English but luckily the visual stimulants along the hour and a half ride spoke for themselves.

{boat ride through the calanques}

{secluded white sandy beaches accessible only by boat, kayak, or your own two feet (provided you're an expert rock climber)}

After the boat ride we walked to practically every restaurant in the bay before settling at the far west end at Le Bistrot for lunch because, again, it was one of the only ones with English on the menu. With relatively cheap daily specials, the restaurant was great but you really can't go wrong with moules frites or crêpes at any one of the restaurants in Cassis. A nap on the beach was then in order to digest...just before waking up for ice cream and a cocktail at Le Bada Café on the water.

{naps on the beach}

{Le Bada Cafe for ice cream}