When we were last in Marseille, we experienced "Le Mistral". I'd always imagined that the Mistral was a gentle wind, soft and romantic. Instead we learned first hand it's more like the Santa Ana Winds gone mad. In particular, on our visit 11 years ago, we made our way up to the top of the hill overlooking the harbor to Notre Dame de la Gard - a beautiful church with Byzantine elements dedicated to seafarers and the maritime culture of Marseille. Only the winds were howling and it was all we could do to keep from being blown off the hill into the streets below. We had to hang on to the columns outside in order to keep our feet under us. Also we hadn't realized how early the church closed so we kind of got the bum's rush out of there (they literally closed the gates right behind us). We remembered it fondly though and wanted to pay a more leisurely visit without fearing for life and limb.
You can look up and see the church from almost anywhere near the harbor and from the grounds of the church, there are stunning views of the whole Baie de Marseille.
The inside is decorated in a maritime theme with small ships incorporated into the walls and other ship replicas hanging from the ceiling. I had remembered it as a simpler interior, but actually it's quite ornate.
Once we'd finished wandering the church and grounds, we made our way to the Vieux Port harbor where we boarded Le Petit Train de Marseille - a kind of Disney-esque tram with a fantasy engine - for a tour around the Panier district , the oldest part of Marseille dating back to a Greek settlement in 600 BC. There are also still some remnants of Roman walls. Now it's known for its winding streets, art scene, and of course shops and restaurants. Though the "train" is sort of hoakey, it is well suited to the narrow, twisty streets of the old town so it's a practical choice.
In one courtyard we came upon a shop dedicated to Petanque - a game that's a cousin of Bocce where players toss their metal balls trying to get as close as possible to the small "jack" ball in the center, while knocking other players' balls out of proximity. This shop had all things Petanque, including an indoor court - not clear whether it's for demonstration or actual play.
The neighborhood struck me as kind of a cross between Berkeley and Old France - a lot of street art, flowers, and wildly disorganized, colorful stuff along the sidewalks and in doorways.
There's definitely a story here, but who knows what?
As we left the Panier, we drove past the "Cathedral de la Major", a huge church which they claim is the largest in Europe.
We didn't have time to go inside, but the outside is indeed impressive - and so large you would probably need a drone to get a good shot of the whole thing. [So I cribbed a photo from the brochure].
After our exploring, we were ready for dinner on the waterfront. "Mocktails" have become a big thing in France as well as in NYC. Linda had a "virgin Planter's Punch" I decided to indulge though and had a Ricard - anise flavored liquer that you pour into a glass of cold water, making it cool, milky, and very refreshing. A traditional aperitif in the South of France and in this case, followed by a long-anticipated plate of grilled sardines, another local tradition
