Marseille Travel Articles & Travelogues

FRANCE TRAVEL ARTICLES

MARSEILLE September 2001

We had intended to stay longer in Marseille, but that was not to be. On 5th September, we took a taxi from the airport to our hotel, Mercure Euro-centre, and were warned by the driver not to walk around at night. He said that even walking from our hotel to the Old Port, just around the corner, was inadvisable. We took his warning with a pinch of salt, thinking it was just that the taxi drivers wanted more business.

Before long, we were exploring the Old Port and liked what we could see of Marseille. The quay was lined with restaurants, many of them offering Marseille’s best-known dish – bouillabaisse. When we went out to eat, we chose L’Hippocampe, which was not particularly good. When we returned to the hotel, we noticed security guards with Dobermans outside – not a particularly reassuring sight.

The next morning, we set off to explore in earnest. After looking at all the Old Port area, we walked into the main town. The main shopping streets were a little shabby, but there were plenty of attractive buildings around. We made our way around what seemed to be a mainly North African area and eventually came out near Marseille’s Arc de Triomphe. Nearby was a street market.

We were just waiting to cross the road, when I was grabbed from behind by someone trying to remove the bag I wore around my waist. As it was the sort of bag you step in and then tighten, it wouldn’t come off. I was pulled to the ground and dragged along the ground by the young man who was trying to steal my bag. Norman hadn’t realised what had happened at first, as I had been standing slightly behind him. When he turned round, the youth ran off leaving me grazed and badly shaken.

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the whole thing was that the crowds of people around completely ignored what had happened. I could understand them not wanting to interfere, but no-one even asked if I was all right afterwards. We decided not to stay in Marseilles, and planned to move on to Aix-en-Provence the following day.

That evening, we had a wonderful meal at Les Arcenaulx, a restaurant in a bookshop. We had the menu degustation, which was truly excellent. It made us almost sorry to be leaving Marseille.