Marseille

We were very sad to leave Nice, but it was time to head to Marseille. After returning to the same boulangerie for breakfast, we took a short walk on the promenade to enjoy our last morning in Nice. We both agreed that it is definitely somewhere that is high on our list to visit again. 

We stopped back in the hotel  to grab our bags before hopping on the tram to go to the train station. We were hoping to grab sandwiches before getting on the train but the line was long (and moving slowly) so we had to forget that plan and rush to the train. We made it on the train and found seats with seven whole minutes to spare! 

The ride was relaxing and after almost 3 hours, we reached Marseilles. Stepping off the train, it definitely felt like we were back in a city being ushered out of the train and onto the packed streets. After making it a couple blocks from the station, it had calmed down and we began the trek up and down the hills to the hostel. Once we got there, they let us check in and we stashed our bags before heading out to explore. Right around the corner from the hostel, we stumbled upon a small boulangerie meets pizza place (because apparently everywhere in southern France makes pizza). It ended up being very good and cheaper than the prices listed on the menu which is always good. We also decided it would be a good, easy breakfast before the train tomorrow morning (at 7 am!!). 

After lunch, we wandered through Le Panier, a popular neighborhood with cute local shops and vendors. There was a lot of fun graffiti art along the roads, music being played in the squares, and shops that spilled into the sidewalks. It was very cute and we had fun getting ourselves (somewhat) lost looking at different shops. After a bit of wandering, we made our way to the port which instantly brought back the city-like crowds. We were hoping to find a way to get to the Basilica Notre Dame de la Gare which is on a hill overlooking the city, but had given up hope when we realized how far it was and how little time we had. This made us very excited to learn that there was a little train that will take you around the city and up to the Basilica, give you time to walk around and explore, and then catch a different little train back down to the port. We decided it would be a great way to see the city, and it was. The view was a spectacular panorama of the city and we were very glad we made it up. 

When we got back to the port, we wandered along a row of booths selling all sorts of things including soaps, clothing, souvenirs, jewelry, and dried fruit. The lady selling the dried fruit drew us in with the offer of a sample and we ended up buying an a mix of a few fruits to bring on the train tomorrow. You could taste how fresh it was even though it was dried. We continued to wander around the port and the shops until we got hungry. We found a very cute crêperie and each ordered a crepe with salmon, cream cheese, and cheese. It sounded interesting and ended up being delicious. We also ordered a dessert special called l’Exotique which consisted of Mango, Passion Fruit, and Pineapple gelato with pineapple chunks, kiwi slices, abs whipped cream on top. It was very refreshing and helped us cool off before walking back to the hostel. All in all, we had a great (but sweaty) day and really enjoyed Marseille, but we are also glad we aren’t here for longer because there isn’t much more to see. Tomorrow, we are off to Barcelona!