We arrived in Marseille on Friday night, of course knowing nothing about where we were, nor where we would be sleeping that night. The train station is on the top of hill. So, when you walk out of the train station, you are immediately over looking the city. I must admit – I knew then that it would be a great weekend. It was a beautiful site – all lit up.
We walked down a giant set of stone stairs, of course with beautiful detailing along the railings. We walked along a main street, for about 5 minutes and found a side street with a few signs for hotels. We literally went inside the first one we saw, found out that it cost 30 euros per night, meaning 15 each. That is an incredibly cheap price – so we took it. By the time the weekend was over we realized that a) paying one penny more would have been a rip off for this place and b) we were in the worst end of Marseille in terms of cleanliness and safety. Although, because we were so happy to be travelling, we found it all to be pretty hilarious. That night, we somehow, in our quest for a suitable place to eat dinner, made our way to the “vieux port” (direct translation: old harbour), which is a very popular and beautiful place. Every morning there is a fish market along the water; incredibly fresh. We managed to meet up with Thiago and his friends (we had no idea he would be there with friends - I swear he said he was going alone, but I was a little bit drunk). We went to a couple of pub-style places and had a few drinks. Thiago suggested we go to one of the many incredibly nice and expensive hotels and ask for a map. We did just that, and he showed us the must-sees of Marseille on the map. Eliisa and I were a little tired, and frankly smoked out (neither of us can stand that smoke). We made our way back to our hotel and were fast asleep by 11.
The next morning, we went to the tourism office, and found out a little more information of the places that were best to visit. We found a boat tour that took us out to the island of If (for those of you who do not know, it is pronounced like “eeeef”) about a mile offshore in the bay. As you leave the bay, on either side there are two massive forts, Saint-Jean on the west side, and Saint-Nicolas on the east.
Chateau D’If is on the island – built in the 1500s as a defence from water attacks. It later become a prison, as it was basically escape-proof – think Alcatraz. You might know it better as the setting of Duman’s novel the Count of Monte Cristo. We spent two hours of the island, doing a kind of superficial tour of the castle (much of it was not open to tourists) and sitting out by the shore in the sun. It was about 20 degrees that day – just perfect.
When we returned, we took a small tourist train to the famous basilica Notre-Dame de la Guarde, also built in the 1500s. It rests on the top of the hill called La Garde which is the highest natural point in Marseille, about 500 ft high. We were glad to have taken a train – the walk up that hill would have taken hours. The basilica has a huge bronze statue of the virgin and child that you can basically see from all over the city, and from the see. The inside was equally as magnificent. The rest of the day was spent on the shopping street and in cafes and restaurants.
The next day we walked along the coast to the Jardin and Palais du Pharo – a garden and palace on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the old harbour. This was just a beautiful site, and I decided that I would like to get married at this palace! Apparently, it was built on the request of Napoléon III’s wife, who never actually stepped foot in it. What a woman! We then walked a total of 7 km west along the Mediterranean and stopped at small beaches to put out feet in the sand and the water. It was just a gorgeous day. We walked back, and exhausted, had a quick dinner and went to the train station to return to Toulouse.
It was an excellent trip. A few observations: Marseille, in the local areas, is very dirty. Like Toulouse, there is dog crap everywhere. There is also garbage everywhere. Rather than using garbage cans, they leave all their crap on the roads and have street cleaners come every night! Marseille is also more dangerous than most cities, I am told. I did feel a little more unsafe here than most places. The men were very forward, calling as us and at times even grabbing at our arms. We did not go out at night past 10 – it just didn’t appeal to us. Marseille is beautiful though, and I would definitely recommend making a stop there for at least a few days – but no more than 5 or 6! We unfortunately did not get a chance to go and see les Calanques – limestone cliffs and valleys. Apparently they are just gorgeous – unfortunately they were just too far away for us to feasible see. I will certainly be returning to Marseille, likely during a summer season, and renting a car.
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