A Day in Marseille

Judy.  From the time I first went to Europe, back in the ‘70’s, I’ve been told to avoid Marseille:  port city, Corsican Mafia, drugs, prostitutes, kidnappings. Actually, that reputation is centuries old. In the sixteenth century, the Chamber of Commerce demanded a section of the city be demolished because of the gambling and prostitution. I guess it’s a reputation well deserved.

But in 2013, it was a European Culture Capital, like Pecs, Hungary, and Plovdiv, Bulgaria, so the city was scrubbed clean, and since then, tourism has gone from 1.5 million people per year to 5+ million. I guess it worked. Friends of ours who also love to travel told us that they really liked the city, and even Rick Steves gave it a hearty thumbs up, so we decided to give it a go, and are so very glad we did.  

At the "Old Port"

From Aix, Marseille is about a 40-minute bus ride (at 1.5 euros each, thanks to being old folks), and the old port is about a 15-minute walk from the bus/train station. At the port, we met up with a Free Walking Tour in English. (We LOVE these things!)  There were about twenty-five in our group, from all over the world, but all spoke English. Our guide, Ezekiel, is originally from Argentina, but has lived in Marseille long enough to know a lot about it.

Ezekiel says the story of Marseille is of construction and deconstruction, so not a lot of the oldest part is left, just enough for you to get a sense of it. Actually, it claims to be the oldest city in France, settled by the Greeks for use as a port. He walked us to the ruins of the ancient Greek port, located on the grounds of the Marseille Museum of History, about a quarter mile from the present port. It’s now a lush park, part of the museum, and surrounded by a hideous shopping center that was being built when it was discovered. Reasonable compromise, I suppose.  

Greek Port

From its gate, we walked down the oldest street in France to see an eclectic series of buildings.  There’s a street designed by Haussmann, a city commissioner who designed much of Paris. It was built to draw the elite back to the city center, since Marseille for centuries has housed the working and poor downtown and the rich in the suburbs. It didn’t work, but it’s a pretty street.

 

Ezekiel at the "Paris Street"

There is an old neighborhood that was destroyed by the Nazis because the French Resistance hid out in the brothels and bars. Less than ten buildings were left, and those because of their historical significance. One, several stories high, was actually sawed off at the bottom, moved, and turned 90 degrees to accommodate the street being widened.  A huge convent-hospital (now an ultra-expensive hotel) and the customs house were among the others saved.

 

Building moved to widen street

Le Panier

We walked through Le Panier, one of the old dangerous neighborhoods, which was preserved and renovated to house the “Bobos”—Bourgeois Bohemians (typically young people that like to live well in slummy areas). There is still graffiti, along with murals and sleek touristy shops. We passed a former convent that housed reformed prostitutes: Convent du Refuge, once located on Rue des Dèshonneurs (Dishonor Street), which the Bobos petitioned to have changed to Rue des Honneurs.  I guess they didn’t want to live on Dishonor Street…

Near the expanded harbor, is a massive Cathedral, which Ezekiel told us was built because the original 1000-year-old church looked too small for such a large harbor. (Deconstruction and construction, remember?)

New Cathedral

Fishermen's church

Past the Cathedral is the magnificent new art museum, connected to Fort Saint-Jean in one of the oldest parts of the city via a sleek bridge. We ended the tour there, across from an old church, which was a parish for the fishermen.

Bridge from museum to Fort

A note here: everyone on the tour spoke English, no matter where they were from. There were two young women from the US, the only US citizens besides us. They were loud, disruptive, and constantly dropping the f-bomb. Believe me, every one of the quiet, respectful tourists knew where they were from and what they were saying. It was humiliating. If you happen to be a loud, cursing North American (and I’ve been it), please realize what you look and sound like in other countries. As it is, folks are wondering about us.

We wanted to try the bouillabaisse, but were warned from numerous sources that the only decent bouillabaisse was fifty euros per serving, so we opted for an outdoor café in Le Panier with a view of Notre Dame de la Garde, a basilica high above the city. Mussels and fish were a reasonable substitute.

 

Lovely place for lunch

After lunch we caught the number 60 bus up the hill to Notre Dame, which is perched atop an old fort at the top of the hill. Built in the nineteenth century by Napoleon III, it is a wonder of gold and mosaics, with a commanding view of the city and the ocean, including Île d’If, for Count of Monte Cristo fans.

View of Marseille

Notre Dame de la Garde

By this time, we were bushed and decided to head back home. There’s so much we DIDN’T see—the Picasso exhibit, a boat ride to the islands, the history museum—the list goes on. As always, we save something for next time. But you? You should go.