Marseille

Easter break saw us take the train all the way to Marseille. Afternoon Eurostar to Paris, then change for first class train down to Marseille and still arrive before midnight (thanks to one hour time difference).

Thibault had found us an apartment hotel between the station and the old port - a "stayhotel". Essentially you got your own room (with tiny kitchen) but it isn't serviced during your stay. For us was ideal.

Reception

Next morning we went off to explore the city of Marseille. Nice neo-classical opera house.

But our main target for the morning was the climb to the Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, both to see the cathedral but also to enjoy the views over the old port. But with a view comes a fair old climb!

Olympique Marseille's stadium

Having gone all the way around we entered the interior, which is pretty bling. There is also a distinct maritime theme

Note the hanging model boats

Basilique St-Victor - a very old church started 10th century.

The old port is now largely a marina for the less flash end of the yachting spectrum.

The Pharo Palace

The Palace overlooks the port affording some nice views

But by now it was lunchtime so we headed down to the numerous restaurants that lined the old port area - first passing an Irish Bar. Of course. Every city has one.

This was not the best food of the trip, although I made the point that Thibault and Clarissa just ordered badly

Thibault's tripe sausage did indeed look unappetising - I turned down even a taste

But my seafood with vegetables was perfectly decent. And healthy for a French meal.

Fortified with food, we next took in the fort. This is now largely exhibition space, although only after we bought tickets were we informed about how many of the exhibitions were closed. In fact while the public areas were quite impressive, the exhibitions were thoroughly underwhelming, at least those actually open. By far the worst value of our trip.

These are not S&M shoes - they are for treading grapes!

Exhibitions done, we took in another church - St-Laurent.

Before hitting the Cathedrale Nouvelle Majeure

A little climb takes one into the more Bohemian area of Le Panier. Small art and craft shops and street art amid the graffiti.

And finally to the Marseille history museum - a much better value museum than the fort. Indeed the front of it is actually the Roman archaeological remains of the port area, although the museum takes one right down to the modern day. I enjoyed it. Thibault and Clarissa headed back to the hotel and left me to my own devices! 

An ancient boat and a model of what it would have looked like if it hadn't spent two thousand years at the bottom of the sea.