France 47 - Marseille and a grand staircase

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Marseilles day. A big city with a population of about a million. Glenn had been many years ago but did not feel it was safe to leave his car at the time. We hoped that things would have improved over the intervening years. Surely things would be different. You always have a certain worry about going into a big city, hanging on to your handbag or purse and hoping you will not get robbed. It is the same if its Paris, Rome , Manchester or London. A lot of people and the worry that something might go wrong. But then you have to grit your teeth and take the opportunity to go and see what comes of the day. If you worried about things like this too much you wouldn’t go anywhere.

We walked to the railway station in Cassis or to be more precise outside of Cassis. We walk fairly briskly but it took more like 25 mins to walk from the campsite to the station. We had little idea where it was and just followed the signs noting cars parked along the roadside as we got closer and the electricity lines which follow the railway lines overhead.

Sebastian the clerk was really helpful. He asked if we had any discount cards. I know that you can get European discount cards for pensioners but we don’t have any. I only could croak no but we are both over 60. Does that help? It did and we got to Marseilles for 25% less than we would have paid for a full price adult ticket. So it does pay to ask. The regional train turned up on time and was full so we had to stand for the entire trip which took about 30 minutes. I did wonder why young kids and men don’t seem these days to give up their seats for older people. It seems as if manners are now sadly lacking. We were taught to give up our seats at an early age to pregnant women and the elderly.

We arrived at Marseille station which reminded me of Leeds I think. ‘There are 14 platforms and even trees growing in the platform area. Very French. We started the day off with a cake topped with meringue and two coffees. I must be getting addicted to expressos - the stronger the better. I shall miss them when I get home. From the station we descended the grand staircase a huge affair of stone statues and green wrought iron work. The area around the station did look a touch seedy with empty shops and a lot of men hanging about. Our first impression was not particularly good. We had a long walk down to the Vieux Port which due to the crowds was noisy.There were deviations because of the roadworks and road improvements going on. It looked as if all pavements were being repaved in marble and when completed would look lovely. But that would take a long time to complete.

When we finally got to the port it was a shame that there was safety fencing which did ruin any view of the boats and the waterfront. A petite train was running and was full doing a roaring trade taking visitors around the city.

We had planned to visit Chateau D’If which was used as a backdrop for The Count of Monte Cristo. Unfortunately just our luck although boats went everywhere else today, Chateau D’If was closed .As usual we had got there on the wrong. Day.

Above the port was a Vauban fort which dominated the harbour entrance and huge harbour walls which were in the process of being renovated. Again it would look stunning when completed but it looked as if it would take a year at least to complete the work. The cathedral hidden down a back area of the port was stunning . Black and white banding gave it a striking appearance. It was a Romanesque style building but with influences of Eastern and Arabic architecture. A most unusual building which blended in well with the wide variety of people we saw in the city. Marseilles closeness to Africa was evident in the architecture and the style of clothing we saw worn by the men and women. The church sign said it should be open but the gates to God were completely closed.

For dinner we returned to the harbour area which by now seemed quieter. Lunch simple omelettes,one natural and one with cheese. Pickled vegetables were the accompaniment, with courgettes and peppers. It was lovely watching the boats come in and out .

After lunch we walked back uphill to the grand escalier which extols the virtue of Marseilles maritime history and its closeness with other cultures. The station building from the outside looked in what we would call the “Victorian Gothic style”. It was of epic proportions in glass and wrought iron. The information boards were excellent and 20 minutes before the train arrived the details were posted up on the boards. Our train left platform 3 which was slightly hard to find hidden away at the end of the tracks. We boarded the double decker train this time it was empty and we got seats for the journey back to Cassis.

After our visit the rest of the day was spent quietly on the campsite getting ready for our next move. We spent the evening in the bar which was typically French with men only outside smoking and playing cards. We got talking to a couple from Chichester. At first we thought they were French as they played boules but it turned out they were both police offices and had a campervan which they were using to travel down the east of France and back up the west coast. We spent a lovely evening discussing places they had been to and asked what they recommended and we shared our experiences with them. We talked about football and the state of the economy and of being a civil servant in Britain these days. What a lovely way to end a day. This is what motorhoming is all about.

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Photos

Marseille
The grand escalier to the station

Marseille
The cathedral

Marseille
French kissing