Swimming in October by Leigh Fergus
| Away from the glamor of the Riviera, Marseille has better prices, friendlier people, and family-friendly beaches. Photo courtesy of www.istockphoto.com. |
Seeking sun and warmth for a few days after a city-bound summer in Paris, I boarded the TGV for Marseille at the Gare de Lyon, and three hours later stepped out blinking into the golden glow of a late September evening in the south. You can smell the south here, in the heat, the dust, even some of the spices, for this is the first-and sometimes the only-port of call for most immigrants from North Africa. You can also smell something fractionally marine that reminds you, even high up at St Charles station, that you are in a real port. Marseille has got itself a bad name, either from those suspicious of different customs and looks, away from the familiar glamour of the Riviera, or from the canny character of the people here who play up to the image of the lovable rogues on the quayside, irrepressibly chatty and always on the lookout for an opportunity to make a quick buck, legally or otherwise. Interacting with the locals is so different from the formal exchanges customary in Paris. Here everybody jokes or fills you in on details you didn't realize you'd missed, generous with themselves and their time. The heart of this vibrant city is still the port, or Le Vieux Port as it's known, and if you can find a hotel here, you'll be right in the thick of the action. The 19th-century basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde, high up in the 7th arrondissement overlooking the port, dominates the city, but the castle and the reconstructed Cathédrale de la Major in the oldest district of Le Panier are also a strong presence.
First inhabited by the Phoenicians who noted the conveniently rectangular-shaped natural harbor, this port has always looked to the sea for its future, and now that the shipping industry is in decline, is having to find its land-legs-not an easy transition. The port is in the throes of a real makeover with two new tram lines and more infrastructure promised. One of the trendiest streets
I took bus route 83 from the port along the coast, and as the weather is still fine, I decide to try one of the city's 21 beaches, le Prado. Several little coves and rocky outlets also offer swimming, but if you want a little more space, the fine gravel of Prado beach is best. An arm of rock, keeping the water warmer and safer than out at sea, protects this man-made beach. Imagine being able to swim on October 1! For food, avoid the bars and restaurants on the harbor front offering "genuine" bouillabaisse, and head inland. Just a couple of streets away you can do better, even in the busy Cours Julien area. Rue Sainte is one of the trendiest streets on which to eat, with a great variety of modern Italian cuisine, traditional French fish, bistro cuisine, and fusion in among the independent designer shops and old-fashioned barbers and bathroom-fittings suppliers, but for a view and people watching, try L'Oliveraie (10 Place aux Huiles, tel. +33 (0)4 91 33 34 41). The evening three-course menu including fish and wine for 25 euro is excellent value and the dining room is packed to bursting by 9.30 p.m. The best tables are inside by the door-the views of the street without the wind cooling your dinner faster than you can eat it.
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