Swimming in the Mediterranean Sea in my Clothes…
Day two of Marseille, my favorite day of the trip! Here are the core memories from the day:
After breakfast at our hotel, we got on a bus and headed to Aix-en-Provence, which is a city about an hour away from Marseille. Aix-en-Provence perfectly matches the vision in my head when I think of the most charming and Pinterest-pleasing French town in the South of France. There are the small cobblestone streets, aesthetic houses and buildings, beautiful boutiques, but most importantly, a big marche! Aix-en-Provence had the best farmer’s and flea market that is so worth visiting in France! The vendors at this marche sold unique items that were unlike things I’ve seen at other flea markets such as painted Van Gogh tapestries and vintage film cameras. The market spread around the whole city and each stand had something different to offer from clothing, soaps, art, haircare, etc! I bought a small blue quilted bag from a vendor, not something I could find at any clothing store in Rennes or the US. I also bought some olive oil soap and truffle honey for my host family. Truffle honey was one of the delicious items I tried at the farmer’s market; the fruit, jams, breads were all so fresh and ready to serve! While the local shopping was my take away from Aix-en-Provence, there are also designer and big brands in the city, such as Hermes and an Apple Store! We only had a couple hours to explore Aix, but I would totally want to go back and spend a night in this charming city!
Then we hopped back on the bus and drove to a town called Cassis to visit the Calanques. We were dropped off at the beginning of a hiking trail, everyone clueless of what was happening. Our teachers did not tell us we were going hiking and did not tell us where we were actually going. After hiking an hour uphill on steep rocks overlooking high cliff views of the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, we made it to the Calanques, the beautiful crystal clear beaches only accessible through this hike. The specific Calanque we went to was called Calanque de Port-Pin. It was absolutely stunning and I felt like I was transported into summer from how clear the water was. But there was just one little problem: none of us wore bathing suits because we didn’t know we would be going to such an amazing beach…No bathing suit, no problem! A few of my classmates started swimming in the ocean with their clothes on! The water was so tempting to jump into but I resisted for a while since I didn’t want to be wet for the rest of the day. I took some amazing photos of the Calanque, then I couldn’t resist. I jumped into the water and swam in my clothes! By this time more than half of our class was swimming in their clothes, and nothing mattered in those moments. Everything was pure joy. We were all swimming and enjoying the water together and not only with specific friend groups. It was a core memory I will never forget because it was a time our class was very unified and we were all just living in the moment and enjoying it! Even our math teacher joined in on the fun and swam with us🥰.
The hike back up to the bus was not even bad in wet clothes because of how unforgettable the experience was. I have absolutely no regrets of jumping in that water and I am so glad I did because it is a memory I will always remember from my time in France. It’s also such a fun story I now have to tell: a treacherous hike to an unexpected, crystal clear beach, and an unplanned swim in my clothes. What a day!
The bus ride back to Marseille was also memorable. In the back of the bus, my classmates and I had a carpool karaoke moment. We started singing nostalgic 2010s songs and it was such a blast. From old Taylor Swift to singing Mama Mia songs, we were singing at the top of our lungs with no care in the world. It was another moment where we were all just being our authentic selves, happy to be together, enjoying the moment and this trip. Even the French bus driver would join in on his bus microphone from time to time. Karaoke in the bus was a priceless activity, but it had just as much significance as the rest of the amazing activities from the Marseille trip.
That was Day 2 in Marseille, a day of unexpected activities which led to cherished memories I will always remember from this trip. Now I can say I’ve swam in my clothes and sang carpool karaoke in the back of a bus in the South of France😊.
