June 17: Marseille!

We met early this morning at the bus station to take public transportation from Aix Center to Marseille’s main station. On the steps of the station that overlook the city, we all sang Happy Birthday to Nate Finn. Thanks to his host mom for letting us know about his big day!

France’s second-largest city, Marseille, is a culturally diverse city situated right on the Mediterranean. Its vieux port goes back to Phoenician times, circa 600 BCE. Our first order of business was a lovely walk to the old port to catch the Le Petit Train, which wound through the city’s narrow and steep streets, lined with lovely villas, to the Basilica Notre Dame de la Garde. This impressive church is perched high above the city and offers amazing views of the port, harbor islands (including the famous one with a prison from The Count of Monte Cristo), and surrounding mountains. The basilica was built in 1853 on the foundations of an ancient fort at the highest natural point in Marseille. The church is filled with beautiful Byzantine mosaics.

After our trip down the mountain, students had time on their own to eat a picnic lunch or at one of the many restaurants that line the old port. Afterwards, we headed out in the hot summer sun to visit an amazing exhibit that recreates a 30,000-year-old cave painting found in Cosquer Cave, one of the caves in the Calanque. Truly amazing.

On our way back to the bus station, we stopped at La Cathédrale De La Major and walked through the Panier District. This is one of the oldest sections of Marseille, with windy streets and stairways with many colorful murals throughout. Of course, we had to stop for one last ice cream on our walk back on this hot summer day. 

On Thursday, we have our last excursion as a group—to the medieval city of Avignon.