1. Two Days In Marseille

Friday May 31, Saturday June 1 TWO DAYS OF ADVENTURE!

What a whirlwind! Two days, and approximately 17 miles of walking. whew. Yesterday we walked almost 9.25 miles sightseeing and touring, and then today another 7.5. No time for jet lag, and after all that walking yesterday I didn’t have any problems sleeping night last night and probably will do the same tonight. Glad to be doing laundry now  and eating at the hotel - my feet are happy to not be moving. Sorry if this is long, but so much to tell about our adventures and I promise to not write one this long again. 

First stop, View Port alongside the Mediterranean Sea. Markets includes tourist treasures as well as fresh fish along the three sided waterfront. Large pleasure boats were docked in the bay and historic landmarks could be seen from almost every viewpoint. Today the market had many more vendors and colorful flowers ready for purchase by the locals. 

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We took the Petite Train up, up, up to the Basilica Notre Dame and saw lovely sights along the way. Here are a few...

The Petite Train had a narration in several languages telling passengers about the Basilica. There is a golden statue of approximately 32 feet the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus on the top of the bell tower, who is said to watch over the entire city. As we approached we could see this  magnificent  statue facing the sea. Somehow the description of the Mother and child was translated from French to English into “the mother and the kid.”  Lots of chuckles from the English speaking passengers! 🙂

The Basilica sits at the highest natural peak in Marseille (called “La Garde“), which for centuries had been used as an important post for defending the city. A church was built here in the 13th century and later, the basilica was built on the same site. It was completed in 1864 and the name “notre-dame” means “our lady”.

Once at the top we had a spectacular 360 degree panoramic view of the city. 

Lunch was next on the list and we found a lovely outdoor cafe near the port.

Lunch was next on the list and we found a lovely outdoor cafe near the port.

We also toured a Cathedral, Notre Dame de-la-Major. Inside were numerous model boats hanging from the ceiling in tribute to those that travel the sea. 

We visited the Le Panier historic district. The cobblestone narrow streets were lined on either side by old buildings that were beautiful but unfortunately spoiled with graffiti all along the way. Sad. Even some of the highest points of hotels and landmarks were subject to pretty much this mindless tagging. Other than the graffiti, Marseille appears to be a very clean multicultural city.

Next up the Museum of     While we didn’t go inside we enjoyed the architecture and the mixture of the modern and the historic. 

Today we took a boat tour out to Chateau d’lf. This famous fortress, stands on a rocky island off the coast of Marseille, and was immortalised by Alexandre Dumas in The Count of Monte Cristo as the prison where the novel’s hero, Edmond Dantes, was incarcerated. The castle was built by Francois I in 1524 and over the centuries it gained a fearsome reputation as many opponents of royal power were jailed and died in the fortress. 

We managed to avoid incarceration and make it safely back to shore, passing many luxury boats along the way. 

Lunch was spent at a seaside creperie followed by some tasty desserts. 

Final stop (walk) to Pailais Longchamp, One word for the Palais Longchamp - MAGNIFIQUE! It was created and opened in 1869 to celebrate the construction of the Canal de Marseille, which was built to bring water from the Durance River. The elaborate fountain is known as the château d'eau ("water castle").

Aurevois for now!