Marseille and the Old Port

Marseille - Les Isles du Frioul et le Château d'If - views from Notre Dame de la Garde

Marseille is the second largest city in France.  Located on the Mediterranean Sea it has been a port city for centuries. "Massalia" was founded in 600 BC when a visiting Greek sailor fell in love with the Ligurian princess, Gyptis.  Their union helped to create what we now know as Marseille.  So many other cultures and invaders formed the city.  Caesar conquered Marseille in 49BC, in 923 the Saracens pillaged the city, the Aragonese took the city in 1423 and in 1720 the plague killed half of the population.  Today, when you visit you can see remains left by the peoples that helped create this major seaport.

Abbaye Saint Victor -  fortified towers
Virtual tour of the Abbey - Click Here

We started our visit at the Abbaye Saint Victor not far from the old port.  Although we visited the interior, I did not take any pictures because mass was going on. Monastic life was introduced to Marseille by the hermit Jean Cassien in the 5th century.  The church is built on the site ancient tomb where the relics of the martyr Saint Victor were buried. The church has gone through many changes through the centuries.  Parts of the church were built in 1020 and between the 12th and 13th centuries the abbey was built with Roman architecture.  Eventually the structure was fortified and used to defend the port.

 

The entrance to the church

http://lieuxsacres.canalblog.com/archives/2009/06/07/13996320.html

Every year, on February 2nd, there is a procession of the Black Virgin.  Crowds watch as the statue is paraded from the old port back to the church. The archbishop says mass and then visits the local biscuit store where he blesses the famous "navette", boat shaped cookies.

http://blog.francedc.org/navette-recipe/

Navette Oven - Founded in 1781

The oldest bakery in Marseille

I took pictures of what we actually bought.  Almond Macarons!

We left the cookie store with our purchase and continued on our way.  We stopped for lunch in this large square, Cours Honoré d'Estienne d'Orves. 

 I had mussels and Sophia had bbq ribs!

We continued on to the port to see what we could see.  There were lots of boats of all shapes and sizes.  We could see the large Ferris wheel from the distance.  It really is large!

Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles

 At the the far end of the port people take advantage of the shade under the Vieux Port Pavilion. The stainless steel surface of the pavilion reflects the images of people passing by.  It also gives you a strange upside down feeling...

 Église Saint-Ferréol - on the vieux port

My child will tell you that when we visit a city or village, if there is a hill, we will go up it.  This is so true!  In the south of France almost every village has a hill with a church on top.  Marseille has a fine example of a church on top of a hill, Notre Dame de la Garde.  

I had to bribe my child with two things to go to this church way on the top of the hill. The first was dessert!  She picked out a non-French brownie.  The second bribe was a ride on the little "train".  Although super touristy, the little train serves its purpose when you are tired and there are hills.  The train took us to see parts of Marseill that we would never have visited on foot.  We rode on the Corniche, a picturesque street that follows the coast.  We saw the Porte de l'Orient - Eastern Gate, a war memorial for the soldiers that died in north Africa and Indochina. 

 Views of Château d'If from the Corniche

 Views from the Corniche

Views from the Corniche

The little train dropped us off at, Notre Dame de la Garde, the church on the top of the hill. We walked around for about an hour and hopped on a train that took us back to the port. 

In 1214 a small chapel was erected on the top of a rocky hill, la Garde, and was called Notre Dame de la Garde.  Because of its commanding position overlooking the city, the port and the islands, King Francis the 1st decided to build a fortress to protect Marseille on the top of the hill.  The Chapel was not destroyed but rather preserved within the walls of the fortress.  Although the chapel was located on military grounds, the public was allowed to go to the church crossing over a drawbridge.  The church as we see it today was built from 1853-1897, a colorful example  of Neo-Byzantine  architecture.

 Notre Dame de la Garde - Statue of the Virgin Mary is 11.2 meters high and weighs 9,796k

Ex-voto - a painting or other object left as an offering in fulfillment of a vow or in gratitude.

Collins English Dictionary - Compete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition

Views from Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde

Although the church looks enormous, it has an intimate feel inside.  The painting on the walls, the hundreds of ex-votos  and all the model boats hanging from the ceiling tells everyone that this is a sailor's church. For years sailors and their families have been leaving ex-votos at the church. 

We hopped on a train to go back down the hill and have one last stroll around the port.  We took a "ferry" from one side of the port to the other for 50 cents.  It was perfect and we were able to say that we went on a boat!  As usual there is so much more to see in this fabulous city.  We will return with friends this summer and visit the Chateau d'If and discover more beautiful places.

Chagall and Château

http://carrieres-lumieres.com/en/chagall-midsummer-nights-dreams-0

What to do on a rainy afternoon in Provence?  Go to the Carrières de Lumières "Quarries of Light" of course!  Not far from the town of Saint-Remy-de-Provence, tucked into the Alpilles mountain range, you can visit the old Bauxite quarries.  Bauxite, aluminum ore, named after the medieval provencal village perched in the Alpilles, was discovered in 1821 by geologist Pierre Berthier.  The empty quarries are fantastic, they ceilings are high, the walls are smooth and white and the temperature is around 57 degrees year round.  

Bauxite Quarry

The quarries closed in 1935 and since then they have served for many purposes.  Jean Cocteau filmed "The Testament of Orpheus" in the caverns.  In 1977, Joseph Svoboda created an light and sound exposition in the quarries projecting images on the large, smooth walls.  In 2012 the space was renamed Les Carrières de Lumières and it has featured the works of Gaugin, Renoir, Monet, Klimt, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and most recently, Chagall.  

I loved the Chagall exhibit.  When I walked into the cathedral-like spaces of the quarries that were filled with colors and light, it took my breath away.  Music accompanied the artwork and it was fun to hear the different music that was selected to complement the images.   

