Saturday, December 15, 2007

Leaving Marseille

Marseille seen from the terraces around Notre Dame de la Garde.

Just a few parting shots from our short time in Marseille. We left after lunch and headed east to a coastal road.

Building façades around the Vieux Port.

The eastern part of the city hugs the bases of some beautiful mountains, and the contrast of the natural rock and the regular shapes of the buildings was impressive.

Eastern Marseille gives way to grand mountains.

The road wound up and down and around cliffs along the Mediterranean coastline. It was slow going, especially with camera stops.

A portion of the Mediterranean coastline between Marseille and Toulon.

We wound through Cassis and La Ciotat, two small port towns on the coast, and Bandol, famous for its wine (we tasted and bought some). Then quickly on to Toulon and back up inland toward the twelfth century abbey of le Thoronet.

The port town of Cassis.


4 comments:

  1. i've been enjoying these pictures very much. the light is ravishing. and though i've seen the light elsewhere in the mediterranean, the buildings and the street life make it unequivocally france. even though there's so much rome and roman influence, which you can also see. thank you, they're lovely.

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  2. I heard so much about Marseille in literature (and the accent, and the food). It's lovely to see the place. thank you!

    Claudia

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  3. I've never been to Marseille -- no real desire, strange to say, even though we're not that far away. Did you enjoy it?

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  4. purejuice, the southern and coastal light is amazing.

    claudia, I'm glad you're enjoying them!

    betty, I did like it, but we didn't spend enough time there to get a real taste of the city and the people.

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