Katin kontissa: May in Marseille

17/5/2013 - 27/5/2013

I have been lucky to meet lot of people around the world while I have been travelling. But I have also got really good foreign friends also in Finland. I met Antoine and Mehdi years ago in a cafe in Turku and finally it was time to go and meet them in Marseille. Nowadays I'm not good to make those short "weekend city breaks" as I think you don't really get good image what the city is really like. I really want to know what is it really like. Where the locals go to eat and after work? How they act in the subway? What they talk about? What the schools are like? What they write in the newspapers? What they watch from the TV? Then I can actually say I have seen the place. So I spent ten days in Marseille and I thought "well if I go to France I must go to Paris too" so I also went there for four days.

My trip began with the famous party boat from Turku to Stockholm. From Stockholm I took the plane to Marseille. Thanks to Ryanair the plain tickets were third of the price what they would have been if I flew from Finland. Though I almost succeeded to miss the airport bus and then my flight. Why? Well let's just say that never forget to put your alarm on the right day. I didn't see much Stockholm but the little I did I started to think - why I never visit it more? It's just on the other side and it's more than cheap to go and visit.

Archipelago on the way to Stockholm

Stockholm

But so I made it to the plane and I got to Marseille. And it was grey. Rainy. Cold. And I had only my summer clothes with me. I was going to South of France. I thought it must be warm ! Actually it wasn't. Couple days I could wear shorts but then .. I wasn't lucky with the weather but luckily I had the best guides in the world. Mehdi and Antoine showed me around and hosted me so well ! I even felt little bit spoiled sometime. But seriously Finnish men should learn some manners from the French. The bets are on the table Finns !

My home in Marseille - loved it !

My guides - the best !

Marseille

Marseille is famous for being dirty and dangerous. I didn't see neither of them. As I was lucky to go there when Marseille hosts the Cultural Capital City of Europe this year. The city has been cleaned and I had my two bodyguards with me all the time so I were safe. For me Marseille is made from delicious cakes, beautiful streets, lovely harbour, friendly people and lot of fun !

Old part of Marseille

The cakes .. Oh my !

The harbour - amazingly beautiful and my favorite in Marseille

Because of the cultural year the city was full of these exotic animals - trying to find them all could be nice game while you visit there !

Luckily as I had the best guides I visite some other places near Marseille also. Actually I can't imagine how many great places there are just next to the city which we outsiders don't know. All these small and narrow streets just waiting for me. I could walk around and just loose myself in the middle of the streets. They're full of nice little cafes where you will have more and more delicious breads, cheeses or croissants. Yummy ! Here are few place where we visited and which I will miss a lot and just dream about going back !

Allauch