October 15, 2023
My impressions of the city developed over two days in Marseille. We took a flight from Ottawa to Paris and then to Marseille with Air France, left Ottawa at five p.m., and arrived in Marseille the following day at 9 a.m. After spending a day in Marseille, we left for Corsica for ten days before returning for another day in Marseille.
I found some information about Marseille on the internet interesting. Did you know that Marseille is one of the oldest cities in Europe? (It was established by Greek traders in 600 BC.) That 85% of the heroin shipped to the US was produced by Corsican gangs in the La Panier district of Marseille in the 1930s? That Marseille has the third largest Jewish population in Europe after London and Paris? That 20% of the population is Muslim? According to Wikipedia, Marseille, a port city, is probably the most multicultural city in Europe.
The diversity of Marseille surprised me; a native of Marseille explained that many North Africans came to Marseille from Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and, in general, the Maghreb region of Africa since they were French-speaking and felt at home in the city. The people in the restaurants and the service industries were mostly from North Africa but I never felt they were immigrants; they were French people.
I thought that the French approach to immigrants in Marseille was more casual and probably much better in the long run, call it the melting pot idea, than the focus on differences among ethnic groups in Canada.
The city has a population of close to two million in the metropolitan area with a transportation system including metro and buses. We used both, since they were convenient, came frequently, and cost two euros a ticket, or C$3, relatively cheap.
Our apartment on rue Vacon in the Old Town area of Marseille was not ready for occupancy on arrival and the receptionist suggested we walk around in the neighborhood. Richly rewarded on our walk with musicians playing on the street, small markets to investigate, and getting used to one-lane streets crowded with people and motorcycles speeding by, we settled down for lunch at a table outdoors at one of the ethnic restaurants, that happened to be Tunisian. I had a wonderful lamb Tagine with apricots. Arabic talk surrounded us. It was a very pleasant atmosphere and I recommend a walk around the Old Town with your camera in your hands to take pictures of the diversity of people and street scenes.
Once we came back to our accommodation, a porter took us to our apartment, two blocks away from where we checked in, in an old, renovated building. We opened the huge front door with a fob leading to a hall where we faced a long and steep staircase to our apartment. There was no elevator in the building, but the apartment was spacious, very clean, and furnished with IKEA furniture.
Returning to reception to ask for maps and directions in the area, we chatted with the receptionist who said that he and his brother bought and renovated twenty-seven apartments in the Old Town in numerous buildings: is this a new model for an apartment hotel? A local we chatted with suggested the brothers renovated these units to make a killing during the Olympics next year; water sports will be in Marseille.
Using the maps, we got on a bus to take us along the Corniche Kennedy, also called the “balcony of the Mediterranean”, which runs along the Mediterranean coast. The views were stunning, I had my cell phone camera clicking all the time. One of the pictures I took on the way was of the monument for Aux Heros de L’Armee D’Orient et des Terres Lointaines, a monument in memory of the victims of the 1914-1918 war.
I also saw Chateau d’If from our bus. This famous fortress, standing on a rocky island off the coast of Marseille, was immortalized by Alexandre Dumas in The Count of Monte Cristo as the prison where the novel’s hero was incarcerated before ultimately escaping. The castle was built by Francois I in 1524. One can visit the Chateau by taking a boat out to the rock.
Getting off the bus at a beach on the outskirts of the city, Kathy immersed herself in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time. In the evening, we meandered up to the Arab market with its bustling and amazing aromas. Searching for an interesting place to eat, there were many choices: Tunisian, Moroccan, French, and others. We ended up having a Turkish shawarma, attracted by the culinary smells. We were not disappointed – the food was delicious.
During the second full day in Marseille, we visited the Musee d’Histoire de Marseille. To enter the museum, we walked across a large square with panels explaining the archaeological finds when a guard from the museum came out and told us to go inside first to get a ticket. This was strange since the museum was free. Why go in first and then come back to read the plaques? But we followed the instructions and went inside where there was a detailed history of Marseille.
What I found most interesting was that the many podcasts in the Museum lectured about the damage looters had done finding and selling ancient coins and artifacts. I picked up a brochure that listed substantial penalties for looting, like thousands of euros and prison sentences. I gathered that looting was profitable and widespread until the government reined it in.
After the Museum we walked to the Old Port, a must for all tourists just to see its vibrancy, which was teeming with people and activities. The Old Port is renovated and is used by private yachts today. The world rugby championship happening at the same time, contributed to the wall-to-wall people along the Quai du Fort, the promenade along the north side of the Old Port.
One activity I enjoyed was sitting in one of the cafes watching the people on the Quai. Once you ordered your coffee, beer, or whatever, the waiters did not bother you, you could sit there all day. I usually ordered café allongé; an espresso coffee larger in volume than a standard espresso.
Cafes also allow you to meet people and find out what the purpose of their trip was. I met a fellow at one of the coffee shops from South Africa, who brought his college-age son to watch a rugby game and then travel to England to watch a professional soccer game.
At the end of the Quai, we entered Fort St. Jean. The ancient commandery (a district under the control of a commander of an order of knights) of the Hospitaliers de Saint-Jean, served as the departure point for the troops to Jerusalem during the Crusades of the 12th century. A chapel, church, hospital, and palace made up the commandery, which was completed in 1365. The numerous steps going up in the fort I found tiring. Besides, it was unpleasantly windy on top of the fort. But the view of the Old Port and the city was spectacular from the top of the Fort. The Fort is fully renovated and was worthwhile seeing.
Fighting the wind coming down from the Fort, we searched for a seafood restaurant. And we found the Au Bout du Quai Mediterranean restaurant where I had bouillabaisse and Kathy had scallops. The presentation of the seafood was picture-worthy and the taste was delicious.
Our rest after the full lunch was to sit on the tourist train that took us around the key sites of the city, some we had already seen. Tooting along the Corniche Kennedy, we came to an abrupt halt and were ordered to get off by the police; the Pope was coming along on his way to the stadium to give a mass! That was the 21st of September.
Surprisingly, I did not see the Popemobile, I took a picture of the Pope coming along in a small, white Fiat, surrounded by police before and after the little car. After the entourage had passed by, on the tourist train passed by the Basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde, a famous landmark, sitting on top of a hill not too far from the Old Port.
We finished the day meeting our daughter and son-in-law and walking through a food court; Les Halles do la Major Restaurant a Marseille, with a large choice of restaurants, near the south side of the Old Port. We chose the one offering tapas. One will not go hungry in Marseille.
Why should you visit Marseille? For learning about its history, for enjoying its diversity of people, for taking photogenic pictures, and for satisfying your culinary desires. Although one could visit Marseille for one day and see the key tourist sites, two days would provide a more leisurely visit. I would certainly go back for a second visit.
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