I really didn’t know what to expect to Marseille. I’ve heard of the city, of course. I knew it was on the Mediterranean, in the south of France, though I realized that the weather wouldn’t be ideal this time of the year. I knew that its football team is the most popular in France. In the few days that I’ve been here, I’ve learned that it is truly a beautiful city.
If you’ve followed this blog at all, you know that I love to walk around cities when I first arrive. I find that the pace is a good speed in which to take in everything that is going on around me. One thing that is noticeable right off is the strong Arab presence in Marseille, or at least in the parts that I have frequented. (I suppose if I landed in New York and spent all my time in Chinatown, I’d think that New York has a strong Chinese influence.) There are numerous Tunisian restaurants around and falafel and kabab are available everywhere.
The more that I walk around the city, the more beauty I find. There are magnificent churches all over the city. I’ve taken numerous pictures, but to be perfectly honest, I don’t know the names or stories behind any of the churches that I’ve seen. I came to Marseille without any type of guide or list of must-see attractions so I’ve basically just taken pictures of things that have caught my eye. The most significant view is the church (I think, but I’m not really sure) on top of the hill that overlooks the city and is visible from almost everywhere in the city. You see it as soon as you get off of the train. I’ve been too lazy to walk all the way up hill to get a better look, but perhaps I’ll try that tomorrow.
Speaking of the train station, it is a wonder in and of itself. It was built in the mid-nineteenth century when Marseille was a major port of trade between the Middle East and Paris and its majesty belies its importance. It was built on a plateau high above the city center and also is visible from many places throughout the center of the city.
As I left the train station and walked to my hotel, which was only a five-minute walk away, I was a little concerned. The neighborhood between the two spots isn’t the most picturesque in France. In fact, it was kind of scary. Cars were parked on the sidewalks, so you had to walk on busy streets, and there were people congregated in front of little apartment buildings drinking and having a generally good time at around 2:00 pm. I made it through to the hotel, dropped off my stuff, and decided to walk in the other direction. It was quite amazing what a difference a block made. A block from the hotel in the other direction led to a shopping thoroughfare with many nice stores and lots of happy young people.
That street leads straight to the docks of Marseille and the Mediterranean. Admittedly, it helped a great deal that the weather was beautiful for the first time that I had seen on this trip. I stopped at a few stores and walked to the docks to see all of the sailboats and yachts. Occasionally, I would get a whiff of the ocean, though I’m coming down with a cold so I didn’t smell a whole lot of anything.
I’ll be back with another post about Marseille including the lighthouses, more churches, and a little comparison of Marseille and Paris.
Au revoir.
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