Marseilles: Seduced by a Southern City

During my residential sojourn in France in the winter/spring of 2005 I proposed to a friend of mine who was also residing in the hubbub of Provence (Avignon), a visit to the seaside city of Marseilles, the second largest in the country. We rode express on the luxuriously fast TGV and arrived at the Gare Saint-Charles before breakfast. We emerged from the underground metro wide-eyed at the site of the Vieux Port and serenely walked along its strip adjacent to the water until reaching Fort Saint-Jean. We progressed on the beaten paths of its millions of tourists per annum, from the Quai des Belges to the Notre Dame de la Garde; we indulged in the city's prominent sights, sounds, and tastes.

For my traveling companion, a longtime Dumas fan, trekking the Mediterranean Sea to If Island was a great pleasure. At the Château we summoned the souls of lives lost to brutal incarcerations and engulfed in the mystique of the legend of the Count (slyly retold by the French guide who playfully refused to reveal the truth and at last proclaimed, "It's up to you," with a smile). The wonders of the island and the stunning views are immeasurable and despite the tragedies that occurred on its soil we managed to escape unscathed back to mainland were the hip and interesting Musée de la Mode and the Centre Bourse awaited us. Due to its position on the coast Marseilles offers many natural excursions and hosts various parks, gardens and areas for hiking.

Despite the wonders that its conventional tourist spots propose, Marseilles is a residential city harvesting the dichotomies most world cities posses. Alongside its divine sights in the city center concentrated in the 1^st and 2^nd arrondissements, is also an urban and raw place with a national hip-hop scene and streets as graffiti murals for the extension of the urban man's soul, most prominent at the Cours Julien. It is also multicultural with strong Armenian, Algerian, and African communities that remind anyone standing in front of the Palais Longchamp that you are, in fact, in a European city that, despite its ethereal charms, is inherently an urban mecca with plenty to offer in other areas.

Walking adjacent natives in the outskirts of the city center was an experience, bringing back the memory of the little French girl who wouldn't budge, disallowing my friend to trample on forward on our last day there. Once my friend was able to finally break free, the little girl shouted expletives that had us laughing at the character of the city. The people of Marseilles are fiercely proud of their hometown, a fact that is exuberantly proclaimed within the heart of any native son and best exasperated when mention of its longtime rival, Paris, ensues. But Marseilles has an attitude and character that, although possessing the typical facets of a city, with plethora of colorful businesses to tickle the foreigners' senses, is particularly unique in France. Eat the bouillabaisse and lather up with its famous savon, for Marseilles should easily pull the pin of your compass. It is French in the manner only the South can be and has all the markings of an aller-retour.

Stop by the tourist information center near the Port for a wealth of information, guided tours, and discounts. Online at: http://www.marseille-tourisme.com/