I love the French’s (or is it all Europeans'?) views on vacation/holidays… every 6 weeks. Apparently some teachers complained because for our zone (France splits their academies into zones so not all of France is on vacay at the same time), there were 8 weeks between Christmas vacation and our winter one. 8 weeks? Too long!
So for part of the second week of our winter vacation (even though it felt more and more like spring time), Yvonne and I met up with Erin (a bit later) in Marseille because we wanted to see a bit of the south of France. We decided to try out couch surfing (one thing to cross off the bucket list) to have a different experience and also to save some money. We had a pretty good first couch surfing experience. We got to speak French with our host and he helped us figure out things to do in Marseille.
In comparison to the past week spent in Barcelona, we didn’t too much in Marseille, mostly wandering (which I actually like doing—just walking around the city, turning down random streets). Our host recommended two things that we should do during our stay.
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| Notre Dame de la Garde |
Our first full day, we headed up to Notre Dame de la Garde, a church on top of a hill (Based on the name, I’m assuming it was used to help keep watch). It involved a bit of a hike up some hilly streets and plenty of stairs. It was a sunny and warm day, but le vent violent (violent wind) made it really chilly. The view of Marseille was wonderful—we could see the city, the Vieux Port, and the sea!
After our obligatory photoshoot with the view, we headed downhill to flâner (wander about/stroll) around the Vieux Port and around the rest of the city—took pictures of the Cathedral, visited the Plus belle la vie area, which has the bar that the one in the show is modeled after, and just continued to wander around the small streets. I like walking away from the main roads and most of the tourists. It was also interesting to see all sorts of graffiti that Marseille has all over the place.
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| We're watching you. |
Our last full day in Marseille wasn’t too eventful either. For lunch, Erin and I decided to try a steak tartare. Just by looking at the name, you would think it’s some sort of tart… nope. It’s raw meat. Basically, it’s a ball of raw ground beef with onions and spices. It was definitely… interesting. I mean you’re eating raw beef. I couldn’t actually finish my portion because it just ended up being too much raw meat to eat. Thank goodness for the side of frites.
After lunch, we took buses away from the city to visit the calanques (cove) and take a little hike. The view of the sea is incredible from the calanques and it’s just so peaceful. We were even there when the sun started to set. I just felt so at peace there, the wind not as violent as the day before, watching the sun go down. Sitting up there made me realize that I love being by the water. I love going to the beach, any views of the ocean or water, but I’m not a water person. I don’t think I could ever dive into an ocean from a cliff because 1. I’m afraid of heights and 2. I can barely swim. I mean, sure I know basics, but if I’m in water, I prefer not to be in too deep.
To finish off my stay in the south of France, I had bouillabaisse (a traditional Provençal fish stew, originating in Marseille) for dinner. I mean, I was in the south, so of course I had to eat seafood since I didn’t get my mussels at lunch!
Overall, I had a good time during my vacation and can see why everybody likes southern Europe and not the cloudy, dreary north. When our plane landed in Lille, there were snow piles because it had snowed a couple of days before we got back. Even though I want to visit Prague and Milan (the other cities I was debating between) one day in the future, I’m glad that I chose Barcelona and Marseille, not just for the warmth and sun, but also for the awesome experiences and memories.
Gros bisous x
N
