First of all it was going to be an overnight trip, and it would be the trip where I would speak nothing but French. Not that I haven't been doing that in the last few weeks in France and not that I have traveled to other foreign countries. But to go to a city I wasn't familiar with anyone and talking in a foreign language was going to be a challenge because I always depended on speaking English. To not have that privilege was going to be a bit difficult.
First of all, Southern France (in fact, all of Europe) was in a canicule aka heat wave and temperatures were in the 100F but French people don't tend to have air conditioning, even in sunny south where temperature reach quite high. First thing's first, I need my beer!
Luckily the Airbnb I stayed in (and yes I stayed with a French family) had a fan in the room but even then it was scorching hot. Second of all, I was feeling really insecure the first time. I think I was at the point where I was getting a bit burned out and yearned to speak English. Which I am glad I got to meet up with a friend and fellow ex-working group mate from the UN graduate studies program. She happened to be staying at a friends place in Marseilles and working on her thesis so I convinced her to take a study break and have a drink with me. Marseille is definitely vibrant and full of life. I loved the live jazz music at the bar and all the locals chatting away with pastis in hand.
And overall, I love Marseille. Maybe because it's by the sea and it reminds me of home. Despite being the second largest city in France, it's largely been undermined by the French and other tourists. I especially loved the Panier which looks a bit like Old Town of any other Southern city but there's lots of bohemian type of stores and restaurants and street art is everywhere. I highly recommend anyone to take a stroll while you are there.
I also really loved the Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde which is also undoubtedly the symbol of the city. If you go inside the Cathedral you can see that many of the fishermen bring in replicas of fishboats to be blessed and it really reminds me of the Shinto Shrines in Japan. They too stand high up on hill or mountains and overlook the ocean as a protector. And there are also blessings for fishermen, both for their safety and for good fishing.
Another thing is definitely seafood. Their best known dish is of couse the bouillabase but unfortunately most restaurants mostly take in reservations for more than two people. I instead went into a place which had quite good reviews for seafood and it was absolutely amazing. The service was terrible so hopefully you get better waiters!
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