I see London I see France I see someone’s underpants……with our stop in Marseille, that childhood chant became true. Marseille is the oldest city in France, and is the second largest after Paris.
Had I done a bit more pre-trip research I would have known that it is also the site of an archeological excavation of ruins going back to 6000 BC. and I would have been tempted to try to visit the site as well as the Old Port and Basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde.
But had I gone that route, I would have missed a wonderful visit to Aix-en-Provence, the birthplace of Paul Cezanne and home to an Old Town full of buildings dating back as far as the 1400’s. At different times Aix was inhabited by the Romans, the Visigoths, several Germanic tribes, the Arabians and the Spaniards before becoming “French” in the late 1400s, so the city reflects many different architectural influences – and that was the focus of our walking tour.
Now it is a college town, and a rather expensive one I believe. We walked the Cours Mirabeau, which is the place to see and be seen and checked out a few sidewalk cafes – I found the prices quite shocking, and it really wasn’t a good day for “people watching” as the area was packed with tourists.
I think that the French are not as outwardly warm and friendly as the Spaniards and Italians; at least I didn’t feel as comfortable or at ease as I did in other ports of call. I took French for several years in school, but was too intimidated to try using it – so when we found a place to sit, I used the “point at the menu” method to order my wine, which was delicious. With my tongue relaxed by the drink, I think I might have managed a "merci" as we left.
Had I done a bit more pre-trip research I would have known that it is also the site of an archeological excavation of ruins going back to 6000 BC. and I would have been tempted to try to visit the site as well as the Old Port and Basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde.
But had I gone that route, I would have missed a wonderful visit to Aix-en-Provence, the birthplace of Paul Cezanne and home to an Old Town full of buildings dating back as far as the 1400’s. At different times Aix was inhabited by the Romans, the Visigoths, several Germanic tribes, the Arabians and the Spaniards before becoming “French” in the late 1400s, so the city reflects many different architectural influences – and that was the focus of our walking tour.
Now it is a college town, and a rather expensive one I believe. We walked the Cours Mirabeau, which is the place to see and be seen and checked out a few sidewalk cafes – I found the prices quite shocking, and it really wasn’t a good day for “people watching” as the area was packed with tourists.
I think that the French are not as outwardly warm and friendly as the Spaniards and Italians; at least I didn’t feel as comfortable or at ease as I did in other ports of call. I took French for several years in school, but was too intimidated to try using it – so when we found a place to sit, I used the “point at the menu” method to order my wine, which was delicious. With my tongue relaxed by the drink, I think I might have managed a "merci" as we left.
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| Marseille - Aix En Provence |
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