snapshots of my travels |
April showers bring May flowers. And after two days of nothing but rain, we were ready to see the sun again. Luckily, the weather cooperated.
Marseille is located in the Provence region of Southern France, right on the Mediterranean coast. It is most famous because of its location - a strategic trade port in ancient times. Today, it is also famous for handmade soap and excellent cuisine. Breakfast: stop at a nearby bakery and have some bread and coffee. For us, this meant ducking into an unassuming place with the words "boulangerie" and "patisserie" printed on the wall. Trust me, this place was amazing. Le Pain Marseillais had everything from croque monseiurs to chocolate chip bread and pig shaped cakes. The bread was just so fluffy, so soft, and so humbly flavorful. The view wasn't half bad either!
With a full belly, continue down the same road and you'll end up right at the Old Port. Hop on the Ferris wheel to see the lay of the land from the top. It's only three euros, plus there was no line.
Continue walking along the coast until you arrive at MuCEM. This museum has a unique exterior and many temporary exhibitions inside. It's worth a short visit to learn a bit about Mediterranean history and their plans for sustaining the environment.
Next, cross the bridge to arrive at Fort Saint Jean, which was built in 1660 by Louis XIV. Interestingly enough, the fort was not built to defend the city, but in response to a local uprising against the governor.
The flowers inside the fort weren't half bad either!
From here, keep walking the same direction as before until you arrive in Le Panier, the historical district of Marseille. After window shopping, grab a quick lunch at La Panier a Burgers. We just happened to stumble across this place, and it was only later that we Googled it and realized that it was one of the best lunch places in the city. Order the tempura sweet potato fries with your burger. They were to die for!
Next, you can grab the nearest metro and take it back to the Castellane stop. From here, you have an uphill walk to Notre Dame de la Garde, the highest point in the city. The walk was tough, but the view was well worth it. Plus, there were cats!!
While we had planned on arriving to watch the sunset, we ended up getting there early! Fear not. The golden hour is the perfect time to relax. You can also tour the church if it is open, though it is heavily guarded my the French military.
Honestly, this was one of the most beautiful and magical sunsets I've seen in quite some time. It made me feel so free and it reminded me of how wonderful this world truly is.
Before it gets too dark, you must snap back to reality and walk back down the hill toLe Detour for dinner. This restaurant was absolutely amazing, and while the water did not speak any English, he was more than accommodating and attentive to us.
The duck was served with potatoes and mushrooms, all topped off with bechamel cream. I could eat this meal every day for the rest of my life and I'd be okay with that. Plus, the house wine was of the highest quality (and strong). The perfect ending to the perfect day? Going straight back to the hotel and falling asleep.
66 Comments
5/1/2017 11:15:49 pm
I love how contrasting your pictures are! Also - falling asleep in a comfy hotel bed after a day of exploring is one of the best feelings!
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Viviane Feeney
5/3/2017 07:00:11 am
Looks like you had a wonderful time. I love diary blogs; you don't see too many of them anymore!
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5/3/2017 07:56:18 pm
Im pretty sure I'd go anywhere that had good food and beautiful views. Definitely going to add Marseilles to my list 😉
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5/3/2017 09:43:16 pm
You have some gorgeous photos from your trip to Marseille. I bet any day there would be perfect!
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5/3/2017 10:36:19 pm
Such a lovely experience...I like how beautiful experiences make us appreciate life
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5/3/2017 11:04:43 pm
The sunset is beautiful but I bet it was even more beautiful witnessing it and romantic too. I love the sound of the restaurant and it is good that the staff were attentive x
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5/4/2017 02:59:10 am
Your pictures capture the essence of the place so well. I really want to visit Marseille now!
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Ali Rost
5/4/2017 06:13:46 am
What a sweet post. Marseille looks absolutely wonderful. I've never understood how French women never get fat with all of the incredible food. And the sunset .. oh my goodness! Mother Nature sure outdid herself with that one.
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5/4/2017 11:13:02 am
It looks really lovely there I would love to get to visit someday. The food looks amazing and that sunset is stunning - love the colours.
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5/4/2017 03:34:07 pm
Looks like you guys had an amazing time. Absolutely in love with your photos.
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5/4/2017 07:29:58 pm
Great pictures! It looks absolutely stunning there. We recently moved to Sicily and will be traveling Europe for the first time. I will definitely refer back to your blog, especially for the sake of trying that bread lol!
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5/4/2017 08:57:08 pm
Such a lovely place! That bakery looks so cute with all its pastries! Great pictures by the way! I love finding places to eat that are highly recommended! My husband and I wish to travel the world and try food from all over!
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5/5/2017 06:14:44 am
The sunset looks amazing. And the duck looks almost unreal it's so delicious looking. Looks like you had such an amazing time. That's awesome.
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5/5/2017 09:31:45 am
That duck looks delicious, also the pastries look divine.
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5/5/2017 03:00:35 pm
Marsille looks absolutely stunning and a place that I would love to visit and spend the perfect day.
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Zoe Jackson
5/6/2017 03:25:32 pm
Wow your adventure was captured so well I was excited to keep reading. Your photographs are beautiful too!
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5/6/2017 04:47:26 pm
I've never been to Marseille and from what I see from your photos, it looks fantastic.Especially during the blooming season!! xx
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5/6/2017 05:17:03 pm
Such beautiful photography!! I automatically experienced wanderlust and a need to travel after reading your blog post. Seems like such a beautiful city. Great Content xx
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5/6/2017 10:15:59 pm
Love the post. All the food looks really tasty as well.
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5/6/2017 11:54:27 pm
Wow your photos are stunning and the place sounds absolutely amazing! I would love the chance to go some day because it sounds like such a nice place to go!
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Haytham Bhalo
5/7/2017 01:55:31 am
Wow beautiful photographs! I like how you've written the post, made me feel like I was going round Marseilles.
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5/7/2017 10:19:01 pm
Love the little cakes! Stunning set of photos, it looks like a perfect day for you
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5/8/2017 12:45:05 am
your photos are very beautiful. would love to visit there, sounds really nice and interesting
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lola
5/8/2017 10:07:12 am
Beautiful photos! I would have been up on that Ferris Wheel and the view was well worth the walk! I need to tick Marseilles off my bucket list! x
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5/9/2017 01:02:37 pm
This place looks amazing and stunning and the food look just amazing too
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5/22/2017 09:18:06 am
These pics are really amazing and beautiful, you must have had a really wonderful time :)
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5/24/2017 08:24:26 am
love this!! great images and inspiration.
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ABOUT MEHi, I'm Cassidy and this is my travel journal, aimed to inspire you to go and see our beautiful world! Featured Post: |