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Published: April 23rd 2011
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Small fishing boatThis morning I made my way out of Lyon and arrived in Marseille. I will be spending the next five days here. This is not only to allow me to visit the actual city of Marseille but I do plan on visiting some of the neighbouring towns as well. The weather in leaving Lyon was grey and slightly windy and it was not any better as I arrived in Marseille. It was quite chilly and the rain was coming down. No worries … it was bound to happen at one point in this trip.
The saving grace was that my hotel the Newhotel Vieux Port is directly across from the Vieux-Port metro station and just a few steps from the actual Vieux Port. My room looks out on this neighbouring church and if you step out on the small balcony you get a beautiful view of the port. Each floor has a theme and my floor is the Pondicherry floor which is (according to my Google search) an area in India. It would explain the arches that are part of the headboard and the photographs on the wall! It is a beautiful room I do have to say. There is
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What I pictured the fishermen to look like also a sign on the wall at the entrance that says that Jean-Paul Sartre stayed here in 1978.
My room however was not ready upon my arrival so I regrouped (which also meant changing into jeans and a warmer sweater) and headed towards the Vieux Port (which is literally a stone’s throw from the hotel). The port was filled with tourists looking at all of the fishermen trying to sell their catch and locals were bargaining and trying to find the nicest fish available. I could have stayed there for hours … and I think that I actually did! The second that I was in the port though I realized that I had left Paris and Lyon far behind me and could automatically see and feel a completely different atmosphere. Even their accent is different … and yet mine still seems to beg the question … vous êtes du Québec???
So I walked aimlessly around the Vieux-Port until I found a quaint little café to stop in for lunch. There was a part of me that wanted to try the bouillabaisse but the lure of “moules marinières et frites” got the better of me! They were delicious. But
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Vieux-Port I will have a bouillabaisse before I leave Marseille … that is a must!
I continued walking around the small streets and came upon the small shop where the original Savon de Marseille are sold. You know the ones … a big block and stamped distinctly with the Savon de Marseille and made with pure olive oil. I’m not sure I would have even noticed it but for the overwhelming scent of lavender coming out of that small shop. In doing a bit of research (my guidebook is relatively limited) I had also found that you can visit the shop where the soaps are handmade as well as see how they press their own olive oil. That is on my list of things to do for tomorrow …
I then decided to make my way to the Basilique Notre-Dame de Grace. When coming into Marseille, it dominates the skyline as it sits high atop a hill. There are no words for what kind of effort it took to get up there. I have been to the Oratoire Saint-Joseph and Sacré Coeur so I am used to these churches that involve quite a few stairs to climb. Those two
have nothing on this basilica. You first start going up a small street that winds its way uphill to then reach stairs and then more stairs and then more stairs. You can see people stopped at different places along the way looking slightly defeated (and the ones coming back down seem to have this smirk that just says … yeah I know … tough … but you’ll get there … don’t give up). It was definitely worth the climb though. The photos that I am posting certainly do not do it justice, as always. I loved the fact that there was a nautical theme to it with a number of mobiles hanging from the ceilings with scale models of sailboats and ships. The artwork displayed around the basilica was also mainly paintings of boats and ships and echoed the nautical theme.
From there I would continue to meander through some small side streets and eventually make it back to my hotel. The days when I am travelling from one place to another never seem all that productive but that’s okay. I am on vacation after all. The point is not to run myself into the ground the first week
in!! I am sure that tomorrow I will be walking up and down every single street in this city as I am a relentless tourist after all.
So the day ends with a glass of wine … Georges Duboeuf Chiroubles this time around.
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Vaishu
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Good read !
Hello Caroline, Am an indian student in france. I have been visiting different cities with limited knowledge of french. I stumbled upon your blog when i was looking for lyon. I read lyon, marseille and some more. Its very good to read ! Hope you have a great trip ahead ! Cheers