#23 Christmas market at the port of Marseille in mid-November

November 20, 2021: Marseille

F. Like in the past few days, today was expected to have 9 hours of sunshine and just below 20 degrees. Although it was still a bit cooler in the morning, so we wore a jacket on the train to Marseille, but as soon as we arrived at the old port of Marseille, we were wearing only our t-shirts. Yes, you read that right, we took the train. Since the parking situation in Marseille is once again completely unsuitable for campers, we took the train from L'Estaque to Marseille.

In the old port of Marseille, sailboats lie close together, and the many mast sails dance lightly on the water. On the quay wall, the fresh catch of the day is being cleaned and sold, and there is a strong smell of fish when you walk towards the entrance of the Christmas market. Yes, you read that right too, Marseille has had a fairly large Christmas market in the port since mid-November. The two very long rows of stalls are fenced off with a construction fence, and there is admission control. As in all public events and facilities in France, the vaccination certificate or test result is checked. However, I didn't make it onto the Christmas market grounds because there is also a major security check here in addition to the usual corona control. After going through the metal detector and bag check, the result is that my glass water bottle does not meet the security standards. So I turned around on the spot, and Jenny quickly took a photo of the interior of the Christmas market.

We then walked from the old port past the two old fortresses at the entrance to the harbor to the old town of Marseille. Here, the narrow streets are very narrow and there are some very good graffiti on many walls. Life is completely calm compared to the hectic city center, as hardly any cars drive here. One mother even placed the dining table in the sun on the little street as we passed her house and called something in French to the first floor. Probably that the rest of the family can come to the table.

In the old town, there is also a former hospital for the poor, which has been extensively restored in recent years and is now referred to by our tour guide as the most beautiful building in the city. Well, it is pretty, but it certainly isn't the most beautiful. To enter this building, a major security check was also required, and this time I was allowed in because the security guard did not find my glass bottle among the many sweaters and jackets.

Our lunch was supposed to be a galette, but the pizza in the Noailles district was just too tempting. In this district, there are numerous small shops of various types that extend their displays far into the street. This narrows the street so much that from a distance, I thought there had to be a market there, as the hustle and bustle of people was so dense that social distancing was no longer possible. Of course, no vaccination certificate is required here. We simply avoided the crowded alleys and instead walked to Notre-Dame de la Garde.

This is a beautiful church on a 161-meter high hill. From here, you can get an overview of the whole city, and it is an absolute hotspot for tourists. All the tour buses from the many cruise ships that were at the large port of Marseille were jammed in front of the stairs leading up to the church.

Day 35 - Total tour 2,911 km

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