Sigh … another gloriously sunny, warm day on the Med.  We woke up in the commercial port of Marseille, about 7 kms from the city, requiring some sort of transport. Walking was not an option – the port is massive and very industrial.  Refusing to pay $25 each for the ship-provided bus, we hunted down the city-provided free shuttle, which supposedly runs every 20 minutes, but in reality its more like every 30-45. C’est la vie.

Dropped off in town, we made our way to the Old Port, which is the main attraction. We passed Fort St Jean and the new MUCEM museum, then walked along the western edge of the port, which is horseshoe shaped.  It was packed with yachts. We could see the Notre Dame Cathedral perched high above the city, and the hop on hop off buses and tourist trains were filling up fast.  Our destination was the ticket booth for the Calanques cruise boats, which was how I’d decided to spend my morning.

One day in France

Harbour views

The old port

Fort St Jean

Notre Dame

The Calanques are a series of limestone cliffs and coves, hugging the coastline east and west of Marseille. They are popular for swimming but difficult to get to by road.  A 2 hour cruise on a small boat seemed like a relaxing way to see the scenery. Ian opted to leave me to it, and go for his own exploration around town.

We chugged out of the harbour, beyond the breakwater, and past the island where the Chateau d’If stands, known to readers of the Count of Monte Cristo.  The water was dotted with craft of all kinds, from the large red Corsica ferries, to tiny yachts, jet skiers, rowers and paddle boarders.

Chateau d’If

After following a line of dramatic limestone formations for a while, we slowed down and pulled into two inlets.  At the head of each one was a small swimming beach, where the water was that stunning turquoise that the Med is famous for. It was beautiful. I took way too many photos.

We returned the same way.  Back on land, I rendez-vou’d with Ian, who had found a gluten free patisserie. Feeling duty bound to research the local fare, he had enjoyed not one, but two cakes. He had also discovered some sights to show me as we wandered back towards the shuttle bus stop.  First of all we looked at an archaeological dig where some original foundations of Marseille lay.  Then we walked through the Panier, or old town, and saw the oldest building in Marseille, dating from the 1500s. We also saw some lovely Hausmann buildings, looking very Parisian.

Parisian

The oldest building in Marseille

Le Panier

One of the oldest churches in Marseille

We were up higher than the waterfront, so had a nice vantage point over the water, boats, and the Cathedral beyond.  After a mandatory stop at a patisserie for me (the quiche was amazing, as was the strawberry tart), we found ourselves opposite the Fort, from where we had a good view over the Museum as well. Our final stop on Ian’s tour was the other huge Cathedral – I didn’t manage to find out its name.

Fort and MUCEM

Church whose name I don’t know

I didn’t know what to expect of Marseille, but I liked it instantly. I can’t put my finger on it exactly, but it just seemed to have a nice feel. It is France’s second largest city but had a relaxed air, at least around the very small part that I saw.  Ian said he wandered into (and quickly out of) one of the seedier areas, so I guess you have to pick and choose.

It was a very long wait for the bus back to the ship, and we boarded just before sailaway.  We had a beautiful sunset, and our evening was topped off by winning the Abba music trivia quiz! More coasters.