luxemblog: Marseille

We took a drive down to the Cote d'Azur a couple of weeks ago in order to get just a little bit of sunshine. Our first stop was Marseille, a 6.5 hour drive south-southeast of Luxembourg. Nils and Alejandro met us there. We had been wanting to visit Marseille for a while. It's the 2nd biggest city in France, has beautiful terrain and architecture, and has a really strong North African flavor to the culture. We were curious about the city and were excited to visit. Whenever we told people of our plans they always said "Marseille??? Watch your wallet! Keep your windows up at stoplights or you'll get car-jacked. Why would you want to go to Marseille???"

Well, Marseille is a really cool city. We felt completely safe, it's beautiful, and the people are so so nice.

I highly recommend visiting if you are in the area.

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Any good road trip starts out with a GPS and a good snack.

Dave catching a beer at a really great cafe/bar on the port.

Even though it was kinda rainy, it was nice to be in warmer air,

and on the SEA!!!

Me and the port.

Marseille is famous for soap. Here are some fancy brands. All smelled so deliscious. I have a thing for nice-smelling soaps and candles. I got a grapefruit one and cherry blossom one.

More of the city architecture.

Alejandro enjoying some local wine and local cuisine.

Both were fantastic.

Dave outside the "House of Pastis". Reminded us of the "Beer Cave"

at Byrne Dairy in Skaneateles, NY!

Some more Marseille architecture, near the restaurant where we ate that night.

Some olive trees in giant pots.

Nils buying some ceramic figurines that Marseille is famous for.

A quaint little outdoor cafe, closed.

Not sure what this stand was selling earlier that day.

Marseille by night.

Nils having fun with shadows,

and we were having fun with Nils.

Marseille is a very old city. It's the oldest city in France.

... and some MORE colorful Marseilles architecture

Some colorful fish in the market

"Eyes of St Lucie".

From wikipedia:

Saint Lucy, also known as Saint Lucia (283 – 304), was a wealthy young Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint by Roman Catholic,Anglican, Lutheran, and Orthodox Christians. Her feast day in the West is 13 December, by the unreformed Julian calendar the longest night of the year; with a name derived from lux, lucis "light", she is the patron saint of those who are blind. Saint Lucy is one of the very few saints celebrated by members of the Lutheran Church among the Scandinavian peoples, who take part in Saint Lucy's Day celebrations that retain many elements of Germanic paganism...She consecrated her virginity to God,^[2] refused to marry a pagan, and had her dowry distributed to the poor. Her would-be husband denounced her as a Christian to the governor of Syracuse, Sicily. Miraculously unable to move her or burn her, the guards took out her eyes with a fork.

The oldest record of her story comes from the fifth-century accounts of saints' lives. ... In medieval accounts, Saint Lucy's eyes are gouged out prior to her execution. In art, her eyes sometimes appear on a tray that she is holding.

Up close they were hard, smooth little flat shells. Probably from some sort of snail. People had them made into necklaces, etc. I kinda wish I had bought a couple.

This old guy was selling sea horses...

...and this little girl was buying. I love the expression on the face of the man next to the old man.

He looks overly skeptical and serious.

More fisherman...

Big squid...

Nils holding up the Virgin Mary and Jesus at Notre Dame de la Garde.

Thanks, Nils.

View of the city and bay, and the island closest to the coast is where the story of the Count of Montechristo took place.

The interior of Notre Dame de la Garde.

Some more help from Wikipedia:

Notre-Dame de la Garde is a basilica located in Marseille, France. This ornate Neo-Byzantine church is situated at the highest natural point in Marseille, a 162 m (532 ft) limestone outcrop on the south side of the Old Port. As well as being a major local landmark, it is the site of a popular annual pilgrimage every Assumption Day (August 15). Local inhabitants commonly refer to it as la bonne mère ("the good mother").^[1]

Commissioned by Saint Charles Eugene de Mazenod, then bishop of Marseille, and designed by the architect Jacques Henri Esperandieu(1829-1874), the church was built between 1853, when the foundation stone was laid on September 11, and 1864.^[2] "The basilica was built in the 19th century in the same style as the Cathedral of Sainte Marie Majeure on the opposite side of the port."^[1] The church was built on the site of a 13th century chapel, also dedicated to Our Lady of the Watch, the traditional guardian of seafarers.^[2] It shared space atop the hill with a 16th-century fortification established for Francois I, built in 1525, whose own salamander badge is to be found within the present basilica's north porch.^[2]

The basilica is surmounted by a 60 m (197 ft) belfry topped with a huge statue of the Virgin and Child, visible across much of the city and for miles out at sea. Construction of the basilica took five years and required 170,000 tons of material, including 23 shiploads of marble and porphyry from Italy. The interior is decorated with inlaid marble, mosaics and murals. Many of the walls are covered with hundreds of ex-votos, including paintings, plaques, model boats, war medals and even football shirts given by players and supporters of Olympique de Marseille, the local football team.