Our first,
exhilarating impression, standing outside the station, looking across the city,
with the impressive Notre Dame de La
Garde church to our left, was of intense heat, a clear blue sky and the
elation of being somewhere new. Our cab driver was a friendly, charming young
guy, who talked excitedly about Marseille the city and Olympique de Marseille, the football club, which is always an icebreaker.
Taxi drivers represent their cities and this cabbie’s character, with his
polite confidence and sense of humour, set the tone.
A city holiday
means plenty of exploring and we were situated in the perfect location, right
next to the sea and within walking distance of all the major attractions and
areas of interest. Besides, with a boulangerie opposite, the daily, morning
croissants had to be balanced out by exercise.
With the
majority of its dusty houses of white, cream and terracotta, appearing slightly
frayed around the edges, Marseille feels well lived in. Whilst the city could
possibly do with a facelift here and there, it is defined by centuries of
immigration, has a true sense of itself and doesn’t need to paint over the
cracks. What you see is what you get. The confident, welcoming and generous
spirit of the Marseillais reflects this mentality.
The city is
enclosed within a mountain enclave, which kept it isolated from the rest of
France for centuries. It is only since 2001 that a tunnel carved through the
rock has existed to shorten the train journey to Paris from 10 hours to three
and since 2015, Eurostar trains have made the journey to Marseille. In its 2600
years of existence, Marseille has only been an official part of France for the
past 600. As the city’s port became a thriving centre for trade, people from
countries such as Greece, Italy, Algeria, other North African countries, Spain and Armenia arrived and settled. The diversity of Marseille has evolved and developed
over the course of time and it is the most naturally cosmopolitan place I have
ever been to. A twelve day holiday only gives you a superficial view but I was
extremely impressed by the togetherness of such a diverse population.
Here ends the
history lesson!!
From the roof
of our accommodation we had a view looking out to sea, on one side towards the
modern port of Marseille, where huge ferries bound for Corsica would depart,
around to the other where jagged rock formations pointed the way towards Les
Calanques. We were treated to an incredible nightly light show, as the sun
faded out over distant hills, with a farewell fanfare of vivid pinks,
purples and oranges.
A narrow road
nearby led to a path, which opened out into a small cove, almost hidden behind
the houses, where little boats were neatly tethered up.
The slender path of this sanctuary took a sharp right, which opened up the view
of the ocean. A great place to sit and pass the time or as I did, have a
passionate chat with two young Marseillais guys, with proud Algerian roots,
about Aston Villa’s chances of promotion at the first attempt from the
Championship. There is serious football fervour and knowledge in Marseille and
the love of Olympique de Marseille is enhanced by the fact that Marseille is a one
city club. Imagine the undying support Villa or any of the other local teams
would have if they were the only club in the Midlands!!
We paid a visit
to the Stade Velodrome, which is
extremely impressive for a modern stadium, with the stands being very close to
the pitch, the intricately designed roof providing unique character and you got
the sense from being there, that genuine atmosphere could be generated.
From one of
Marseille’s newest structures, to it’s oldest residential area, Le Panier. This is where in days gone
by, the poor, the needy, the hopeless and the hookers were left to fend for
themselves. A large part of the area was blown up by the Nazis during the
second World War but what survives of the narrow streets and its shuttered
houses, with washing hanging on lines rigged high above the ground, maintains
the ramshackle look and feel of the old town. As well as continuing to be a
thriving residential area, artists’ studios, bars and cosy restaurants give the
Panier a romantic sense of bohemia.
A modern creative
area, living in the here and now rather than its past and one for today’s youth
of Marseille, is Le Cours Julien.
Steps leading from a main road called Cours Lieutaud, graffiti decorating the
walls on either side, lead to Cours Julien, itself a street which runs around
the outside of a large, open meeting place. Bars, cafes and shops line the
Cours Julien, as other streets entice you away from the central area. On one of
these streets, Rue Des Trois Rois, is
the wonderful ice cream shop L’Elephant
Rose as well as the excellent La
Galette record shop, from where I picked up The Friends Of Distinction album, Real Friends, a soul album from 1970 (see HSD Tune.) As with the vast area of Marseille that we
discovered, Le Cours Julien district has a slightly dilapidated sense of survival and progression.
It is only when
you go over to the new port area that you come across soulless modern food
courts, and a large indoor shopping centre. Marseille though has soul in abundance, so
these areas can be avoided unless you fancy a spot of Blue Water or Meadowhall
by the sea.
As I mentioned,
our accommodation was in the ideal location to journey across Marseille and we
walked, via Endoume, to the spectacular, if somewhat OTT Notre
Dame de La Garde church, which looks over the city and can be seen from
almost anywhere in Marseille. The number 83 bus runs from Le Prado,
close to Stade Velodrome, to the Vieux Port which was our way of getting to the
art museum Le MuCEM, where there was
a fascinating Picasso exhibition and a terrific view out to sea through the
gaps in the walls of the terrasse, which resembled a camouflage drape hanging
over the building.
What impressed
me most of all, were the people of Marseille. Around the town and on the beaches
there was a wonderfully diverse, cosmopolitan mix of ethnic backgrounds, colours
and faith; all living together, hanging out and sharing experiences in what
felt a completely natural existence. When your immigration and integration has
been evolving over 2600 years, the process of social and religious cohesion
works with greater harmony. Obviously, nowhere is perfect and I was only in Marseille
for twelve days but I would hazard a guess that when issues do arise, they are
sorted out in an amicable and progressive manner.
Our final
evening was spent at a terrific restaurant down the road called Chez Jeannot – great food, service and location. The next day we
returned to Gare Saint Charles, where the presence of several soldiers carrying
machine guns, reminded us of the troubles that France has had to endure in recent
times. I would hope that the people of Marseille will stay strong and believe
in who they are, should they ever have to face an attack on their spirit,
dignity and beliefs.
One day I hope
to return to Marseille, to be part of the city again and take in a football
match at the Stade Velodrome. Marseille v Aston Villa in the Champions League?
Maybe not but you have to dream...
