Gliding. Bouncing. Splashing. All aboard! As we sat on the bow of my family’s boat, the engine rumbled to life and we took off towards the exit of the marina. Through the rows upon rows of anchored boats of all shapes and sizes, from luxury yachts to little fishing dingies, we waved to the people on the Vieux-Port walkway as we drifted along. We passed through the old cliffs. Large, yellow turrets on either side that marked the doorway to the sea. Mon père m'a dit que le moins blanc qu’il y a sur les vagues, le mieux pour le voyage en bateau. There was nothing but blue sea as we sped off into the Mediterranean. Gliding. Bouncing. Splashing. We veered left and that is when I saw them. Our destination. Among the blue sea and sky, there was a small group of islands made of golden stone. Les Îles du Frioul. Even though the city of Marseille is just minutes away from their shores, these islands are in a totally opposite world to that of the buzzing city. They are home to only 100 -150 inhabitants and are perfect if you want a tranquil and relaxing summer’s day away from the busy city. These islands are also a hub for active pastimes such as swimming, cycling and hiking to the site of Château d'If, featured in Alexandre Dumas’ novel Le Comte de Monticristo. All of the boats from Marseille seemed to be gliding, bouncing and splashing their way here to spend the day at the islands and their many coves.
First, we had to pick where to anchor. We sailed the boat right around to the back of the islands into one of the small coves or ‘les calanques’, as they are known. The one we chose was not too deep and was well sheltered from the waves and wind on the sea. There could be about twenty boats in this calanque and still plenty of room all around. We would try and get as close to the middle as possible to have ample space for swimming and diving as well as being equidistant from the rocky edges, sandy shore and of course the exit at the other end. Got to beat that rush hour traffic even at sea. Our own secluded little paradise. Our next job was to blow up the floaties. We had a giant unicorn and a green ring which we tied with rope to the rear of the boat. These were ideal for sunbathing on after swimming in the sea, and therefore, an absolute priority. Then, lunch. Finally, after a bite to eat which would counteract any sea sickness and a large, refreshing drink to keep us hydrated, when the midday heat was becoming just a little too much, it was time to jump in.
A big breath. A jump. A splash and I was under. Immediately cool and refreshed. The rocks beneath were deep down but not unreachable. I wondered if I could swim down there later. Up towards the light and the surface. A breath. Back down. I started swimming behind the boat. Fish. A small group of thin, silver fish. They kept there distance but were unbothered by my presence. I went back to the boat. Ma sœur handed me a snorkel mask and off we went towards the shore. The rocky bottom and edges of the calanque became closer as we reached the shallows. We inspected them. A large yellow prawn among the algae. A small eel hiding in a crevice. On one rock, a tomato someone had dropped overboard at lunch. It became too shallow to swim. We stood, carefully placing our feet to avoid the spiny sea urchins. We reached the beach. We sat on the warm sand which stuck to our wet skin. A little sunbathe. Back into the water. Once we were deep enough we dived under. I stretched my arms through the cool water all around me as I swam. I felt free to make myself as big as I could in all the space around me. I swam deeper as we reached the boats. Looking up you could see the bright sun shining through every ripple and the dark bottoms of the boats above. There was a small ring shape. It was the green floaty we had tied behind the boat. I swam up through the ring and pulled myself up to sit on it. I took my goggles off, careful not to get any of the very salty water in my eyes. Ma sœur sat on the unicorn. We lay there listening to the gentle bubbles and splashes as we bobbed there on our floaties, truly grateful for every minute of this day.
The hours rolled by and the sun began to set. Now that we had dried off, we packed up and set sail for this evening’s destination. The largest, crescent shaped island, had a tiny village, if you can even call it that, on the inner shore. As we entered the harbour the setting sun cast beautiful amber and gold colours that danced all over the surface of the water. As we docked shoals of little curious fish appeared all around the boat, inspecting the new arrivals. We stepped from the boat onto the land, putting and end to the continuous swaying we had been doing for the past six hours on the sea, and we were greeted with the smells and sounds from the quaint, little harbour front. There couldn’t have been more than fifteen small shops, bars and restaurants lining the harbour. Just behind these, there are a few apartments in orange, yellow and white stone buildings. These were the homes of the families and business owners that lived here. Mon père m'a dit que certains gens ne partaient jamais des îles. At the end of the port farthest from us sat the ferry with the last passengers of the day filing aboard to head back to Marseille. The other end was a cascade of rocks and boulders against the backdrop of the vast and shimmering Mediterranean sea. We clambered and climbed up the rock wall which leveled out onto a small, grassy cliff edge. We sat in the last few hours of sunlight and watched the silhouettes of the big cruise ships drift further and further away as they began their journey off into the sunset. No wonder some of the inhabitants never leave this island. Why wouldn’t you want to live in this serene, golden, little haven. After our dinner we boarded the boat again and headed back to our calanque. We covered the deck of the boat in pillows and mattresses to sleep under the stars. The city of Marseille was twinkling in the night and at the highest point, the gleaming Notre-Dame de la Garde was watching over us as we said goodnight and the waves softly began to rock us to sleep.
I have never had a more peaceful morning than when I opened my eyes to the beautiful blue sky above and the tips of the cliffs of the calanque just peeping into view. I got up and realised something that I hadn't noticed in the night. There was another boat next to us with a man an his wife also having a sleepover in the calanque. We all waved to one another. Bonjours filled the air. We welcomed the couple onto our boat for breakfast. My family didn't know them, but we spoke as if we were old friends. The man told us how they used to bring their kids here and that he even tried to convince his wife to spend their wedding night on the island. We laughed together and enjoyed our morning before leaving the calanque behind to return to the city.
Visiting these islands was a regular occurrence during my time as an Au pair and we made so many wonderful memories there. This morning I am describing to you was unknowingly my last visit to Les Îles du Frioul but I can say that even if I had known this in hindsight I wouldn't have changed a single thing.
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