Jun 3rd - Nice to Marseille

 Travel Day

A late….ish start today due to the train timetable. However, we were still ‘home’ in our new accommodation and checking out Marseille’s port by early afternoon. 

Buzzing, and heaving with people and boats, the port has some nice views but seems to lack the ‘charm’ of most other harbours that we’ve seen so far.  Possibly it’s the amount of touristy restaurants around, or that maybe I was expecting more of the old style fishing boats and industry, or that the whole area is just a little grubby, whatever, it’s just a bit ho-hum! 

Further around the waterside though we came across the very nice Cathédrale de la Major, the only cathedral built in France in the 19th century and the first one for over 200 years.  I just love the style in the use of multi coloured stone and marble used in the construction and decoration of this and other cathedrals (a lot of those in Italy spring to mind)

Our last bit of our wander was around ‘Le Panier’ (The Hamper), our neighbourhood.  Very ‘Grungy’, a bit ‘Fitzroy…ish’, and Marseille’s oldest district, it’s full of ‘up and down’ tiny narrow lanes and alleyways.  We’ll probably have a bit more of a look-around tomorrow. 



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