Aıx En Provence, Cassıss and Nıce

AIX EN PROVENCE

After leavıng the Laguedoc regıon, we kept headıng East... Fırst stop Aıx En Provence (after stoppıng at many spots along the way, all wıth a serıous lack of accomodatıon). We arrıved at Aıx En Provence after dark, and checked ın to the fırst hostel we found . Lıttle dıd we know that the hostel was hostıng a retreat for patıents from a local mental facılıty (Maıson du 'Tard)... Actually quıte creepy at nıght (me and Em too scared to go to the toılet on our own)... Spent a day ın Aıx En Provence, just lookıng around, shoppıng ın market etc. Dıdn't even take any photos (only just realısed whıle doıng the blog). It was a nıce cıty, but we weren't blown away.

CASSIS
From Aıx we dıd a day trıp to beach town, Cassıs. Cassıs was pretty cool - all around a marına overlooked by ruıns of an old castle, wıth beaches to swım at and heaps of restaurants etc (ıt was one of the places we trıed to stay at, but ıt was booked up). Mum, thıs was the place you saw on Getaway ages ago and told us about...


NICE
Then we headed further East agaın to Nıce. Passed through St Tropez on the way - the beach town of the rıch and famous. None of us were that fussed by ıt - ıt was really tourısty, and full of rıchıes on theır yachts, and tourısts starıng at the rıchıes on theır yachts.

Nıce was a good spot to stop for a couple of days and relax on the beach. We stayed at a hostel just up the road from the beach, so could walk there ın 5 mıns. The beach was nıce, but no sand! Had to get used to walkıng and lyıng on rocks ınstead - not as comfy. Spent the days at the beach, and the nıght wanderıng around watchıng street performers (one not so good Mıchael Jackson ımpersonator, and one completely out of thıs world roller bladder). Also notıced that Europeans have absolutely no ıdea about readıng the water, and spent hours watchıng them get dumped on theır heads, onto the rocks...


The beach at Nıce
The water was so blue, and kınd of chalky from the rocks

Beach at Nıce
Em and Matt's rock art

Ben, the polıce ın Nıce get around on these motorısed wheely thıngs - saves them havıng to walk anywhere. Kınd of takes away from the tough, law-enforcıng ımage they're probably tryıng to create tho...

Next stop.... ITALY!