Week 2-3 in Marseille

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Week 2-3:
Boat trip: Last Sunday, September 14, we took a boat/ship ride out to Les Iles du Frioul (islands not far from Marseille). Although a bit windy, it was otherwise a beautiful day. One of the islands is the Ile d’If, which is the location of the prison in Alexandre Dumas’ book The Count of Monte Cristo. We landed on and hiked the big island, Ile de Ratonneau, which is the island that contains Hospital Caroline, built in 1828 to take care of those with the yellow fever plague that killed half of the people in Marseille. The Mediterranean water was a palate of the most beautiful colors of blue. There were a half dozen or so small outdoor restaurant/cafes on the island where you can get a little something to eat /drink after a nice hike around the island. The cost of the trip, not counting refreshments, was 10 euros per person.

Work: Monday was Garry’s first day at the university. They have him all set up with all kinds of passwords, secret cards, etc., for everything—network, building, etc. Security is much more heightened here. Great group of people. Kathy worked on her paper and made an effort to bring the apartment up to her “hospital-clean” standards, which is hard when considering that we keep the windows open all the time. Marseille is in an arid area that receives very little rain and has nice, cool breezes at night.

City Tour: This past week we finally took the city bus tour, which takes you around portions of the city, along the coastal highway and beaches, and up the hill to the Basillica Notre Dame de la Garde, which is on top of the highest point in Marseille. Not only is the church strategically located such that from it you can see in every direction, but the church is absolutely gorgeous inside. (See enclosed pictures of the inside and outside, as well as a view of coast of Marseille from the church.)

Arles: On Saturday, we took our first train ride. Remember, the train station is but 2 blocks from our apartment. We spent the day in Arles, which took less than an hour by train. While we have not yet seen Rome, we got a taste of it. Arles has a well-preserved Roman amphitheatre that was built in 90 A.D. and held 20,000 people. It is still in use!! It also has a Roman theatre that was built in the 1st century B.C. and could hold 10,000 people. Only a portion of it remains, but that portion is also still in use. While it is still no longer in use, Arles’ also has a Roman bath. Its Musee Departmental De L’Arles Antique is considered to have one of the best archaeological collections from prehistoric times to the 6th century A.D. Its cathedral and cloister were built in the 12th century, but do not rival the architecture and beauty of the Notre Dame de la Garde in Marseille, which was built much later—so no pictures included.

While the week has been a great memory, its sweet taste was slightly soured by our persistent Internet problems—sometimes we got it and sometimes we don’t, and when we do have it, it might be as slow as a turtle.

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Photos

View of Vieux Port from sea
The boat that took us to Les Iles du Frioul left out of Vieux Port, seen in the distance.

Hospital Caroline on Ile de Ratonneau
A view of Hospital Caroline, location of yellow fever plague patients, and Marseille (in the background).

Notre Dame de la Garde
This picture was taken near the top of the hill on which is located the Notre Dame de la Garde.

Inside of Notre Dame de la Garde
As you can see, the inside of this church is breathtaking. This is but a taste of the inside.

Ceiling of Notre Dame de la Garde
This picture does not do justice to the beautiful ceiling.

Roman amphitheatre
This is but a glimpse of the amphitheatre, built in 90 A.D., which can accommodate 20,000 people.

Amphitheatre picture 2
Shows a bit of the inside of the amphiteatre. Bull fights are still held here--the bull is not killed but a group of matadors attempt to pluck a ribbon located on the bull's head between its horns. The horns are quite long and can skewer a matador.

Roman sculpture
This is one of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of objects ancient Roman artifacts located in the Musee Departmental De L’Arles Antique.

Kathy's secret admirer
This guy is always on the street and gives Kathy the eye. I think she likes is metal look. I am growing jealous.