Marseille, capital of the south

MARSEILLE!! What can I say......honestly I thought it was ugly, but instead it proved to be a beautiful seaside city in the south of France...a big city,.......not the usual small French town kept to perfection, full of tourists and with sky-high prices....but a city that by area is twice the size of Paris and has almost a million inhabitants! Very scenic is the seafront (in particular the Prado area) with cliffs dropping sheer and marvellous panoramas over the skyline of the old city.

The shopping centre (1st arrondissement) is right behind the Vieux Port, with even a pedestrian street that arrives right in front of the Prefecture (an imposing and beautiful building); the shops are more or less the same ones you find in Nice or Paris and the architecture is similar to the other cities of France, but the marvellous climate it offers (in October people going around in t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops!!!!!!) you certainly can't find in the north, and the Mediterranean is certainly more beautiful and welcoming than the cold ocean of the other French coasts........but it's like all the big port cities.....quite dirty and with people dressed a bit too casually....., in short it's a kind of beautiful Genoa.....no offence to the Genoese.....

Going up to Notre-Dame de la Garde (the city's sanctuary, with a statue of the Madonna all in gold on the top) you get the most beautiful panoramic view of the whole city....the eye ranges from the sea to the mountains.....truly beautiful!! In short, I really have to say the city was above my expectations and I had to change my mind. And if you have more time you absolutely must go and visit the Calanques...a sort of Mediterranean fjord with crystal-clear sea, five minutes by car from the city!!!!!!! And the Camargue is just a few kilometres away!!!! A piece of advice then: If you're in the area, a stop in Marseille is a must!! Have a good trip everyone! Max