The Second City

On the way...

View from train of L'Esterel on the way to Marseille, France; 
Photo By El. K. B.; Quick fact: This specific portion of the coast is 
named L'Esterel because of the characteristic red stone along 
the shores.  

View from train of Orchards on the way to Marseilles, France; 
Photo By El. K. B.

Why the heck did it not say that Marseilles is the second established city in all of France in my guide book?! Pretty intriguing point and probably would have informed me that the smallish-fishing-village-type-city I was anticipating was more of a MASSIVE metropolis; FAR bigger than I had imagined...

The Second City of France... Marseille, France; View from Notre 
Dame de la Garde; Photo By El. K. B. 

...but SO beautiful. A very low lying city, save the peak that Notre Dame De La Garde peers down from (which is where the above photo was taken). I hauled my tired butt up there (532 ft up! It doesn't sound impressive but you try it in 30degree weather after getting up at 5am!) my first afternoon in Marseilles and was not disappointed, if you're looking for astonishing views of the city it is undoubtedly the place to go... not to mention what awaits you on the other side of the basilica walls completed approx. 160 years ago in 1854...

Notre Dame De La Garde; Marsielles, France; Photo By El. K. B. 

Notre Dame De La Garde; Marseilles, France; Photo By El. K. B. 

I was astounded when I walked through those doors. Marseilles is an incredibly multicultural city (with much influence from North African culture) and the architecture is a perfect example of this with its Neo-Byzantine colours, shapes, and mosaic details. I haven't seen any other basilica quite like this in all of Europe, I spent far too long there... such a lurker. This is a MUST SEE!!!

More on my Marseilles mini-break very shortly! 

El