J'adore Marseille

Fête de la Musique is on while we are in Marseille so we are treated to a range of artists plying their trade around the city.  This is a national thing so every city will be hosting a range of free concerts around the country.  I think my personal favourite is the traveling Brazilian band.  They look to be on one of those mobile beer bikes pedaling through the streets with their loyal groupies singing and dancing behind them.

Today we made our way to the stadium to have a look but it's closed for an event.  The kids get spoiled by Ines getting the home and away strip at the supporters store below and being able to play a bit of football in the store.  

Marseille streets and driving is something different.  I think if you can drive here you can drive anywhere.  The streets are narrow (not as bad as Seville) and it's the scooters you have to watch out for.  They don’t subscribe to the road rules at all, and it's funny to think in NZ there would be road rage in full force, but here everyone just seems to not care about the crazy that goes on and just accepts it as a part of driving on the road.  

We navigate up to Notre dame de la Garde, probably the best view of the city and incoming ships.  The Basilica itself is like the others, the extravagance and love poured into the structure can’t be understated.  This one is still well used, and as parking is at a minimum, I would think the three mass sessions held on Sunday must have a dedicated flock to walk up that hill. 

Highlight of the day however was meeting Ines’ family.  The newest member is Naiim, all of one month old and Kaia is instantly smitten.  We all sat down to a meal at a Brazilian restaurant that includes 10 different meats to eat, and we honestly waddled out of that restaurant 2kg heavier.

Camille had threatened to wear his South African rugby shirt to dinner to rub in the world cup final, so I felt it was only fitting that we had brought over All Blacks clothes to kit out his newborn son!

It’s hard to describe the feeling when you meet people IRL that you have "known" for years, but then to have this instant feeling of aroha and whanau when you actually get to connect in person.  Kaia wants to move in with Ines, and is disappointed we don't have more time for a sleepover.

The next morning, we went off to the rugby bar in Vieux Port (I had spoken to the bartenders the day before) and we managed to watch the super rugby final, Zach’s Blues against my Chiefs, and well…. I don’t want to talk about the result.  Zach is extremely adamant that more comments are needed on this result, and will be holding the victory over me for much more time to come.

I think our decision to come back to Marseille is finally cemented in spending our last day with Ines at Cassis.  It’s a small seaside town on the edge of Marseille.  The cafes and restaurants line the marina’s edge, the local rugby lads are partaking in the local tradition of “jousting” in between small ferries coming in and out of the marina, and the beach is a 2 minute walk with a tiki bar and house music playing across the sunbathers.

Joust is something very unique to Cassis.  Two long viking looking boats that fit approx 12 people (before outboards these 12 would have had to row) and a “knight” at the end of the boat perched very delicately on a platform with a joust and a block of wood strapped to their chest.

As the boats start towards each other, the lads start yelling at each other like a viking / pirate chant and each knight tries to knock each other off the platform. https://youtu.be/43OSo9RI__k

The beach is a combo of sand and fine rock, and just like Barcelona we notice that there doesn’t seem to be a tidal flow.  So the waves are the same no matter what time you go to the beach, only the wind changes the conditions.  And unlike NZ, they have flags that indicate to beach goers whether you are allowed in the water or not.  If we had been sans kids, I think the tiki bar and house music next to the beach would have suited Gareth and I for the afternoon.

Like all good things, our time in Marseille has to come to an end and we are grateful for the hospitality of Ines and her family.  Fingers crossed we may meet up again in Colombia next year.