Separate from the Chagall exhibit, there was also a small cinema tucked away in the quarry to view Jean Cocteau's film.  The film is surreal and it displays different cinematic effects of the time. We sat on the cold stone and watched how he used the quarry as a background to his film.

The rain had stopped by the time we left the quarry so we decided to visit Les Baux de Provence and the medieval castle.  Perched high on the ledge of the Apilles, Les Baux is a beautiful little village that now is mostly a tourist destination.  We parked the car in the lot at the bottom of the village (cars don't fit in medieval villages) and we walked through the touristy shops up to the entrance of the medieval site.  The chateau is located on a plateau and you can peer over the cliffs into the valley below.  With our audio guide we learned about the medieval weapons, water collecting devices and olive oil from the area.  

the village

Views from the plateau

the Château

 Siege Engines

Base of a former windmill

Views of the olive groves.  The olive oil from this area is an AOC product  (controlled designation of origin).  It can only be called Les Baux oil if it is from this area.  It is expensive too!

We walked up into the ruins of the chateau and climbed many narrow, uneven steps to the highest point.  There were different people dressed of the time demonstrating medieval crafts such as sculpting rock, making baskets and pottery.  Sophia wanted to try her hand at the archery stand but we didn't have time.  There was a demonstration of the trébuchet - siege engine, we heard it happening but we missed all the action! Darn, I really wanted to see a working trébuchet launch an object.  

http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/provence-tourism/chateau-baux-provence/#.Vz1nhJF97IU

Although there is evidence of people from the Celtic and Gallo-Roman times, the heyday of Les Baux is from the 9th century until the mid 15th century.   The chateau/fortress was ruled by the powerful lords of Les Baux. During this time, the lords of Les Baux not only protected and enlarged their holdings but they also welcomed poets and troubadours to their fortress upon the hill. They actively participated in the art of the verse and were culturally engaged in a court of love.

Little by little, the family and its holding declined.  The fortress was taken over by the French king and given to his queen.  Later, it was inhabited by Protestants.  Once again it was taken over and eventually its destruction was ordered.  It wasn't until the 1800's that people started talking about Les Baux.  The discovery of bauxite and the creation of a traditional restaurant had people looking at Les Baux again and the historical restorations began.  

Our rainy/sunny day was fantastic.  We had the opportunity to enjoy Chagall's beautiful images and then climb the ruins of the medieval fortress.  On the way out of the village we stopped at one of the tourist stores(trap) that sells only candy.  (I hope my dentist is not reading this) We paid a small fortune for some sweets and enjoyed them on the way home.  A few days ago I found the candy bag in my raincoat.  As we enjoyed the last few pieces of candy we reminisced about our day in Les Baux.

Saint Rémy de Provence - Van Gogh, Nostradamus and Roman ruins

The Starry Night - Van Gogh

Van Gogh spent a year outside of the city of Saint Rémy de Provence.  It was at the Saint-Paul Asylum that Van Gogh painted The Starry Night.  He admitted himself to the asylum where he could enjoy the light of Provence and find the serenity he needed. During his year in the asylum with the nuns and nurses he completed over 200 pieces of art.  The Starry Night is one of his most famous works.  Saint Rémy and its surroundings inspired Van Gogh and the fields and stars still inspire many artists today.

As we walked into the city, we came across this lovely fountain and bust with a plaque dedicated to Nostradamus. When I was a kid, there was a television program that told us about the predictions of Nostradamus.  Thinking about that television show, it kind of reminds me of the Aztec calendar or the Y2K predictions.  I was surprised to see that there was actually a Nostradamus, a real flesh and blood person.  Michel de Nostredam was born in Saint Rémy de Provence in 1503. Nostradamus, as he was later called, became famous for his almanacs and his books of predictions.  People came from long distances to have Nostradamus give an astrological reading and his books became best sellers of the time.  

Saint Rémy was once a walled city.  Although the walls are no longer standing, there are still "portes" or gates at the entrance to some of the streets.  Inside the old city, the streets are narrow and filled with lots of architectural reminders of its past.  The door on the left, originally the Lubières Mansion, is the entrance for "la Masion de l'Amandier" - The Almond Tree House. 

There are many fountains to visit in the city.  My child likes to get her hands and feet wet in almost every fountain!  The fountain on the left is located in la Place Favier. This Lovely

square has restaurants and beautiful shade trees.  The fountain on the right is located in a little square surrounded by shops and cafés. 

The "Hôtel de Ville" or city hall is located on a square in the center of the old town.  Shaded by large Platane trees, this place is home to many restaurants and shops.  

The fountain in the square in unique as well, it has four dolphins squirting water.  

There is a ton of shopping and eating to do in Saint Rémy!  There are art galleries and food shops selling local products. Sophia bought earrings made of recycled plastic in a awesome jewelry store. There are plenty of stores selling cute and useless stuff too.

This store had pedal cars like the one I had when I was a kid.

These "rocks" are made of felted wool. 

Triumphal Arch

The Antiquities or Roman ruins are just a few minutes outside of the old city.   The triumphal arch and the mausoleum are two beautiful Roman monuments from the first century BC.   The arch was constructed to celebrate the fall of Marseille.  The mausoleum was erected to honor Caïus and Lucius César, the grand sons of the emperor Augustus. 

Mausoleum

Unfortunately, it started pouring and we decided against visiting Glanum, the Gallo-Roman ruins.  There is so much to see in Saint-Rémy.  There are so many influences from the past around every corner in the town.  Enough about Saint Rémy, check in next week for the bauxite quarries and the medieval, hilltop fortress of les Baux de Provence.