Cassis & The Calanques 30 June 2014

I was told that if I was visiting Marseilles I needed to try to see Cassis & the Calanques

.  Today I woke up early in anticipation making my way by foot (a good half hour walk) to the bus stop that the Office of Tourism in Marseilles the previous day, had advised me to go to.  I got there in plenty of time for the 9.15am bus but much to my dismay I didn't see it.  At 9.20am I asked some girls nearby, (in my improving French) if they too, were waiting for the same bus.  "Oh no" they said but the bus just passed by a few minutes ago....I said "where" & they pointed out another stop about 50 metres down the road.  Steam starting spurting from my head (metaphorically speaking) when one of the girls said to me "you know there is a train that goes to Cassis!"  With that I walked in what only could be described as probably the least salubrious area in Marseilles for another forty minutes to the train station.  Yes, a train was scheduled to depart at 11.00am but did I know that it stops long way out of town & there really was no means of getting to the centre of Cassis without a taxi?  I began to wonder whether this effort was worth it but all my misgivings melted away when miraculously as I exited the tiny Cassis train station a local bus was waiting to take passengers to the town centre for less than a euro!  I could have kissed the driver!  The rest of my day in Cassis & The Calanques were wonderful & highly recommended!