These last few weeks have passed in a furious flurry of activity. Sadly, a lot of stressful work was part of the mix, but this past week we tried very hard to “vacation.” Thankfully we were mostly successful.
With the weather being up and down, some wind, some rain, lots of sunshine and heat, we had to work around it and plan accordingly. We cycled pretty much every day, sometimes with friends if we could time it. Visits, dinners, pool parties, and the occasional cultural activity were all part of the assortment. Jason had never been to the Carrières de Lumières so we finally made time to squeeze it in. This year the exhibit was Cezanne and Kandinsky, and it was excellent. I understand that now it has become a travelling roadshow, but seeing it here, where it first started in an ancient quarry, is spectacular. I think any other location simply wouldn’t do it justice.
But nothing says holiday like the seaside, so we made a trip down to Cassis. Neither of us had ever been there, and I had always heard it was charming. It did not disappoint: a calmer, quieter, smaller version of Marseille, we enjoyed a seafood lunch looking out to the port. Afterward, we hiked to the Massif des Calanques. A calanque is a narrow inlet found along the Mediterranean coast; a steep-walled valley formed either by erosion or the collapse of the roof of a cave that has been subsequently partially submerged by a rise in sea level. The directions to said Calanques were a bit limited, so after a few wrong turns and a long, sweaty walk, we arrived at Port Pin and quickly jumped in the Med as fast as we could. The water was clear and blue, salty, and warm. It was absolutely stunning, and just what we needed.
More cycling, more visiting with friends and before we knew it, it was Jason’s last day here. We sneaked out for a short ride, ending with a pression of Juliper at the bar in Sablet. It was a perfect ending to a lovely three weeks. While I am very blue he has left, I am grateful for every moment. These last few years have made it painfully apparent; we can’t control anything, and we need to hold on to all the cherished moments. Time really does go too quickly when it’s delightful.
