Melby's Travels

Highlights of the trip: Paris - so much to see and do! Streets are jam packed with cafes, tabacs, boulangeries, bistros, and brasseries. There are also many parks, monuments, museums, etc. Glad I started my trip with this so I had the energy to explore a good chunk Lyon - the food capital of France! Rich food culture, many famous French chefs trained here Marseille - diverse culture, almost feels like a different country! Lots of food I still have to try Provence (Aix, Avignon, Saint Remy) - people are more fiery here but you can also find more charming landscapes! Every tourist shop sells candies, soaps, and lavender - take your time and you will find a reasonable price L’Ecrins (the Alps) - such stunning beauty! Trails are well-marked and lined with refuges but don’t underestimate the difficulty :) Les Calanques - such precious well-preserved nature!! Next time, I’ll bring hiking shoes to the beach Other things I noticed: People read more physical books on the train and scroll less P...

Anthony Bourdain sold me on the charm of the Provençal countryside. When deciding which town to visit, Saint Remy seemed to combine charm with convenience, as it is connected to Avignon via bus. AVIGNON Upon arrival to Avignon, we were met with the imposing city walls, which carried a Medieval feel (from the 14th century) that permeated the rest of the city. There are many museums and theaters in Avignon, with the Palais des Papes as the crowning jewel. It is a UNESCO heritage site, though it felt more like the economic powerhouse of the city than a site steeped in history. There were five tour buses parked outside - and this was the off season! It felt overrun with tourists until we finally passed a bar with locals enjoying beers after work. One of the benefits of a touristy town are shops with lots of crafts, trinkets, records / DVDs, books, and clothes. Avignon reminded me of some New England towns in this way. Coffee / tea shop - one of the many trinket stores in Avignon SAINT REMY...

Some city, some mountain, some country… time for some beach! With limited time, Nice / Cannes would have been too far; Les Calanques are about an hour from Marseille via public transit. Les Calanques are a two for one deal - go for a hike and then for a swim. The hike to beach ratio however was greater than I expected. It was about an hour hike from the bus stop and some of the rocks were a bit slippery in regular shoes. But great views in and out of the water! After swimming in fresh water all summer, I forgot how salty the ocean / sea can be. Best part was that you could watch fish swim around, just a few strokes out from the shore! There were dozens of types - tiny ones smaller than your pinky and larger ones that would fill up a dinner plate; white with a black band, striped, silvery, black and yellow, or just plain yellow; elongated or more diamond shaped. My favorite was watching a pair of small fish feeding at the bottom of - a brown / white striped catfish looking one would kic...