A Weekend In Marseille

There is one thing that's for certain: the south of France never disappoints. Yes, the alpes, rolling countryside, and lakes are swoon worthy, but a salty sea breeze and pretty flowers partout surely wins over my heart.

I was lucky enough to spend my birthday weekend on the beach in sunny, sandy Marseille. I love a good piece of fish, so this port city is the place for me. You can see a shot of the Vieux Port above, with its pretty boats lined up row by row. 

Despite being widely accessible by subway and bus, most tourist sites are within a reasonable walking distance from the town centre. One that was particularly close to my home that weekend was the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde. This basilica was truly spectacular, both in its ornate interior, and the view from above. 

I had also studied up on the MUCEM for a course earlier this year, so it was pretty cool textbook moment walking through the iconic museum in real life. Admission is free, and there only is a small fee for students to view the temporary exhibits. 

I was most amazed by the stunning architecture of the newest wing, which is suspended over the ocean coast on one side, seamlessly joining up with the ancient Fort Saint Jean on the other. The new building has a very detailed metal wall encircling, which provides a jungle-like filter out on the upper terrace.

Pants - Zara, shirt - H&M, scarf - C&A, bag - market in Italy, shoes - Birkenstock

And a final view of the coast. There was a "mistral" happening on the weekend I visited, which is code for extremely high winds. This made sleeping through the night and wearing a hat rather difficult. Coincidentally enough, the font I used for the initial image on this post is called mistral. It's clearly a Marseille thing. 

One aspect that I will surely miss from France is its incredible coffee. My waiter at this one cafe had such a strong Marseillan accent; it's a bit of an Italian-French mix that just rolls right off the tongue. Definitely fitting for the laid-back, beachy European lifestyle on this gorgeous coast. 

I'm really looking forward to my next visit to the south of France, I have so much more coast to explore. Feel free to read up on my past and present adventures in France, here. 

xx