When the time came to leave france it seemed i wasn't quite ready. I have had such an amazing month in paris...learning (a little) french, playing with my new friends, exploring my new surroundings...I felt comfortable and at 'home' in Paris and wanted to discover whether I felt the same way in other parts of the country.
Luckily Bethany is always up for an adventure so the two of us began to plan a weekend away.....the problem was where to go. There were several options - most only 3 hours away by France's high-speed super trains - the TGV. Nico suggested Marseille so we threw that into the mix and, after a little research it topped the list. The deciding factor was the weather - for 15 degrees with sunshine our vitamin D deprived selves would have gone anywhere!
Nestled against the Mediterranian in Provence, Marseille is one of the oldest cities in France - second in size only to Paris it is grittier and harder than the capital, but with ancient architecture - island forts and churches - and streets of mansions reminicient of the left bank of paris.
The Vieux Port - the old town - feels just like a little fishing village - it reminded me of some I have travelled through in Normandy - on the West Coast of France a million miles away. A massive harbour with expensive yachts alongside shoddy little fishing boats...a fishmarket held every morning at the crack of dawn and seafood restaurants lining the streets nearby.
The specialty is boulbanaisse....a crazy soup that comes all at once in three different servings - bread with a mustard mayonaise and cheese, a seafood broth, and a plate of seafood - fish, mussels, and boiled potatoes...I'm not sure what the correct method is to eat this thing but i just chucked it all together and it went down a treat with a glass of cote de rhone!
We 'did' the city in 24 hours...from pretty churches on top of nearby mountains to cruises down the mediterranian coast to glasses of wine in gritty little back streets Marseille impressed us with its laid back atmosphere. Definitely a place to come back to - maybe in the summer when you could go for nice long walks along the rocky coastline and find a quiet little spot in the sun before dipping into the water for a quick snorkle....
It seems that I am indeed as at 'home' in other parts of France as I am in Paris.
A bientot mon belle France. I'll be back...soon...
Till next time.
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