Just got back from an amazing 4 days in Cassis, France. [click links for photos!]

To make it cheap, we Euro-camped, which is like camping except it's done in a crowded gravel lot with a bar and showers, and loads of RV sporting Dutch people and French teenagers.

Just down the hill from the campsite was the beautiful town of Cassis, blistering in the 100 degree heat, but made bearable by the sea, and the ease by which you can leap in at just about any location in town.

We took a road trip up to the edge of the Alps, where the French version of the Grand Canyon lies, and swam in a big reservoir there.

We also spent some time in Marseille, which is a surprisingly funky and cosmopolitan city. The Basilique of Notre Dame de la Gard dominates the city, and we sweated our way to the top for a fabulous view, then slid down the city's piste-like streets.

But the highlight of the trip was a sea-kayaking expedition into the famed Calanques between Cassis and Marseille. The Calanques are a series of fjord-like inlets cut into the limestone cliffs, where the water is deep and incredibly clear. You can swim, climb, and leap off cliffs into the magnificent water all day long.

I didn't bring my camera for fear of it's getting wet, but through the power of Google Image Search, here are a bunch of other people's photos to enjoy. (Jeff will post some photos later) The Calanque known as "en vau" is by far the nicest. I'm already making plans to return and spend a couple days exploring.