You can’t get much more postcard perfect with the Mediterranean bijou harbor village of Cassis, which is only about 10 miles southeast of Marseille.

It’s hard to believe that Cassis was at one time an old fishing town, only seen by the rugged fisherman and modest locals. It was an inevitable progression, though, that it would go from basic, to artsy to chic. Now, artists can’t afford to live here.

Cassis even has its own AOC status (granted in 1936) for its very dry wine that has a bouquet of rosemary and heather. The white wine, made from Bourboulenc, Clairette, Marsanne and Ugni Blanc grapes, actually has a very pale green tint to it. They say in Cassis that this wine received a divine quality when God descended from the heavens and shed a tear on a grape vine and voila, divine AOC wine from Cassis was born. Anyway, the Marseillais say that this is the only drink worthy of washing down bouillabaisse.

I believe the chateau perched above the port is privately owned and is a gite or a hotel. If you’ve stayed there, can you post a comment or email me about it? Thanks.

Cassis a good place to relax, have a provencal meal, people watch and take in the amazing scenery, or do something more seaworthy and take sailing lessons, go windsurfing or catch a ferry to the nearby famous Calanques (which I’ll write about after I sift through my million photos.)

There’s a pretty but teeny tiny sandy beach with a stunning backdrop of cliffs, but if you try to go here during the summer, you’ll be lucky if you find a spot bigger than a stamp.