Marseille

Terry wanted to go south to Grenada, while John and Elena had disappeared somewhere. I'm hoping to meet Terry again in Nice. The train took what I thought was an extraordinarily long time to get to Barcelona. Arrived there very early the next morning, and, yes, I'm sorry, Mom, but I only saw Barcelona from the train station. I did see the Costa Brava (Spanish Riviera) - my first glimpse of the Mediterranean! The name means “Rugged Coast” because of its dramatic cliffs, coves, and rocky coastline.

Had to change trains at Cerbère. Then proceeded to Marseille. What a difference in speed and comfort between the French and Spanish trains! Arrived at my destination in the late afternoon. It was July 13, and I was surprised to see no celebration or preparation for Bastille Day. By now, my cold had almost disappeared, and I was slowly returning to my usual self.

While I had been surprised not to see any signs of the French national day upon my arrival, the city was buzzing with activity this morning (July 14), and the French flag flew everywhere. By now, I had discovered that the type of French or patois spoken here is very different from that in Paris or Normandy, or anywhere else in the country. In the afternoon, I took a boat tour to the Isle de Ratourneau with a castle in its midst. It was very pleasant to see Marseilles from this vantage point.

However, what I really wanted to see was the Château d'If of Count of Monte Cristo fame. It lies on another island, between Marseille and the Île de Ré. A short ferry ride brought me to that island, and I enjoyed walking around and seeing the historic cells, including those immortalized in Alexander Dumas' novel. I enjoyed reading the Informational plaques explaining the prison's history and its (in)famous inmates, as well as the cells where prisoners were incarcerated. I discovered the name's meaning. The island is strewn with yew trees, and "if" refers to them. Therefore, the name means Castle of the yew trees.

I found Marseille to be a much more attractive city than I had expected. I would highly recommend it to anyone considering a visit to this part of the world.