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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2013 23:40:23 GMT
I could organise my photos of Marseille or I could just post them as I experienced them, which is what I usually do, not just because I am lazy but also because I think it's interesting to show how one experienced a city, particularly if one goes back to the same place more than once or ends up obsessed with certain views. So I will do as I usually do, and it will become clear soon enough what kept catching my eye and things to which I kept returning in the city. I expected to arrive in Marseille in mid-afternoon, but that is not what happened, because I tend to get sidetracked when I am on the road. This day's sidetrack was Aigues-Mortes (just about anybody reading this has already seen that report), and then there was a traffic jam, and then my memory of where I knew the hotel to be turned out to be defective. So I stashed the car in an underground lot, hopefully not too far from where I needed to be, and went looking for the hotel on foot. It was precisely 6 p.m., which sent me into a panic, because that is when non secured reservations are cancelled. Had I secured mine? I no longer had any idea, so I phoned the hotel and they told me yes, I had given my credit card number so I could arrive whenever I wanted. Did I bother to ask for directions to the hotel? Of course not -- I'm a guy. I would find the place myself or else it did not deserve to be found. Well, after boucing around like a pinball for about half an hour, I did find the hotel, which was almost where I remembered it to be, just in the opposite direction. I checked in, and then I retrieved the car to put it in the proper parking lot. I only spent about 20 minutes in my hotel room before running back out. It was about 7 p.m. For some reason, my first photo was of this Haussmann style building. But I was immediately drawn to la bonne mère, Notre Dame de la Garde. This is the symbol of Marseille, for people of any religion. The basilica dominates the city and is a more important sight from the sea than any lighthouse could ever be. It is venerated by all sailors, who pray to the bonne mère during storms, and of course is also venerated by the families who count on her to bring their sailors home.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2013 23:52:48 GMT
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Post by mossie on Jul 14, 2013 7:25:40 GMT
Super. I love the mirror ceiling. Your second visit to it made the people below look like ants, and then later you visit the statue of the woman after the conjuror had made a mistake with his saw, only to find she had ants walking on her ;D
I thought you may have lingered in your room, or had the bonne left?
A very good intro to this fascinating city, thanks very much.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2013 11:00:56 GMT
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Post by bjd on Jul 14, 2013 13:48:59 GMT
Nice! Of course the new museum is pemanent, but are the giraffe, cow, etc at the old port there for a temporary installation because Marseille is a "2013 cultural cuty"?
It's always good to see people out wandering around in the evening, taking advantage of their town/city.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2013 16:00:55 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 14, 2013 16:07:52 GMT
I don't know why I am so surprised to see how modern Marseille is, except that I must have been carrying around some image from the 50s in my head.
It certainly has the look of a port city -- your first pictures of the old port area immediately made me think "Veracruz". But I've never seen so many yachts crammed into one space! Do you suppose that's year-round, or because it's summer?
What is the huge church that appears in several pictures, including the beautiful night ones? I'm assuming that was at the heart of the original city. What is the large, ship-looking building in front of it -- the one clearly shown right above the caption "Here is the MuCEM with its outer shell for shade."?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2013 16:41:43 GMT
The other big church besides Notre Dame de la Garde is the cathedral (Cathédrale de la Major or Cathédrale Sainte Marie Majeure). It was another construction by Napoléon III, who tore down the old 12th century cathedral that used to be there. Apparently he much preferred the Byzantine style. I confess that I have never visited it.
I have not been able to identify the other building. I even checked Google Street View which only has a photo of it under construction.
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Post by bjd on Jul 14, 2013 16:45:48 GMT
Bixa, do you mean the church up on the top of the hill, that Kerouac calls "la bonne mère"? That's Notre Dame de la Garde -- the most famous church in Marseille. A place to watch over sailors, and, although I haven't been to Marseille for years, it used to be full of little ship ex-votos. More information here for you: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_de_la_Garde
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2013 17:22:29 GMT
The dock walkways are lit with blue lights in case you are wondering. I always try to imagine what a building was before it was a McDonald's. La Criée was the central fish market until 1975. Now it is one of the major national theatres. Marseille soap ( savon de Marseille) is a product with nearly magical qualities if you believe what people say. So there are a lot of shops. My first evening in Marseille was coming to an end. The square where my hotel was located was considerably calmer. At this time of night I had to go upstairs and around the corner to the "main entrance" of the hotel. How would I spend the next day?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2013 19:01:09 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 14, 2013 20:35:22 GMT
The other big church besides Notre Dame de la Garde is the cathedral (Cathédrale de la Major or Cathédrale Sainte Marie Majeure). It was another construction by Napoléon III, who tore down the old 12th century cathedral that used to be there. Apparently he much preferred the Byzantine style. I confess that I have never visited it. I have not been able to identify the other building. I even checked Google Street View which only has a photo of it under construction. Thanks. The cathedral is pretty, but sheesh -- a 12th century one torn down?!! In attempting to find the other, modern building I found out that there are the remains of a 5th century "paleo-Christian" (what does that mean?) church beneath the present cathedral. Also, I posted my previous comments while you were posting, so missed all the marvelous nighttime scenes. Love the moving bikes and the tunnel view through the arcades.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2013 22:01:43 GMT
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Post by mich64 on Jul 15, 2013 1:54:22 GMT
When I came across this thread tonight I sat down my laptop and ventured into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of red wine which I thoroughly enjoyed sipping as I slid down the pages.
We have thought of a holiday here and now I am sure we will at some point. My husband has a cousin in a nearby town who we have longed to visit.
