2021 - July - Marseille

Is it possible to fall in love with a building? That's exactly what happened to me and my camera. The building I'm talking about is a large cubic structure with an area of ​​almost 30,000 m². In this building is located the 'Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations', short MuCEM. Here there are permanent exhibitions and changing special exhibitions. We were lucky enough to be able to see works by Jeff Koons in one of these exhibitions. His highly polished stainless steel casts have a high visual appeal. I'm sure you're familiar with the "Balloon Dog", one of his most famous, but not even his most expensive work.

But the building itself is fantastic enough. With its many corridors, it invites you to get lost. Rudy Ricciotti, the architect, also gave the complex an additional net-like concrete structure on two sides. In sunny Marseille, this is really something special. Because the sunlight creates great shadow effects that I have never seen before.

And the best thing is: the whole area can be visited for free! Only a ticket needs to be purchased for the exhibitions themselves. We went there twice on two days and always discovered new corners. My photos definitely show my enthusiasm.

By the way, the MuCEM was opened in 2013 on the occasion of Marseille being designated as the European Capital of Culture.

There are also many exciting views around the MuCEM. Everything has an incredible expanse. On one side you can see the old port, on the other the Cathedral of Marseille (Cathédrale La Major). In between is a wide road, which didn't bother my eye at all, and behind it is the new port. Everything looks modern and yet the old has been skilfully integrated into this scenery.

Of course, there are also completely different corners in Marseille. For example, the district of Cours Julien, which is characterized by street art and graffiti. Or the old town quarter Le Panier, where artists and souvenir shops have their home. Here we also discovered the boules shop, which we had recently seen in a television report. The shop sells boules balls that have been painstakingly handmade. Next door is a shop that can boast countless bottles of pastis. This speciality from Marseille and Provence is a spirit made from aniseed. Pastis has so many percent (40 to 45) that it is always diluted with water and served on ice.

By the way, there are blue and yellow pastis. I haven't been able to find out exactly why it is sometimes colored blue. In the shop, the saleswoman told me that the blue color is added for fans of the local football club. Others think it is to remind of the blue sky in Provence.

At any rate, I'm not a fan of it, but I have no idea anyway. However, I found the Marseillaise sausage delicious. It also contains aniseed, but only in a subtle amount.

Also very typical of Marseille is the Mistral, a strong gust of wind. It effortlessly destroys any hairstyle, but on hot days like now in July, it provides a pleasant feeling. And although I'm absolutely not a fan of selfies, I had to post one here. Don't we look great with our wind-blown hairstyles?

Speaking of good looks: at what time of day is the church Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde ideally illuminated by the sun? Of course, in the late afternoon or evening. I knew that, but we still went up in the morning. The climb has a considerable slope, but we are trained from our hikes. When we reached the top, we were of course happy, but personally I was not so happy with my photos. The sun was simply on the wrong side. Mon dieu! So I had to climb up again in the evening (alone).

So remember: good light is available in the evening, but the church itself is only open until 6 pm! By the way, there are ships hanging from the ceiling in the church, which show the city's connection to sailors. And of course Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde is the symbol of the city. Because of its location on the highest mountain in the city, it can be seen from everywhere.

I'm already longing for Marseille now, as I'm leaving and writing this report. There is still so much to discover in this vibrant city, and two days are simply not enough.