Bonnie Bee and Yond: Marseille

Marseille is France's oldest city. I had an unrealistic expectation, I think. I was thinking "south of France", flowers, beautiful scenery, impressionist painters, etc. In reality, it is a city of over 1 million people.

We chose an excursion designated as "easy" , with less walking. If it had been possible, an excursion to see the countryside would have been preferred.

We were blessed with another beautiful day of sun. The weather has been beautiful but very hot. The sea has been smooth as glass the entire cruise.

We cruised past Chateau d'If on our way into port. It was built as a fortress to guard the port and city in the 16th century but was later turned into a prison. It is one of the settings of the novel The Count of Monte Cristo. It became one of the most notorious and feared prisons in France.

The water is so gorgeous

Our guide and bus driver await

We took a panoramic drive around part of Marseille. She was difficult to understand due to her accent, so I didn't catch the names of many places.

Marseille is guarded by two fortresses.

I spied this old arch squeezed in by two modern buildings.

This is a busy urban environment with lots of traffic on narrow streets.

I saw lots of depictions of various versions of the Green Man. (Or maybe Greek or Roman gods??)

This is a restaurant at Vieux Port (the old port.)

The neo-Byzantine cathedral, Notre Dame de la Garde is built on the highest point of Marseille. It is against the law for anything to be built higher. This picture is taken from the old port.

Many many people gathered at the old Port.

I don't think I have ever seen so many boats in one place. It was crazy how many boaters were on the water. Fishing is a big part of the culture.

I spotted this "rhino" lounging under a tree. The French have a quirky sense of humor in their art.

Sunbathers

This arch was built in 1927 to honor "soldiers of all confessions" who died for France in North Africa.

Sunbathers on a big rock. That can't be comfortable!

The restaurant, La Petite Nice Passedat, has 3 Michelin stars. The reviewers seem displeased with the service though.

The "blue line" is actually a long Mosaic on the curb.

We drove by one of the venues for the Paris Olympics. There was no competition going on today.

After we passed this venue, we turned around and drove back into the city.

This seemed unusual to me, the brick wall built around this boulder.

This is as close as we got to the cathedral

Citadelle de Marseille (fort St. Nicolas) was built in the 1600s on the order of Louis XIV to crush the spirit of independence of Marseille.

The city is known for bouillabaisse, which is a fish stew.

The driver parked the bus near the Vieux Port, which is the cultural heart of the city. We had some free time to walk around.

This is Eglise Saint-Ferreol les Augustins, built in the 16th century. It stands on the site of the Knights Templar commandery. When the Templar community was abolished in the 12th century, the Augustine monks bought the property.

We walked past the few Archeological remains of an earlier time. This is what remains of the old Roman harbor from the 1st century. A reminder that everything built is temporary.