Over our long weekend in Aix-en-Provence, France, a small group of us could not resist the chance to take a beach day at a breathtaking spot in Marseille, France. The commute to Marseille was easy. From Aix, we jumped on a train. Then with a bit of luck and good navigational skills, we found ourselves hailing an English-speaking cab in the second most populated city in France, then we were off on an adventure. Little did we know what the day had in store for our group. The ride ended at the foot of a steep, curvy mountain not accessible by outside cars.
Our group quickly realized the hike we had ahead of us wasn’t going to be easy. Steep and rocky trails leading to the beach blazed with heat, but we pushed on. The breathtaking view was our only motivation and a great reward worth the hike. When we finally saw the beach, it was an extraordinary experience; the mountain meets the sea, people were rock climbing in the distance, and crystal clear blue water that was the perfect temperature for a hot day. Once the sun started to set and it was time to get back to Aix, we met more travel troubles. Access to taxis was extremely limited on the mountain, and even when we found a cab, the language barrier kicked in, and the taxi driver only took us to the top of the hill. After being stranded and unable to find a cab, we had to navigate French and asked the only person in sight for help. With a massive language barrier, we struggled to communicate. However, with patience and perseverance, we found a taxi, and, forty-five minutes later, we set off on the journey back to Aix.
