"Marseille" Marseille by Kid-A

When I told one of my German neighbors that I was planning a trip to the South of France and more specifically to Marseille, he said something to the effect that he'd visited Marseille a long time ago and found it dirty and full of crime.

Well, all I found when getting there was a major European city that didn't actually feel like it was there solely for the fleecing of tourists. It really felt like I was in a city for real people who live and work. It is old (read all about its 2,000+ years of history somewhere else) and it is aesthetically pleasing and it's run down--but in that good way--and it's diverse, and I don't think you have to be a millionaire to live in the center (unlike pretty much all the rest of the major cities in Europe).

The weather when I was there was wonderful. I don't know if it's nice year round, but the sun was shining and the wind was warm.

I walked the streets through much of the area around the old port (called Vieux Port) and to the church on the hill (Notre-Dame de la Garde) and all around that area down to the coast. I have great memories.

we sat and ate couscous and drank wine here

I didn't because I didn't know you could do that and by the time I did, we didn't have the time. But now I know and all you have to do is go into the tourist information office which is located right near the old port, and they have a brochure in there that offers points of contact. Maybe one of your fellow VT people who live in Marseille can get you a phone number.

walking down into the 7th from the church

So, like I said, I walked from the old port over to the Jardin Puget and up to the church on the hill. From there I walked down the other side and added another 4 hours to my walk by taking a long detour through the Seventh district.

• Pros:It felt like a real, major city where real people live, but relaxed
• Cons:I didn't know ahead of time that you can rent a sailboat--I'm going back