#2707 vacation day 8: Marseille, France ~UPDATED!~

Bon soir from France! Right now, we are sailing along the French coast toward Italy. I can see the rocky land from my cabin. Beautiful. Here’s the story of how we spent our day.

We docked in Marseille around 7 am. Our excursion began at 8 am. 15 people boarded a very nice, very large bus and rode about 30 minutes or so north to the city of Aix-en-Provence. A couple of people I know recommended visiting the city and I’m glad we did! It’s old, like most places in Europe. We went into two churches, walked through the outdoor market, and saw dozens of statues and fountains. The tiny little side streets are charming. There are trees everywhere. It was overcast and a little drizzly - it even rained pretty hard for a few minutes, but the temperature was pleasant. I didn’t mind the overcast skies because that means no shadows in the photos. 

Since we were on a tour, we did have a guide, a tiny little French woman who spoke excellent English with a cute accent. She guided us around the old part of town, then set us loose to explore on our own. The first thing we did was stop at a cafe for some coffee. There are no public toilets, so the best way to use the facilities is to buy a drink, then you can use the restroom for free. MT and I stopped at a cute little place and ordered espresso. Yes, MT had an espresso! It’s actually his second one on this trip. I was thinking I would have a gelato count, but maybe I’ll have an espresso count! I’ve had at least one every day, but it is unusual for MT. I think he has a love/hate thing about them. He loves the jolt from the coffee and the fact that he can use the restroom, but I think he kind of hates the taste. Lol

The next thing I wanted to do was get a croissant. We found a patisserie/boulangerie and made my dream come true. MT chose a cookie called a Navette. It was kind of like a shortbread. He liked it. I loved my flaky, buttery croissant.

My souvenirs for this trip are postcards and magnets. I got a magnet and a couple of postcards. I was happy to greet the shopkeepers with a cheery “Bonjour!” I could even kind-of-sort-of figure out what they were saying when they told me how much stuff cost. Nothing conversational, of course, but everyone was friendly and kind. 

The strawberries at the street market looked and smelled delicious!

Aix-en-Provence

these guys are interesting

We got back on the bus and rode back to Marseille. It is a very large city, maybe the second largest in France, but we stayed in the old part of town. The giant bus somehow maneuvered up the very tiny, narrow streets to the cathedral of Notre Dame de la Garde. We still had to climb a hundred or so steps to get up to the church itself, but I was extremely grateful we didn’t have to get off at the bottom of the hill. It was long and steep! 

When we got off the bus, it was properly raining. The temperature was mild, but it was wet! I was glad to have my waterproof raincoat and my umbrella. The view from the cathedral was spectacular. Out in the bay, you can see Chateau d’If, the setting for the prison in the book The Count of Monte Cristo. I think on a clear day with more time to spend, it would be a cool place to visit. As it was, we just took photos. We spent about 30 minutes at the church and grounds, then got back on the bus for a quick ride down the hill to the Vieux Port (that means Old Port). Now it is a marina for sailboats and smaller boats, but back in the day, like the 1700s, that was The port. It was still raining pretty hard, and some people didn’t want to get off the bus, but everyone did get off. MT and I found a cafe, had another espresso, and used the toilette. We walked around for a bit, taking photos and admiring the architecture. Then it was time to get back on the bus and come back to the ship. We were back by about 4pm.

Chateau d’If is the island you can see

Notre Dame de la Gard

View of Notre Dame de la Gard from the Vieux Port

Let’s talk about how the pandemic is being treated here. On the ship, it is requested that masks be worn as you are walking in public areas, on elevators, etc. I am one of the few people that follows this request. On the bus, the guide asked everyone to wear a mask on the way to Aix, but most people did not wear it on the way back to Marseille. When in a tourist area, like a church, it is recommended that masks are worn, but again, that doesn’t always happen. I wore my mask whenever I was inside a building. There were gobs of people up at Notre Dame and I was not about to breathe their air droplets. 

I totally enjoyed this day in France. Would I come back? I don’t know. I’m sad that we didn’t have time to have some bouillabaisse, a specialty of Marseille. Although I didn’t mind the weather, I would have loved to see the sea on a clear day. I have heard that the color of the water here rivals the Caribbean. I did accomplish what I wanted, like having a croissant and buying soap and lavender products at the market in Aix, so I consider this excursion a win!

Today’s step count: 14,486; 5.8 miles; 12 flights climbed. I still have a bit more walking around the ship, but it probably won’t be too much more. 

I’ll try to get a few photos posted here after dinner.