After two weeks of solo travel, it was time to meet up with a friend. I hope still have social skills! This is a friend of mind from college. Interestingly, we became friends at our 15th reunion and have kept in loose touch since then. My college was small, but there were still groups and circles people coalesced around so prior to becoming better friends, Emilie and I were at the level of friendly acquaintances. She had reached out over Instagram and we made plans to meet up in Marseille, where her husband is spending a sabbatical learning French so that he can take the DELF B2.
Waking up in Cassis
I woke up in Cassis and took a morning walk around the harbor. Then, it was time to catch the bus to the SCNF train station and take the local train into Marseille. I checked my bags into the left luggage area. It is the most light, freeing feeling to walk around after dropping off bags!
A beautiful afternoon in Marseille
We met at the top of the stairs and walked around town. Will has learned a few things about the history of Marseille and was a great tour guide. I was surprised to find that the cathedral has a facade similar to a mariniere shirt!
Inside, there was a glass art exhibit that was quite beautiful, although as Will said, it distracted somewhat from the cathedral interior itself.
As we walked, we came upon a house with a plaque stating it was the home of the Santon figurine creator. Emilie was super excited to see this since a Santon creche figure prominently into her Christmas childhood memories.
After our walk, we went to lunch. We ordered the set menu and it was delicious. I ordered the leeks appetizer and veal main. I feel a little guilty ordering veal but since the alternative was octopus, I feel it was the less guilt-inducing plat!
After lunch, we walked some more. We went to some cool shops. One was Maison Empereur, a hardware store/everything shop that has so many interesting things. In looking this link up, I realize they have an online store. This is probably not information I needed to know!
The second was the Santon figurine shop, which was a walk down nostalgia lane for Emilie. The Senton figurines are slightly similar to Spanish mud dolls, so I got to remember the nativity set that I have and I’ve made plans to put it out this year!
Back to Paris
Then, alas, it was time for me to go. We walked back to the train station and parted ways. I picked up my bags and had an uneventful train ride to Paris. My car was quite full but there was an empty seat next to me, so that was some good luck. I checked into my hotel, which seemed a little dicey but worked out fine.
For dinner, I grabbed a few dishes at Brasserie Bellanger, a recommendation from Emilie. She often goes there after a Eurostar trip. My order was different than what I wanted- instead of leaks, I had escargot. That’s a big difference! I also had mushrooms and oysters. While eating the meal, I asked myself what was I thinking to have a meal like this before a long flight. It seems a little too adventurous. Spoiler alert: no problems! Phew!
Oh, that hardware store! The views! The art! What an epic adventure you have been on. Veal vs octopus would be a difficult decision for me. I think I might have gone octopus, as they have a shorter lifespan in the wild. But like you, neither would be my first choice.