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Published: August 18th 2015
Hello my fellow travellers!
The feeling after today's visit to Marseilles is a bit heavy and thoughtful. After we arrived at the train station we decided to make our way up to the magnificent Basilica of Our Lady of the Guard at the top of the hill, overlooking all of Marseilles. On our way there we passed a lot soldiers as well as the closed down Grand Synagogue which put under heavy guard by armed forces. This was yet another, and more hands on, reminder of the tragedy that befell Lyons the other day.
Walking up there both me and Andreas also reflected on how run down many parts of France seem to be, not only here in Marseilles but also in Nice and Cannes. There are lots of graffiti on the walls, much of the monuments need to be cleaned and mended and much of the infrastructure seems to be running on empty. The segregation of the society is very visible with areas where we almost only see minorities and the streets and parks are filled with homeless people, even in the nicer and more touristy areas.
We had many things we wanted to see here and
several sights that we wanted to visit but much of it was closed due to the threat of terrorist attacks. Fort Saint Nicholas, closed. Marseilles Cathedral, closed. The Old Almshouse, closed. In a way today has felt like walking under the famed Damocles Sword. Eager to see, enjoy and experience all that Marseilles has to offer, yet aware of the constant threat of another attack hitting poor France and it's people.
Still, the day gave cause for joy and marvel as well. As I mentioned the Basilica of Our Lady of the Guard is an absolutely awe inspiring presence in the city and it's so beautiful it almost hurts to look at it! Down the hill from the basilica is the Abbey of Saint Victor which is also an absolute treat. It's free to enter the abbey itself but going down into the catacombs costs 2 EUR. I can easily say that it's well worth it. Down in the catacombs you will see sarcophagi dating back as far as the 2nd century and the atmosphere down there is really incredible. Even Andreas who was at first reluctant to enter was drawn into it and eager not to miss anything,
reading all the signs and speculating about the lives of the many saints that are buried here. We also visited the Saint Ferreolus Church but it wasn't all that special on the inside.
Outside the harbour, well visible from up at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Guard, lies the impressive If Castle. This castle served as a prison as well and is most famous for being the setting in the famous book the Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Another little gem is the Jean d'Arc M4A4 Sherman Tank located below the hill from the Basilica of Our Lady of the Guard. It's original and belonged to the 2nd Cuirassiers Regiment and was taken out by a German grenade during a battle on August 25th 1944 and three of it's crew members died instantly. I don't know if it's still in the exact same spot but it was taken out in this area at least.
Inside the Fort Saint Jean you will find the Mucem which we didn't enter but the fort itself is free to visit and very nice. Outside the fort you will find the beautiful little Church of Saint Laurent. This was
unfortunately also closed though. The Marseilles Cathedral is also stunning, on the outside at least, and I really wish I could have seen it's interior.
Even if things hadn't been closed though we wouldn't have been able to see it all anyway due to time constraints. Taking a day trip here from Nice was a bit optimistic as you need more time in Marseilles to really see it properly. Even so, it's like I said to François in the evening, seeing it for a little time is better than not seeing it at all. I really do recommend a visit here, even if the tone in this post might have a bit of damp over it. The old town in Marseilles is really beautiful and in good order, but as I said, if you come a bit outside it will present it's less pleasant side.
So, when the day is tallied up there is certainly beauty in Marseilles, not just heavy contemplation, but I suppose that I boarded that train back to Nice with a slightly heavier mind than what I came to Marseilles with. I really hope that this era of religious fanaticism and terrorism will pass
soon so that the world can be at peace. Until that day, I hope that you'll all kep travelling and do your best to spread love and understanding around the globe! Here's to a better and brighter future!
Tomorrow we will say our final goodbye to François and leave France to continue on to Berlin in Germany which will be the final stop of this trip. Since our plane doesn't leave until 5 pm we will take the chance to also visit Antibes before we leave because we feel quite satisfied with Nice for this time. I look forward to visiting Antibes as well, as we've gone by on the train we've spotted a pretty interesting fort there that I want to check out.
Until tomorrow I wish you all peace and happy travels!
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Ake Och Emma
Ake Dahllof and Emma Holmbro
You did not visit Chateau d'If, did you?
Chateau d'If has been on my "places-I-want-to-visit-one-day"-list for many years but I still haven't seen it. You didn't go there, did you? Too little time on your hands or was it for some other reason? /Ake