Along the Marseilles Coast...

The Old Port is guarded by two forts, which made for a few nice spots for photos.

On the top of the hill overlooking the Old Port is the Notre-Dame de la Garde. There were a lot of restaurants along the harbor, but they lacked the charm of many seaside cities. Perhaps that’s because most of the Old Port had to be rebuilt after the Allies bombed it in 1944 in preparation of the liberation of France.

Overnight in Marseilles...

This photo was taken as we prepared to leave Port Grimaud.

We drove to Marseilles, where we would be spending one night before catching a train to Paris. I was surprised to learn it’s the third largest city in France. We saw a fair bit as we got lost trying to return the rental car and then took a long walk to meet the girls at our hotel.

Our afternoon explorations took us past the beautiful Marseilles Cathedral, completed in 1896. Ashlynn was especially thrilled that I was satisfied with merely photographing the outside.

The mirrored walls of a nearby museum made for a cool reflection shot.

Windsurfing..

Jimmy went windsurfing on our final afternoon in Port Grimaud. He may just be a beginner, but he managed to travel quite a distance across the bay.

Luckily, his skills were good enough for him to make it back.

The girls joined us later that afternoon for sangrias at one of the beach huts. They had so much fun on this trip that they really didn’t want to leave.

The Ice Bucket Challenge...

During the summer, there was a lot of attention on social media about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge as a way to raise both awareness and funds for a terrible degenerative disease.

All three of us girls posted short videos on FB of ourselves standing on the dock with a cooler full of ice water being dumped on our heads; afterwards, we made donations.

Stand-up Paddleboarding...

Ashlynn was very keen to try stand-up paddleboarding and was thrilled when she realized that boards could be rented very near Terri’s house. She looks a bit wobbly here...

...but she quickly found her balance and had a great time.

Jimmy always has great balance, so he was quick to learn this new watersport.

Veronica and I joined them later that day for some sea kayaking. Jimmy and I were in singles while the girls shared a double. It was a little tricky cutting across the beach, but quite easy once we got into the harbor and then made our way around the canals of Port Grimaud.

Waking Up with the Sun...

Veronica dragged us all out the next morning at 6:30 a.m. to catch the sunrise. She looked amazingly awake considering she’d been out dancing until 2 a.m.

The lighting was beautiful!

Last Pics of the Day...

As you’ve seen, Veronica really does whatever it takes to get a great shot. Luckily, I didn’t need to lay down to capture this adorable shot of her.

That evening the girls headed back to the disco at the nearby vacation resort. The minimum age is 18, but conveniently for the girls they weren’t asked for ID. We had gone with them a few nights earlier to check the place out; the music actually wasn’t too bad and no old guys tried picking up on them, so we let them go on their own the second time. Now they can say they went clubbing together in the South of France.