Friday, October 20, 2006
Mon 16 Oct Marseille
Popped down to the coast today to explore Marseille. Now, Lonely Planet warned me it would be a cultural difference to the rest of Provence - and it was. Very industrial, in a French sort of way.
Interesting place, very different from the rest of seen of France - loud, busy, run down, dirty in an industrial sort of way. But with a beautiful ancient port in the centre and an amazing view fro mNotre Dame de la Garde. 360 degrees of the Meditteranean, the city and the hills. The church itself is pretty standard although with Morroccan influence and has plenty of bullet holes in the exterior from WWII. Africans, Algerians, Morroccans, French, Middle Eastern and even Indians havemade an impact on the language, food, smells. Still French but with exotic flavour. Just as Avignon and Aix have Italian flavour.
Finally got to talk to a French person not frightened of sign language. "Chatted" to this guy on the train to Marseille using sign language, pictures, maps, my phrase book and some muddled english and french. Most people just dont bother talking as it takes too much effort and is just too hard. Reda was an electrician travelling from Salon de Provence to Toulon to work.
Popped down to the coast today to explore Marseille. Now, Lonely Planet warned me it would be a cultural difference to the rest of Provence - and it was. Very industrial, in a French sort of way.
Interesting place, very different from the rest of seen of France - loud, busy, run down, dirty in an industrial sort of way. But with a beautiful ancient port in the centre and an amazing view fro mNotre Dame de la Garde. 360 degrees of the Meditteranean, the city and the hills. The church itself is pretty standard although with Morroccan influence and has plenty of bullet holes in the exterior from WWII. Africans, Algerians, Morroccans, French, Middle Eastern and even Indians havemade an impact on the language, food, smells. Still French but with exotic flavour. Just as Avignon and Aix have Italian flavour.
Finally got to talk to a French person not frightened of sign language. "Chatted" to this guy on the train to Marseille using sign language, pictures, maps, my phrase book and some muddled english and french. Most people just dont bother talking as it takes too much effort and is just too hard. Reda was an electrician travelling from Salon de Provence to Toulon to work.
# posted by The Essence of Good Taste @ 2:46 PM 
