An areal view of some of the islands along the Mediteranean coastline.
A few photos of Marseille's old port.
A lovely old building along the port.
One of the streets of "Le Panier", the oldest section of Marseille.
A small produce store
A colorful balcony
As promised, my camera has been a constant companion on this vacation to Europe. After a lovely afternoon and evening in Düsseldorf, my husband and I flew to Marseille, France, early this morning. Though there are an average of 300 days of sunshine in the city, heavy fog and a cold wind greeted us when we arrived at our hotel in the old part of Marseille. Luckily for us, it turned sunny in the afternoon.
Marseille is the oldest city in France. It was founded about 600 A.D. With about 860,000 inhabitants, it is also the second biggest city in the country and has the largest port.
I have been in Marseille just once, ages ago when I was a child, but I always wanted to return to get to know the place better. The city has a bit of a bad reputation because of crime and gang activity, but it is really quite lovely and should not be missed.
As spectacular as the old port is, the Mediteranean coast in front of Marseille is simply amazing. My husband and I decided to take a boat trip to the Calanques, a twenty-mile long stretch of majestic coastline between Marseille and Cassis. Calanque is a provençal word meaning 'cove'. Charming old fishing villages are nestled amidst some of these coves. Since access by car is very limited, the best way to access them is by boat. It is well worth spending some extra time to explore them.
Below are a few of the best photos I took.
Below are a few of the best photos I took.
Tomorrow, we head to Nîmes. Stay tuned.
