Review of holidaying in Marseille.
France's second-largest city, Marseille, is the sort of place that catches you off guard. You come hoping to find beautiful seaside postcards, well-kept café patios, and a hint of lavender in the air. What you really receive is a city that is alive, somewhat disorganised, and blatantly itself. I say unapologetically, because if you are expecting a polite, primmed-up Parisian experience, Marseille will politely ignore you. Actually, it's better that way.For someone discovering Marseille without instantly becoming disoriented, the Old Port is a logical place to start. While seagulls make a professional commotion above, boats flutter leisurely in the harbour. Walking around the quay, you can see fishermen unload their catch, which is then eagerly sold to visitors for prices that make you wonder if you should have become a vegetarian. It's ironic that the fish looks fresher than anything in your neighbourhood grocery but costs the same as a tiny mortgage back home. Nevertheless, it’s still worthwhile. Practically, treatment is considering your life decisions as you see the city buzz around you.
Though Vieux-Port is about more than just fish. For a café pause—a habit that appears to be taken seriously here—this is the ideal spot. Sit down, have a coffee, and try to fit in with the locals, who seem to be fashionable even when they're waving their arms around and yelling over the general noise. I made an effort. I didn't succeed. But seeing others effortlessly succeed turned into my small self-inflicted entertainment of the day.
The Panier neighbourhood is like Marseille's effort to seduce you into believing it is a charming little Mediterranean village. It is just a brief ascent away. Narrow streets, bright homes, and street art that looks both unplanned and painstakingly crafted at once abound. Should you love selfies, this is your playground. If you enjoy delicate irony, you'll find the neighbourhood cafes with handmade pastries near graffiti that would make a Parisian gallery blush appealing. Half an hour was spent attempting to seem culturally sophisticated while secretly yearning for a real map.
There is also, naturally, the sea. Dramatic limestone inlets called Calanques protrude into outrageously blue waters. Hiking there makes you question your life decisions, your fitness, and your reasoning for thinking flip-flops were appropriate footwear. But when you get to the viewpoint, you understand it was worth every moan and drop of perspiration. Ironically, standing at the top, feeling triumphant, you could simply notice someone arriving by boat, sipping a cocktail, totally avoiding your brutal hike. Life in Marseille style.
By the end of the trip, you'll have sand in your shoes, sunscreen in regions you didn't even know existed, and a book of stories that make your pals somewhat envious and a bit concerned for your sanity. Marseille has not been cleaned. It does not go above and beyond. That's precisely why it succeeds. Move on if your notion of a vacation is perfect in a pamphlet. Marseille welcomes you with open arms if you want a city with character, disorder, and a lot of self-reflective sarcasm. Keep a lookout for the seagulls.
