Wednesday 5/15/19 – I needed another big city fix, so today I hopped on a train and did a day trip to Marseille. I went off script on this one since Rick Steves doesn’t include it in his France travel guide for some reason but I had heard from a couple on my tour yesterday how much they liked it. So I picked up a map at the Tourist Office and went for it… and so glad I did. It is a beautiful city! But first a little bit of history.
Marseille is the oldest city in France, founded 2,600 years ago. It’s France’s second largest city (after Paris) with a population of 855,000. It is the Mediterranean’s fifth largest cruise ship port (thank goodness none were in port today!). And when Paris hosts the Olympic Games in 2024, Marseille will be the venue for its sailing events.
The first picture is looking out over the city when you leave the train station. High above the city is the Notre Dame Basilica. You’ll see it in several pictures since it seems to always be in the background. The city has many beautiful churches along with some cool little side streets and alleyways. The last set of pictures with lots of water in the background were all taken from the hill top where Notre Dame sits. The views from up there were breathtaking.
The last picture however is of the stairs leading up to the train station that I had to walk up after an exhausting day of sight seeing! But it was worth it. I loved Marseille and will have to lobby my good buddy Rick Steves to add it to his guide book! Happy Hump Day! Enjoy!
Jeff
The Wandering Italian 