By now you well know that France has a special place in our hearts and this trip is one full of memories I will cherish forever. After an exhaustive or perhaps just exhausting search by myself and my mum on Airbnb for the perfect home from home, we finally settled upon the town of La Ciotat.
And what began as an uncertain first look quickly blossomed into a full on love affair for this corner of true France. La Ciotat is one of those places that wins you over with its charm but it has to be discovered — it is traditionally an industrial port and it is worth remembering that when you arrive and are faced with just that — one end of the town, just past the pretty harbour, houses cranes and shipbuilding.
But dig a little deeper and there is an old town to be sought out, frozen in time with its narrow pastel alleys, an idyllic promenade lined with pines and some of the best beaches in the area and all within striking distance of the numerous local villages perfect for day trips.
We lucked out with our Airbnb which appears to be offline or all booked up right now — sob which was compact but with beautifully landscaped gardens complete with outdoor dining, grill, banana palms and canopy. We spent all our mealtimes in that space and it was just divine. We were eaten alive by mosquitos which were apparently worse than ever last summer and particularly enjoy alcohol infused blood, ahem… that could be the reason the baby had one bite the entire trip whilst the rest of us clocked triple digits amongst us , we lounged by the pool and strolled along the front which was literally a few steps away.
Whilst there were many more lavish and spacious offerings, the location, right on the front and within an easy walk of all the amenities, was unbeatable and I always think for a smaller group, location really is key. Whilst the lavender ice cream remained elusive the food was absolutely a highlight of this trip. We spent slow mornings wandering the old town market Tuesday and Sunday mornings all year long and stocking up on fresh fruit oh boy, the figs , cheeses, hams and baguettes.
