A weekend exploring the French Mediterranean

Friday night in Hyères, we arrived at the restaurant to the sound of live music as the sun was setting. We had to walk down a forest road for half a mile before finding the hip place, which sprawled over the beach and had tables a stone’s throw away from the water’s edge.

I felt so happy: sipping cocktails, sharing tapas in the violet dusk, listening to a band, gazing at the twilit sea, and speaking in French with a table full of locals. Over and over, I remember thinking “J’ai pas envie de partir”— “I don’t want to leave.” And by leave I meant France, my host family, my year here, in general. It’s been the most amazing experience.

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Although I felt teary eyed at one point, I focused on the moment. The provencale octopus, the wine, the chit chat, the music we danced to with 50 other people while waiting for dessert as if the pandemic never existed. I relished the way French rolled off my tongue now, I savored the food and the ambiance. It was wonderful. We didn’t go to bed until 2 in the morning.

To explain, I was at the restaurant with my host dad’s sister and brother-in-law and their 4 friends. The coronavirus in France has been well contained, so it’s safe to travel again and things have pretty much returned to normal. To celebrate, two weekends ago I was invited to their house in Toulon, which is a coastal military town by Marseille. One of the great things about being an au pair is that I now have this extended French family— all of whom are so generous and sweet— in Paris, Toulouse, Nimes, and Toulon.

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Before going to the vibey restaurant on Friday night, I spent the day at the beach with my host aunt and her daughter. The water was crystal clear, the sky sunny, the beaches pebbly. We walked along the coast on a path that wound along craggy cliffs looking out over the sea and hidden little sandy inlets. Along the trail in front of us flowers bloomed and scrubby brush clung to rocks. It was gorgeous. The water was glacial but so blue and beautiful I swam anyway.

The next day we took a cherry red cable car up to Mont Faron, which is an enormous hill overlooking the city. It was dizzying to sail up the slope, floating over trees and watching the city get smaller and smaller in the distance. We hiked through a dry, pine forest to a lookout point and let the wind cool us off.

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Day-trip to Porquerolles

Sunday had even more magic in store for me. We took a morning boat to Porquerolles, an island off the coast of France. The trip there was pretty in itself because we were cruising over the Mediterranean, watching the hills and forests and towns unfold along the coastline.

But when we finally arrived in the port of Porquerolles an hour and a half later, the day really began. (If you want a shorter boat ride, catch a ferry from Hyères). We rented bikes in the tiny portside village and zoomed off, heading down shady dirt paths. A bike is the best method for seeing the island, as you can hop from beach to beach, cruise through vineyards and discover gorgeous flora and fauna with relative ease.

Our first stop was a little beach just a few minutes-ride from the port. I marveled at the torquoise water and ran my hands through the pebbly sand, finding pieces of sea glass. It was tranquil and beautiful, though the real stunner was our next beach: La Plage Notre Dame. I saw it from above through an opening in the trees, framing the magnificent view as if the branches were intentional.

My heart stopped.

It is a crescent-shaped beach, with a volcano-like hill in the distance lending an exotic feel to the landscape. Dozens of bright white boats bobbed in the bay. Pine-forested hills cut a band of dark green between the baby blue sky and shimmering, crystalline, teal water. The water. I never expected such an impossibly blue hue in France.

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I loved this day.

We descended a wooden staircase and picked our way along the narrow beach until we found a spot big enough for all of us. It seemed a bit crowded to me, as I’m used to more spacious beaches. But apparently it wasn’t crowded compared to high season levels. In June there are only two boats that take people from the mainland to Porquerolles. In July and August, there are eight. Unimaginable!

We ate a picnic lunch and soaked in the sun. As far as swimming, once I got past a rocky tidal line the sand was soft and powdery and I could touch for a long way out. Floating in the Mediterannean, gazing dreamily at the landscape and sailboats and sky, I felt like I was in a dream.

Eventually, we left the beach and took a scenic route through vineyards. Porquerolles has 300 days of sun a year, and produces a provencal wine. While the landscape was lovely, I was so hot after biking up a few hills that I couldn’t wait for the ice cream we ate in the port-side town before heading back to the boat. In a 7 hour day we spent time on two beaches and explored a nice green area. However it is a big island, so we could have easily spent another day or two traversing its parks and visiting its beaches.

Porquerolles is definitely one of the most beautiful places in France, and I would recommend it to anyone who craves sunshine and sea on their trip to the South of France. It is an unforgettable experience. I feel so lucky that I got to see this region with people who actually live there!

Les Portiers, merci beaucoup pour un week-end merveilleux, c’était comme un rêve!