A much nicer view of Marseilles
After returning from Paris I was invited to accompany the tour of Marseilles with Christine and the gang. Even though we had such a rough experience on our first trip to Marseilles, I jumped at the opportunity to see the city via the tour and especially without the need to do the driving myself. The tour bus was scheduled to leave at 9:15 am from the rotund so Christine and I rode our bikes into town with just enough time to lock them up in the office and walk down to the meeting point.
The bus ride to Marseilles took about 35 minutes and was augmented with commentary from our tour guide. This time we arrived at the old port of Marseilles. A charming rectangular shaped port with several pleasure boats and even a small ferry that takes passengers from one side to the other (saving you about a 15 minute walk.) We stopped briefly to get out, stretch our legs and take some photos before getting back on the bus to continue the tour. We drove east along the coast (see photo above) and saw several interesting sites before heading up the hill towards the NOTRE-DAM-DE-LA-GARDE (a beautiful church overlooking all of marseilles.) Here we stopped the bus and took a 45 minute self-guided tour of the church and several photos of the city, port, and Mediterranean below. The next exciting bit of the tour involved getting all of us and the bus from the top of the hill safely back down to the city center. Those of us in the front of the bus were quite thankful the bus driver had done this tour before and that such a large bus could maneuver the hair pin turns as nimbly as it did. The rest of the driving portion of the tour consisted of other tourist attractions and notable architectural landmarks. One of which was the palais Longchamps.
Palais Longchamps: "A masterly example of Second Empire architecture, it was designed by Espérandieu. Joined together by a colonade the 2 wings of the Palace house the Natural History and Fine Arts Museums."
The facade, as I understand it, was built to commemorate the arrival of the Durance canal water in Marseille, and to function as a water tower. The construction started in 1839 and was completed in 1859. There is a scenic park and several paths surrounding the site.
I suppose we were all ready to get off the bus again, as we all voted to stop and admire the architecture and several water features that make up the Palais Longchamps.
The remainder of the day was left to the individuals and we were all dropped off with clear instruction when and where to meet the bus if we would like a ride back to Aix-en-Provence. Everyone splinter off in groups to go explore the crowded down-town and commercial districts. Christine, myself and a small group went in search of food as we were told that there was good couscous to be found (along with several other local delicacies,) but having not found the ‘authentic’ couscous we were looking for, ended up in a restaurant on the east side of the port with a pleasant view of the local street scene. Afterwards we strolled around town taking our time to explore, including the remains of a viking ship that was un-earthed during building. I have photos of the hip in the photo gallery if you would like to see it, however, keep in mind it was dark and the light was blue to protect the wood.
At the predetermined time we all (or most of us) loaded back on the bus for the return trip back to Aix. I am happy to report that there was no incident with any un-named drivers or misguided romps through the neighborhoods where un-named drivers like to spread their influence. I think we all had a good trip, and my opinions about Marseilles were heightened as a result.
The ride back to Aix-en-Provence
So I will do my best to catch you all up to speed on my adventures in France and in French. Until next time, I hope you all are well and happy……..