What’s better than wandering around a medieval village and encountering cuddly canines wherever I went? Not much, I’ll tell ya. Conversely, what’s worse than having to wake up earlier than when you work a day shift at your restaurant? I’m sure you guessed the answer is exactly the same. Don’t get me wrong—I have seen some incredible things and met some incredible people. But waking up when it’s still dark outside just seems like cruel and unusual punishment when you’re on vacation. So today is all about finding balance… if anyone could tell me where to look for it, I’d appreciate it!
We docked this morning in the port of Toulon, which is located in the Provence region of France. We headed off to the medieval village of Le Castellet. (Perhaps it’s just me, but sticking a “Le” in front of the name of a town makes it sound extra fancy.) It certainly is a picturesque place. I sampled some rosé wine, obviously the specialty of the region, in a local restaurant and it was so good, I paid 14 Euro for a bottle to take with me. I purchased my bottle directly from the owner of the vineyard which was super cool. He gestured across the countryside to show me where his vineyard is located. And of course I made him pose for a selfie with me. I look forward to consuming my bottle on my next day at sea. Wine party on my balcony for me and my sailing buddies (BYOB... Bring Your Own Bottle)!
While sampling the aforementioned rosé wine, a little dog trotted by the table and without asking, my mom scooped him up and just plopped him down on her lap. (Like daughter/like mother apparently.) Check out the photo. We look adorable together, if I do say so myself. After sampling the wine and local cuisine, we wandered around the village and I accosted several other dogs and a couple of cats too, and they were all happy to receive my love. (I am the animal whisperer, after all.) On the way back to port, my mom and I weighed all our options as to what we could do in and around the port for the rest of the day. The winning plan? No plan. Nada. What a glorious afternoon sitting on the deck by the pool, with my mom by my side. We met some Brits from a fishing village in northern England who laughed when I said I wanted to take a train an hour and a half tomorrow just to see a castle. I guess they get plenty of those where they come from. Still, it was wonderful talking to them. It’s my favorite part of cruising… the new people you meet every day and what you learn from them.
Side note, France’s only nuclear warship is docked in the water right behind me. Hmmmm… not sure how I feel about that. I guess as long as it doesn’t move from that position, all will be good.
Since we have a side note, I might as well have a footnote… I just won 80s music trivia. Wheee!!! Time to celebrate with a drink. Bon nui!
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