An exploration of Marseille was on the agenda today, and after an easy bus and tram ride into town we were ready to take in the sights. I must mention that, almost without exception we’ve found the transport systems in Europe to be exceptionally effective. Individual car usage is expensive and inconvenient (mainly because of parking restrictions/costs), and public transport is relatively inexpensive, well managed and well patronized. The ticketing systems that are predominantly time based and are applicable to all of the transport modes (buses, trams, trains) also makes it easier for the commuter.
So, after finding ourselves in the centre of the old town, we explored a bit before taking a small tourist train (very common in many of the towns & cities we’ve visited) that took us around the city, via the Corniche that winds around the bay and up to the top of the hill overlooking the town to visit the basilica, Notre Dame de la Garde. The Basilica was definitely worth the trip, as was the opportunity to have a fantastic view of the city. It’s only from a vantage point such as this that you can get an appreciation of how large the city is.
Tourist trains can be a mixed bag, and this one reminded us of the need for flexibility and patience when traveling. The most entertaining part was joking with a Spaniard who began to sing to pass the time after we were all ordered off the returning train and told to wait for the next one which arrived 20 minutes later and departed without us. We waited, not knowing if the trains had stopped running until after the 2 hour lunch break. One did eventually arrive to take us back to the Old Port, but only after about 20 passengers spent over 40 minutes in the hot sun.
Dinner that night was a combined effort by Laurant, Corinne and Frances, and the trio cooked up a storm. The dinner consisted of BBQ pork cutlets marinated in a herb sauce (Laurant), gratin a ratatouille with a crusty cheese topping (Corinne), and salad (Corinne), followed by bread & butter pudding (Frances). I contributed by staying out of the way.
