George and I were looking forward to see Marseille since we knew very little about it, except that it was in France and that is some beautiful country! The captain announced that due to high winds, we wouldn't be able to go into the port there, but would stop at Toulon and be bussed for about an hour over to Marseille. Thank goodness! After seeing the huge cruise ship turned over in Italy a couple of months later on the news, I'm glad our captain was much wiser in where he took the ship.
On the bus ride, we saw many beautiful, colorful fields.
We first went by Longchamp Palace, which is actually a commemoration of building an important canal in Marseille. The grounds are just gorgeous, and the two wings house the Fine Arts and Natural History Museums.
The grounds are open to the public to enjoy the fountains and beautiful sculptures which are there.
Back on the bus, we passed this arch which was built to those who died in the Orient Wars.
As you can see, it started raining. This was the only day we had any weather problems at all, and it was very minor!
Through the arch, you can see Chateau d'If which was originally a defense structure, but later used as a prison. It is most famous as the setting for the story, "The Count of Monte Cristo."
Marseille is a seaside town with very beautiful and expensive mansions along the shore.
Fresh fish being sold in a little seaside market.
The bell tower of this basilica is topped by a huge gilded Virgin Mary with Jesus as a child. This statue is 27 feet high!
The inside of the basilica has multicolored marble, paintings, and mosaics. It is very unique!
Above the altar you see a ship. On the sail is a monogram of the Virgin Mary. There were many sailors in the area because of it being a seaport city. They wanted the protection of the Virgin Mary as they set sail.
Inside was a wall with thanks to the Virgin Mary for either spiritual or temporal blessings they received from her.
Beneath the upper church, we could go to the lower church and the crypt area where there was a statue of Christ in the tomb.
Other items in the crypt area included this statue called the Silver Virgin.
And this was the statue of Virgin to the Bouquet.
This was a very interesting experience and unique opportunity to see other beliefs.
The bus then took us to downtown Marseille where we all just walked the streets to get the feeling of the town.
As in so many European towns, motor scooters are everywhere. I thought this one was so unique with a double front wheel.
Another merry-go-round . . . but this one was two-stories high!
Besides being excited to see the Rotary Club in a French city since our dad has been a member for over 50 years, I wanted to show how they round the buildings on the corners. We noticed this in quite a few European cities. The reason given was so that in former days, the street cars could round the corners easier. Pretty smart idea, I thought.
Everywhere there were delicious French pastries . . .
but our husbands just passed them by to get their Coke Light.
And sandwiches in their French baguettes reminded me of the little shop near John and Alison's home when they lived in Paris.
Beautiful, clean markets with so many fresh fruits and vegetables. The people buy their fresh foods daily.
Our last stop before getting back on the bus which would take us back to the ship which would take us back to Barcelona which would then take us to the airport to fly home. Did it really have to end? All the fun?
I gave my sister every excuse in the world why I thought we couldn't go at this time, and she just persisted that we really needed to go. Now both George and I are so thankful that she didn't give in. This really was a trip of a lifetime that we thank her for organizing for us. Not only did she do all her homework before we went to set up all the excursions, she has done hours afterwards to learn about every picture we took, and blogged about it, and is now putting it in a book. Who could ask for more! Thanks so much, Joyce, for all you did. And thanks to both Doug and Joyce for the wonderful time we had together! Until next time . . .
For more pictures of our final port, go to:
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