South of France: Martigues, Cassis, La ciotat. Happy birthday to us!

This year, both Björke's and my birthdays took place in the South of France. We hiked endless kilometers, indulged in delightful flavors (awarding a full 5 stars to the Réunion restaurant, where the chef-waiter-barman all rolled into one outshone every nearby spot), conquered playgrounds, and put Björke's birthday binoculars to the test. But the adventure peaked at the end: Björke got stung by a wasp right in the sea, and on the morning of our departure, our rental car got towed — the parking lot magically transforms into a market on Sundays. La vie est belle!

A marina with boats docked in calm water, colorful buildings lining the waterfront, and a clock tower against a blue sky with wispy clouds.
A marina with boats docked in the water and a hillside with colorful buildings in the background.
Colorful buildings with blue shutters lining a marina with small boats docked in the water, under a partly cloudy sky.
A man and a child playing table tennis on a patio with lush green trees and bushes in the background.
A white duck with an orange beak swimming in a shallow rocky body of water near some large rocks.
The image depicts the facade of a historic stone church with arched windows, a sculptural niche with a religious statue, and a staircase leading up to the entrance, flanked by palm trees and a clear blue sky in the background.
A woman and a child sitting on a rocky cliff edge overlooking a coastal city and ocean, with the woman raising her arm as if pointing toward the water.
Beach with people sunbathing and swimming, rocky shoreline, hillside with trees and buildings, cloudy sky.