On Monday, we visited Marseille!
We met at the high school to take the public bus to the city. There, we hopped on the metro to the Vieux Port in order to catch our boat to the Château d’If. On the island we got to see the fort, later transformed to a prison that housed many notable people and fictional characters including Edmond Dantes better known as the Count of Monte Cristo.
Our knowledgeable tour guide told the dramatic story of revenge that began there. Most of us climbed to the highest point in order to get the best view of the city from the archipelago.
After the boat ride back we had a little picnic just behind the Hôtel de Ville or city hall. We even had just enough time to stop for ice cream! Next we headed to the Petit Train or Little Train but not before a little bit of drama. As we were waiting for the Petit Train to leave we witnessed a pickpocketing right in front of the ticket stand! A thief stole a wallet right out of another tourist’s back pocket. We had been warned that the city was more known for this kind of thing but we didn’t expect to see it happen. From then on we were especially aware of our belongings.
The Petit Train took a long, windy tour, past the ocean, through the beautiful architecture and let us off at Notre Dame de la Garde. This Cathédrale is the highest point in the city, from which you can see many beautiful monuments and boulevards. Our parent chaperones pointed out the Château d’If, where we had just visited, the Vélodrome, the second largest capacity soccer stadium in France, and the boulevard Canebière. After snapping many photos of the gorgeous views we made our way back down on the Petit Train again. With just a little time to spare we had a moment to pick up some souvenirs from the city and hop back on the public transportation home. A long beautiful day well-spent under the sun, by the sea!