Day 4

Friday was dedicated to a trip to Cassis, a town along the French Riviera. To catch our bus by 08:00, we were up early, and I got a ham croissant from Au Pave Du Roy patisserie again. Once we arrived in Cassis, we took a small train-looking tourist bus to the main town, where we had an hour of free time before our boat ride. Alexi and I went to Cafe Lauca, where I met the roaster who imports the beans from Europe and South America. I got a great flat white. By the water, there was the “Les Voiles De Cassis” (The Sails of Cassis) event, which is a sailing event going on from May 22-24. I stopped in the tent and bought a shirt while watching a man teach young kids about sailing and the mechanics of a boat. The early morning fog was still hanging over the cliffs as I watched a man painting by the water. Alexi and I jumped into the water while waiting for our boat. As we walked around without shirts off, a lady warned us to put our shirts back on, and we later learned that if the police who walked by us 5 minutes later had seen us, we would have been fined 150 euros. We then boarded the boat and were taken on a tour of the Calanques: large French cliffs and coves along the coast. After the boat ride, Alexi and I ate at Le Naio, and I got a local sea bass with mashed potatoes. After eating, the group was off to see the highest sea cliff in Europe, Cap Canaille. This cliff overlooks Cassis at around 1,312 feet above sea level. I spoke to some rock climbers who were ascending the face of Cap, and I am very tempted to partake in climbing. After spending some time looking out at the light blue Mediterranean sea and green French Riviera, we headed to La Dona Tigana winery. This wine estate was founded by Jean Tigana, a famous international football player for France. We received a tour of the facility from his daughter, and she explained their process to us. Cassis has very high wine standards, and each batch must be tested by professional wine tasters to make sure it tastes like “Cassis wine” to receive the title “Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée”. This title is a high ranking, making the wine more expensive and rare. At La Dona Tigana, they do not hire anyone; all of the work is done by Jean Tigana’s family, stemming from his 14 siblings, making it a completely family-run winery. After the tour of the facility, we got to taste three of the wines they make. I liked the white wine the most. After the wine tasting, we returned to Aix and explored the nightlife before going to bed.