By the Mediterranean Sea in Marseille

August 29

Wow did we find the Mediterranean coastline breath taking as we travelled by Nice, Cannes and Monte Carlo via train, the afternoon before. J and I didn’t think it would take that long to get from Italy to Marseille, but going passed the places we did, we were thankful in the end.  

After finding the Holiday Inn Express smack bang opposite the train station, exhausted from the amount of time we spent waiting at train stations, we rested, to be refreshed for the next day.

After J and I confirmed with the hotel receptionist that yes, there is in fact a beach close by, our plan for the day was to relax by the Mediterranean Sea.

J and I caught a tram and walked down a boulevard towards Les Plages, the beach.  What a sight, pebbles and topless middle aged French women. After finding a spot on the pebbles to lay our towels, we laid down and started to read our chosen holiday novels.

After feeling nice and relaxed and warmed by the sunshine, we decided it was time to hit the water and make a splash. What a sensation! The pebbles under our feet and the temperature of the water, though it was 30 degrees out, it was under 20 degrees in the water. J and I didn’t care; we kept swimming in the beautiful turquoise calm waters of the Mediterranean.

After a little sunbaking to dry ourselves off, we headed back up the boulevard towards the tram stop where we had hopped off at. J and I found a little snack bar in a park where we could buy chips and chip sandwiches from.

J and I then caught a tram to Vieux-Port and looked around the marina, when we suddenly saw boats of tourists docking in. We wondered where they had been. And found out they were tourist boats taking people to Isle D’If and Isle Frioul. The temperature had changed, what had been sunny and beautiful while we were at the beach, was now overcast and windy, so it wasn’t the best time to see these islands.  But that is where we headed next, hopping off the boat at D’If, the island where the movie the Count of Monte Cristo was filmed.

You could explore the castle on Isle D’If, though we only had enough money for one person to get into the castle are. J and I had only brought enough cash to go to the beach with, just in case our money got stolen while were swimming. Since J had seen the movie and I hadn’t, I let him go in to the castle, while I sat next to the water’s edge, reading my book.

After returning to dry land, J and I went back to the Holiday Inn to have a rest. Where I then discovered I was badly sunburnt on my legs.

Later that night after walking for a while in Vieux-Port, we finally found somewhere to eat. A jazz restaurant… a dark, mysterious place, where we were one of two couples there. We were happy with the food and the wine and did have a great atmosphere, even though it’s not really J and my cup of tea. Jazz music sung in French sounds a lot better.

A sailing boat seen from Isle D'If