Visiting the Calanques
Every French person I told I was going to Marseille would immediately ask: Are you going to the Calanques? And if you know, then you know. They are an absolute must-see, and I don't mean that in an overly-perky, hyperbolic TV travel personality kind of way. Although there are many calanques to visit (or you can hike them all in what I read is up to a 12-hr hike), I chose to go to the Calanque de Sugiton because it is one that you can get to via public transportation, right from the center of Marseille.
I only spent one afternoon here, but as a person that is terrified of heights, it was the perfect amount of time. See, I'm one of those idiots that always says at ground level, "That's not so high up," and then soon finds myself plastered to the side of a mountain or building, paralyzed with fear. This is how I found myself sitting on the steps leading to the peak of Sugiton - unable to ascend those final 5 ft and yet unable to head back - interrogating an English tourist about what the view was like at the top. I never made it up those last few feet, but based on his slightly-too-vivid detailing of the 'bracing' 1000-foot straight drop, I think I will be ok with my decision.
Date: March 2016