En Provence

I've just had a few days en Provence with the family. The weather has been glorious, the rosé chilled and plentiful, the seafood wonderul. With everything that is going on in the UK you start to question why exactly it is that you live in London. The cold and the damp, the toxic atmosphere, the battle to find decent food, the loooming central heating decision. Here life is simple and straightforward. I need to become one of these digital nomads that can work from anywhere.

We are in Cassis, on the Med near Toulon. A quiet but somewhat chi chi fishing port for the well-heeled of Aix and Marseille. I love Provence, I spent some of my childhood here, the beach a regular weekly trip from our home in the hills above Aix. Fond memories, and it is good to be back with my own kids.

We have not done much, it is all tooo easy to get into the rythym of the south. Morning strolls and coffee. Wandering around the arket. Relaxed lunches. Visits to vineyards. A hike into the Calanques to swim in the crystal clear waters. The smell of pine and salt. Did I mention rosé? Firecrest seems to be the commonest bird by far but I have been too soporific to actively seek them out, A Black Redstart lives on the roof of our flat which has a view of the harbour. I could get used to this, but alas...