By:Marcia Abramson/Herald
Marseille: formerly a city of foreign intrigue, now a modern metropolis
Somehow, I never got to Marseille on all my trips to the South of France. It took the Renaissance Cruise Lines with its remarkable destinations to land me in Aix-en- Provence and its capital city, Marseille. My curiosity about Marseille was aroused many years ago by some of the old flicks with tales about this naughty city, awash with foreign spies, drug dealers and houses of ill repute, kidnapping and ransoms. I still conjure up visions of Peter Lorre, Charles Boyer, and Hedy LaMarr starring in these films which can be seen occasionally on PBS (Channel 13). Most of the action took place along the docks in those bygone years. However, I saw nobody resembling those old time cinema greats on my recent visit during the daylight hours. What I did find was a modern bustling city with modern malls, open air markets and upscale shops. There were also quite a few streets in the shopping areas closed to vehicle traffic. May I add that with the way some of the French drive, this was the greatest plus for a visitor intent upon helping the economy with some purchases. All forms of soaps made from pure olive oil are the thing to buy in Marseille. The color is green and if you can get past the olive oil aroma, the soaps are said to be very beneficial. This area still appears to be very prosperous, what with the most important commercial harbor in France, loaded with cargo ships from all over the world. I saw a huge representation from China, evidenced by the large Chinese container ships in the port.
Ancient ruins dating back to the 1st and 2nd centuries BC when the Romans got involved with the territory can also be seen here. The Cathedrale de la Major, built as one of the largest in all of Europe in the 19th century, has other historical significance since it was erected on the ruins of the temple of Diana. The interior is filled with magnificent mosaics and banners of the 19th century. The view from the Basilique (Basilica) De Notre Dame De La Garde, a Romanesque-Byzantine styled church was phenomenal. I ascended to the terrace, which is over 525 feet in height, to observe the splendors of Marseille and the environs. Looking up to the top of the church, my eyes rested upon a 30-foot golden statue of the Virgin Mary, obviously guiding the ships and sailors into the port.
Another Basilique (Basilica) I can recommend is the Basilique St. Victor. This was built over catacombs dating from the 5th century and house an impressive collection of Christian and pagan items including the remains of two 3rd century martyrs. I also went to the Palais (Palace) Longchamp. This is an imposing structure built in the 19th century to salute the completion of the city's aqueduct. I was impressed by the awesome complex of fountains and waterfalls around the palace. However, the Musee De Beaux-Arts in the building is a delight. The focus in this museum is on Provencal masterpieces dating from the 16th to 19th centuries. I was greatly impressed to find Ingres, David, Rubens and the sculptures by Puget. Another favorite artist of mine, Daumier, whose drawings and paintings of lawyers were the mainstays of every attorney's office, has a very prominent section devoted to his works. I teamed that Demeure is a native son of Marseille, born in this city in 1808.
Unfortunately, a one day's visit is not sufficient to take in the other treasures near Marseille and Aix-en-Provence, including the Route De Cezanne. A walking tour of Aix-en-Provence traces the life of Paul Cezanne, with bronze markers delineating his birthplace, his favorite painting spots and places seen in many of his paintings. The tour ends at his studio (atelier) with his favorite beret hanging in a corner as it was in 1906. Additional works by Francois Granet, Cezanne, Ingres, and van Dyke can be found in this area at the Musee Granet, once the center of the Knights of Malta.
Avignon and Les Baux, located 50 miles northwest of Aix-en-Provence and 66 miles from Marseille, are worthy of finding time for on an itinerary of this part of France. Arrangements can be made with the Renaissance Cruises to stay at a destination longer and then meet the ship at the next port-of-call. Avignon is known as the former capital of Christiandom where nine popes ruled during the 14th century from a massive fortress-like structure called the Palais Des Papes. An open-air stairway leads to an inner courtyard to rooms filled with artistic treasures of frescoes, large tapestries and murals of a surprising secular nature. Then on to Les Baux, translated as The Rocks, a medieval feudal ruins which has a Chateau (castle) Des Baux five times larger than the town itself. The view of the surrounding landscape, the Mediterranean Sea and Val Denfer (Valley of Hell) is breathtaking. In fact, it is rumored that the Valley of Hell provided the inspiration for Dante's Inferno.
Other destinations I have covered on this Venice to Barcelona Renaissance Cruise are Rome and Florence in Italy and Palmas des Mallorca and Barcelona in Spain. At times this voyage felt like a much more relaxing, "if it's Tuesday, it's Belgium" tour because of all the countries visited.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