I had an idea of the expanse of the Marina but your photos entice me to experience this.
I recognized Notre Dame de la Garde from movies, I never knew the name though.
Of course, the markets... Can not express enough how much I enjoy these photos.
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Post by bjd on Jul 15, 2013 5:30:35 GMT
Sure, there are problem areas, but looking at your pictures, I really don't understand why Marseille gets such bad press. It looks lively and dynamic. The architectural details of old buildings are wonderful.
Other than the "quartiers nord" where there are drug/violence problems, and where visitors are unlikely to go, Marseille is a part of France that shows that it is alive, unlike the quaint tourist villages and the castles along the Loire.
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Post by bjd on Jul 15, 2013 5:32:24 GMT
When I came across this thread tonight I sat down my laptop and ventured into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of red wine which I thoroughly enjoyed sipping as I slid down the pages. Of course, the markets... Can not express enough how much I enjoy these photos. Mich -- you should have been sipping some pastis
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2013 5:46:02 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2013 5:56:02 GMT
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Post by mossie on Jul 15, 2013 7:25:05 GMT
Yet another of your tours de force, many thanks. I loved the way the child spectators were banished to the walls of nearby buildings, keeps the little so and sos quiet ;D
I had not seen that massive stairway up to the station, I was lucky to be collected and delivered back by car at the side, and never saw the front. I understand now why the station seems so disjointed, had travelled to and from by TGV, which was superb.
Thanks again for this marvellous tour of the city.
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Post by bjd on Jul 15, 2013 10:45:36 GMT
I really like the pictures of the children on the walls! They look like old school class pictures.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2013 13:12:55 GMT
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Post by fgrsk8r1970 on Jul 15, 2013 14:15:56 GMT
What an amazing report K !!!! I don't even know where to start - The inside of "La bonne mere" is spectacular, like nothing I have ever seen. The port photos in the beginning are amazing and the night shots are just as amazing. The art building (towards the end) and view are really cool - the way the buildings created the "big picture" of the people. The first museum looks very interesting especially the shade structure around it. I have never really thought about visiting Marseille but now I have to really put that on my long list because it looks so vibrant and interesting ! Thank you so much for taking the time - again - to share
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Post by tod2 on Jul 15, 2013 17:11:15 GMT
I can only re-iterate fgrsk8r1970's sentiments! What a fabulous, fabulous report! I strained my eyes into the photos of the port as I hoped to recognise something from my past, but oh, it was not to be. We motored through Marseilles in 1980 - zooming along in our first campervan holiday. I remember distinctly retrieving my son's cuddly toy -"Ricki Racoon" - from falling out of the window and staying forever in Marseilles!
Kerouac, did you at any time have, or consider having, the famous fish soup , Bouillabaisse ?
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Post by htmb on Jul 15, 2013 17:25:09 GMT
This is a beautiful report and I am learning many things about Marseille. I never thought it would be somewhere I'd like to visit, but you truly show it as a rich and vibrant city with many different cultural layers. I also like that you have covered so many different areas of the city. Walking through neighborhoods, and using public transportation when necessary, is really the way to get to know a place best, isn't it.
I was surprised to see the modern buildings and sculpture in the harbor area. That was not something I had expected.
I watched a France 24 program the other day with an interview of the artist who placed the photographs on the sides of the buildings, so was wondering if you had seen them.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2013 18:45:05 GMT
I'll try to get back to all of the questions once I've managed to get to the end of the pictures.On my way to my next destination, I got sidetracked by this little ferry boat. There was a sign saying that it made round trips to the outer sea wall and, more important, it was free. So what could I do but immediately jump in the boat? The reason for the free ferry was to go and see an art installation set up there in relation of the European Capital of Culture year, of which Marseille is one of the two capitals (the other capital is Kosice, Slovakia which I suspect will not get quite as many visitors as Marseille) for 2013. If you want to start making plans for next year, the two capitals of culture for 2014 are Riga, Latvia and Umea, Sweden. So far cities have been selected up through 2016 because it takes several years of preparation. Unfortunately, the Port Authority blocked us from moving for half an hour because a big ship was maneuvering in the channel, so we just sat there baking in the sun. For entertainment, we had one of the cliché images of Marseille to admire -- young men diving off the breakwaters and seawalls into the port. If you see just about any movie that takes place in Marseille during the warm season, all the way back to the 1930's, you will always see some scenes of these guys jumping into the water over and over again. They have been doing it for hundreds of years.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2013 19:05:37 GMT
The "art installation" was a series of white platforms facing the city. They were actually not much to look at, but they were meant to be used starting at dusk for people to congregate as night fell to watch the boats and water and twinkling lights. In the heat of the afternoon, they were completely unappealing except for children to climb on.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2013 21:58:28 GMT
And so the time had come to visit this strange new museum of European and Mediterranean cultures. I have to admit that I have never before seen a museum set up the way this one was. It had certain themes -- the invention of agriculture, the invention of religion, the invention of freedom, etc., but rather than having chronological displays, it mixed items from all different eras to illustrate its points. There were artifacts, paintings, audiovisual displays, statues... Frankly, I found it fascinating albeit sometimes unsettling.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2013 11:12:39 GMT
Cultural overload! Time to leave the museum...
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Post by bjd on Jul 16, 2013 11:56:06 GMT
It looks like a really interesting museum. And they haven't made it dark with only exhibits lit up as seems to be the fashion in museology (?) these days.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2013 13:29:45 GMT
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