Marseille

Got a bus and a train to Marseille and found the Adagio Aparthotel we’d booked on line - good old booking.com - great location, great facilities and reasonably priced too.

We walked miles and miles around the city found all sorts of different areas around the edges of the Vieux Port.

The port has a really dramatic entrance - going to have to sail in one day - it’s packed with all sorts of boats and one section was just lined with beautiful classic wooden yachts - the one from 1874 was my favourite, the boom and bowsprit were so long they doubled the length of the boat. Must have been the race boat of its day.

Dave's favourite wooden racing boat, from 1874

We found big areas of Arabic, north African and Asian communities close to the centre.  We ended up eating in Lebanese, Armenian, Tunisian and Vietnamese restaurants.  Great food and stuff we’d not had before.

Interesting artists quarter

We also wandered into the Intercontinental 5 star hotel overlooking the Vieux Port to see the view - had to have a pastiche to soak up the ambiance - only the one as price made my eyes water!

View from the posh hotel

One morning was raining so we ended in in a new dockside shopping complex, built in the old warehouses - full of hip and trendy shops - not sure if we fitted in that well! All fascinating and expensive.  Ended up getting haircuts here - most expensive I’ve ever had at €27, and Carole said she’d never had her hair cut by a man before, very trendy staff - tattoos and beards and beanie hats - have to concede it was a good haircut too.

The shopping centre was a great building

Dave with newly shorn look

Turned into an expensive trip but well worth it as a treat.

Great reflections

Large Armenian population with great food

This bandstand couldn't take the heat

M for Marseille

More train and bus back to the boat.

Still no sign of the rigging from the UK.

Will be discussing a large discount on the price!