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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Nov 20, 2012 - 04:06pm PT
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I worked at Chateau Montaud, Domaines Ravel (http://www.vignoblesravel.com); the summer of 1982 for the vendange. Pierrefeu-du Var (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierrefeu-du-Var);.
I was allowed to use a Peugeot 109 and I would drive to Cassis (I was also seeing Muriel Blanchard, a chemical engineering student at university in Marseille, a dead ringer for Linda Evans, just shorter). My boss/friend François Ravel said not to drive into Marseille, as the car would not be there when I went to get it - Marseille is a sh#t town.
So when I went to see Muriel I would park at Bandol or Cassis and take the train in to Marseille.
When Jennie lived in Nice for three years in the mid-1970s, she was almost kidnapped by Arab gangsters in Marseille, no doubt for the Middle East sex slave trade, but she was able to get out of the car and ran to a nearby Gendarme. An attractive blonde Irish girl would have brought a lot. Marseille sucks.
Anyway, back to the Calanques, I climbed there a lot. Great limestone and dolomite to answer a poster's question on the rock quality (okay, some choss). And Cassis is a nice place, lots of German tourists though, at least BITD, not that there is anything wrong with that.
Bouldering/free soloing sans shoes and peeling off 15-50 feet into the water was great.
Some very nice wines, but expensive, are made around Bandol.
I recommend it. That is, climbing there, different and fun.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 20, 2012 - 04:46pm PT
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Patrick: A lot has happened in Marseille the last twenty years. Earlier the mafia had a firm grip. Today I consider Marseille to be a safe city. I usually live in the old harbour when I'm there. I like the "ambiance". I have never run into trouble - day or night. Though there are still streets to be avoided at night.
Marseille on bicycle
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Windsurfing Pointe Rouge, Marseille
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Nov 20, 2012 - 04:58pm PT
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Okay Marlow, your point is taken. I haven't been there since 1985. You know better than I do, but...
I can think of better cities.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 20, 2012 - 05:09pm PT
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Cassis?
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Reilly
Getting off route and wound up in a banlieue is not a good choice. I agree.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Nov 20, 2012 - 05:24pm PT
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Today I consider Marseille to be a safe city.
It's better to be lucky than good. Two friends of my wife narrowly escaped
being kidnapped there. They got a little off route and wound up in a banlieue.
And I don't mean the St Tropez type.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Nov 20, 2012 - 05:53pm PT
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OMG Marlow, is that what Cassis is like nowadays?
It looks dreadful. It wasn't like that in the early-mid 1980s.
I knew it was somewhat of a tourist trap BITD, but that looks horrendous.
Kinsale in Co Cork is turning out to be similar.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 21, 2012 - 01:10am PT
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Patrick
There is a lot of tourists in Cassis during summer.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Nov 21, 2012 - 01:18am PT
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So if you were to climb there with a rack of pitons, would you go "calanque, calanque, calanque" as you walked around?
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Nov 21, 2012 - 01:37am PT
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Kinsale in Co Cork is turning out to be similar.
Just not as sunny as Cassis and no rock climbing. Kinsale is lovely, but like a lot of Cork/Kerry, it gets its fair share of rain.
Now I have German heritage (and English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Cherokee), but Cassis always had a lot of Germans, as does Kinsale.
And we know the old saying about Germans on holiday: they are always the first to get the lounge/deck/whatever chairs by the poolside etc...
And the best spots on the Cassis beach.
That said, the summer of 1985 I was on tour with San Francisco Concordia in Germany, six matches (won two, lost two, drew two, I only scored once but I set up three goals in those matches), and we were treated impeccably. A tour of Kaiserslautern stadium, Dortmunder Actien Brauerei with a luncheon held on our behalf, barbecues.
It changed my mind about Germans.
German heritage - Roth from Bavaria and Fleihmann from Düsseldorf (both on my mom's side and both to America in 1843).
I'd imagine Cassis is still a favorite of Germans. Croatia too, loads of German influence. Bouldered some in Paklenica National Park (situated near the Adriatic Sea near Starigrad-Paklenica), excellent limestone. I want to go back and do some longer routes.
Stayed in Novi Vinodolski for a week, lovely town.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 21, 2012 - 06:31am PT
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Patrick
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Croatia is today a hot spot for European tourists. Even Norwegians who know "where to travel" spend their summer holidays in Croatia. Times are changing and Croatia has still some lovely places for climbing, walking and sailing.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 9, 2012 - 02:58pm PT
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Marseille, Vieux Port, ships on old postcards:
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Jan 18, 2013 - 01:16pm PT
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Marlow, I really enjoy your contributions on European climbing and news. Thanks for this one, which I missed first time out - it's a nice resource.
Phyl
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 18, 2013 - 01:36pm PT
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Phyl
Thanks! I'm doing my best ... unasked... Lol...
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Magic D
Trad climber
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Feb 10, 2013 - 09:58pm PT
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Anyone interested in climbing at les Calanques this June? I want to go, but need a partner / leader.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 11, 2013 - 02:42pm PT
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Traversing the Calanques (Vertical 62 1993)
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SuperTopo on the Web
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Let us know!