Provence … in the footsteps of Van Gogh

We spent most of the day touring the harbour city of Marseille, the second largest city in France with a population of over one million residents. It reminds us of San Francisco - although the homes aren’t as colourful they are very narrow and the streets are steep!  There are impressive grand buildings and hotels lining the Vieux-Port harbour.  There are also boutiques, markets, patisseries, cafes and souvenir shops at the harbour.

 

Marseille is referred to as “the meeting place of the world” and docked in its harbour you can see hundreds of expensive yachts, several cruise ships and the occasional tall ship!

We  found a few gifts in the shops, had lunch (the boys had burgers while I enjoyed an almond French pastry), then Austin decided it was time to get his hair cut. The stylist had lots of fun attempting to chat with us. She would nod when she thought she understood what we were saying and when she finished she looked at us and said c’est bonne, qui?  Even though there was a language barrier the haircut turned out great!

In 1852 Napoleon Bonaparte laid the foundation stone for the Cathédrale de la Major, one of the largest cathedrals built in Europe. People are dwarfed by the height of the ceilings! While impressive, the Cathedral looks out of place. It has layers of coloured marble lining the interior walls and on the exterior it has multiple domes and cupolas that remind you of Russia.

The church bells were ringing as we headed into the Basilique St-Victor. Shannon and Austin visited the 5th century crypts while I listened to organ music and hymns sang in French. This was a restful stop and the music sounded magical in this medieval  church.  

 

In 1866 Louis XIV ordered the building of two fortresses, Fort     St. Jean and Fort St. Nicholas. The fortresses kept a watchful eye over the City of Marseille and its residents. The fortresses flank the entrance to the harbour and are quite striking when they are lit up at day’s end.

 

The last stop before leaving Marseille was the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde. The stunning gold leaf statue of the virgin on the top of the Basilica was installed in 1870.  This Basilica is the highest point in Marseille and is reported to have the best pictures of the City at night.

                                                                              It was well worth the trek to the top as it was a beautiful view and an excellent way to end our visit to Marseille!

Before leaving the region of Provence we stopped to visit Aix-en-Provence where Cezanne grew up and painted. We also visited the Town of Arles where Van Gogh lived for a time after leaving Paris. Van Gogh painted Starry Night and Sunflowers while living in Arles. Both towns had lots of character and an artistic feel. Not surprisingly, many of their shops sold art work and supplies!