Pilgramage
France
02 CHAPTER
MARSEILLE
Marseille is a boisterous but cheerful city, where you can wander on the narrow streets of Le Quartier Du Panier for hours and inhale various flavors brought by the wind from the sea. Afterward, you can comfortably settle somewhere in the area of the Old Port, in a restaurant with homemade food, and try the local fish soup – Bouillabaisse, which I didn’t taste because it is quite an expensive treat. Therefore, instead of soup, I had the pleasure of eating a variety of seafood dishes.
After my pilgrimage to Rocamadour (You can read about this journey here), I took a train, and a few hours later, I found myself at the central station of Saint-Charles (Gare de Marseille-Saint-Charles). The train arrived right to the city center, and when I got off the train, I found myself near a monumental staircase that opened up a grandiose panorama of the city with terracotta roofs and hills scattered somewhere in the distance. Right at the foot of these stairs, there was a wide street that headed directly to the city center.
After I spent ten minutes in the city, there was a strong urge to hold my bag tighter. I began to look around nervously and sped up the pace. There were some sketchy looking characters everywhere I glanced. Instead of pretty Marseille houses, there were numerous graffiti murals painted all over the place. I found myself in the very center of the Ethnic Ghetto. Such ghettos appeared in Marseille in the early 60s, when the city received more than a Million immigrants from Algeria, and then from other former colonies of France. A considerable number of immigrants brought here their own rules and traditions.
Despite not a very pleasant first impression of the city, I kept on walking. To understand the city’s essence, I decided to rent a room from a local in the most typical Marseille house, with high ceilings, long corridors, and awkward shutters. A pretty woman greeted me upon arrival. It turned out she moved here from Germany more than twenty years ago and fell in love with the city from the very first sight. Right when she moved to Marseille, Tanja met a guy, who became the main reason for her to stay. And so, she stayed up until these days. Tanja told me that it is not that simple to live in Marseille. French who live here hardly ever accept an immigrant into their community; however, there are plenty of pluses as well. The foremost commandment of Marseille and Provence as a whole: to not rush and enjoy the little joys of life.
A relaxed lifestyle is reading everywhere. Locals are taking their time while enjoying a morning coffee in nearby cafes. They don’t even bother looking at the time, as though they have absolutely nowhere to rush at the peak of the workweek. And it doesn’t even matter to them what the weather is like. Whether it is pouring rain or unbearable heat, people still sit down, drink coffee, smoke, and crunch on croissants for hours.
Marseille is an ancient city, but there are also plenty of new architectural creations. For example: “The Giant Mirror” in the Old Port. It does not just reflect the city and its people continually scurrying back and forth, but it also reflects a specific concept. This giant mirror is a symbol of a brief reflection of this world. Besides the allegory, the mirror canopy is also functional, as it shelters people from the sun on a hot day, and bad weather - in the cold season. And of course, such a mirror effect is mesmerizing and makes it possible to enjoy the city in two planes at once!
There is also a “giant iron wisp of bast” - the Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean, located in the port, right at the foot of Fort Saint-Jean. This construction is a real example of modern European architecture. But the essential feature of this place is the summer terrace, which can be reached by walking along the suspension bridge connecting several museum buildings. Or you can stroll along the ramp that smoothly encircles the museum. The ramp starts on the ground floor and ends on the roof. Try walking on the terrace or relax on one of the sun loungers directed to the sea and take pictures with lace shadows.
It is such a pleasure to wander around the ancient streets of Marseille and touch the walls of old forts. Fort Saint-Jean is a classic example of a medieval fortress construction, which is purely saturated with history. During ancient times - it served as the protection of the Old City Port from the enemy, and nowadays, it is a monument of medieval defensive architecture.
From the old, I liked the Notre Dame de la Garde Cathedral. For those who enjoy walking, this will be a good workout since the cathedral is located on a high hill, which you need to climb on foot. This cathedral is one of the main pilgrimage sites of Marseille. And for me - it was another challenge! But the walk was worth it. From the top of the cathedral, you can see the most amazing panoramic views of the Old Port and the entire city. The temple itself is incredibly beautiful! The contrasting combination of light and dark stones gives it a unique charm. The top of the cathedral is decorated with an 11-meter gilded statue of the Virgin Mary with a baby, a kind of "guiding star" for ships and locals. Naval themes dominate everywhere, and under the arch of the temple, there hang a lot of toy ships - copies of real ships made by sailors.
Here, for the first time, I saw how people swim in rocky bays, not at all suffering from the lack of sandy beaches. The bays dotted the entire coastline of Marseille. I decided to walk along the rocky shore that was framing the turquoise sea. With interest, I watched how people were swimming and sunbathing in the most unexpected places. At some point, I followed a group of girls who, skillfully walked in a chain along a rocky ridge, detouring now and then through the narrow streets that suddenly appeared along the coast. If I had not followed them, I probably would’ve never discovered a very cozy, secret cove that only locals could know. I regretted a hundred times that I did not bring a swimsuit with me, as I desperately craved to plunge into the turquoise sea!
I will remember Marseille as a city with charisma, a jolly fellow of the seaport, a humorous dandy, diverse and multifaceted. Here, I was protected by a local guardian angel, who offered me free croissants every morning and smiled with his big smile! Most of all, I enjoyed wandering around the promenade, near the old port, and listen to local conversations, trying to catch the meaning, by recognizing familiar words.
