Marseille is changing quickly, a lot of work to do yet before 2013, when the city will be one of the 'Capitals of Culture'. Not only the modern quartiers but also the ancients ones are fronting renovation: Le Panier is really different from 5 years ago, the facades are the same, surely restored, but the inhabitants? Luxury bed and breakfasts, shops and a lot of tourists are his new face. Going down toward the old port, I had a bad surprise: the historic 'Café de Paris' in rue de Mery, with his beatiful decor, is been discontinued.
Anyway Marseille is a city when you can really have a good time. You can have a bath in a crystal sea, not bad for a portual city. Here people is very informal and I can feel free; they rarely stay long but are often used to take a long bath, to dry at the sun and leave. If you have more time you can walk to the famous calanques or go there with a boat.
Marseille is also ideal to rest out 'till late with a drink in the sunny terraces of one of the numerous bars. Drink a pastis, a Suze or a Cagole, the local beer, blonde or blanche. After, in the good season, a lot of people is used to have a picnic on the grass looking at the sunset in the sea – Escale Borely or Pointe Rouge – . If you want a restaurant, you can surely choose a tipic one but you' find also an incredible choice of all the world's kitchens.
After the Panier and the old port, another lively centre is Cours Julien – marchée bio each wednesday morning – that comes alive expecially after 18 when bars and restaurants are fulled. There, in the streets around, you'll find the best walls paintings.
At the opposite site of the port, the quarter of Docks de la Juliette offers an interessant example of restoration of ancient buildings now devoted to offices and chic bars.
Don't miss a walk here:
- Notre Dame de la Garde
- Old Port
- Le Panier
- Cours Julien
- Docks de la Juliette
- The beach between Prado and Pointe Rouge
- Jardins: Parc du XXVI Centenaire – really worth a visit this contemporary garden - , Parc Henri Fabre (you can take your dog here) - follow the river to the sea long the near Parc Borely.
- Maison du Fada: 280 boulevard Michelet – They called this way before discovering it was a capolavoro. L'unitè d'habitation designed by Le Corbusier in Marseille is a gift the master offered to the city.
Escapades:
- Isles et calanques, take a boat from the old port and wear your swimsuit or you'll regret it;-)
- Les Goudes
- La Madrague
- Cassis
ps: If you're a sportif, you can begin a marseilleise day with jogging down (or up) the beautiful 'corniche'
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