"City Port Took My Blues Away" (Marseilles, France)

I spent today on a lovely excursion to Watkins Glen, New York with my mom and sister. Walking the piers and later enjoying the most perfect Lobster Cobb salad one could imagine, I was reminded of a certain fact about my feelings towards docks, fish, boats, and water in general:

I love waterside communities. I love marinas where boats of sea-goers from every walk of life moor at the edge of the big blue waiting to begin a journey. Even better are European port cities--pockets of the wide open sea tucked under the wing of a bustling urban environment. Such is the Vieux-Port ("old port" in French) of Marseilles, France.

The Watkins Glen piers along Seneca lake do remind me of a much smaller scale Vieux Port, in a way. The above picture could have been taken in a marina from either location for example, but the same could not be said for some of the photos that follow.

Marseilles backs up from Vieux Port to the second largest city in France after Paris. Walking down Rue Canebiere, it's actually quite shocking how quickly this bustling broadway of art and culture cuts of completely and veers off in two gangly arms hugging a narrow boatyard hedged by cafes, cocktail lounges, tea rooms, hotels, and theaters.

As the stereotypical French high-life continues on either side of the port, directly in front of the wharf the culture quickly turns Mediterranean as fishmongers sell fresh wares every morning. And I mean fresh. They were literally hauling in loads of seafood while we stood there watching people barter at the fish market. The men and women who work the docks are dirty, gruff, and boisterous like characters out of a Dickens seaside epic.


This is not the glamorous lifestyle I associated with France before our trip, but it is a side of the country I am glad to have experienced. Who would have known that we are so similar in the Finger lakes region of New York state to the Marseillaises of France?

View of Notre Dame de la Garde from the Old Port

 

More pics of Marseilles' Old Port and one freaking huge fish after the jump!

The Jacket That Saw the World

All right, I swear on all that is holy that I did not plan this in the least, but it is just about the cutest coincidence in the world!

While looking through all of the 4,000-some photos from our life-changing trip to Europe this spring, I noticed an interesting trend. I may have only sported my turquoise blazer in a handful of outfit photos, but I can be seen sporting my (apparently) favorite jacket in at least one set of photos from each and every "touristy" trip we took to a country outside of Spain!

This coincidence ended up being a fun way to track of all of the traveling we have done in the past five months. There is a constant in all of the photos regardless of which country they were taken in. Who new that an article of clothing could come to contain so many memories? As I type this, my good old blazer is tucked in the drawer next to me in case I get chilly in the library's AC.

As of May 2012, the turquoise jacket has seen the following countries (including the US of course):

• Spain
• France
• Italy
• England
• Ireland
• Sweden

And now for some visual representations of the adventures of this intrepid piece of outerwear!

I challenge you to look through some old photos to find evidence of that one fallback piece that has always been there for you--and that has seen a lot of interesting places as a result!

"Joyous It Stretches Like a Lizard in the Sun" (Marseille)

It's hard to explain, but Marseille was one of the happiest-feeling cities I have ever visited. This is odd because the people were not particularly happy. In fact they were mean and downright grumpy in most cases. The city itself, on the other hand, was alive with art, music, food, fashion, and the beauty that only a rich history and prime real estate on the Mediterranean can bring.

The title of this post is taken from the French song "La Canabiere," named for Marseille's main street and cultural hub. This beautiful street (sort of a hipstery Times Square--or maybe Soho in London) stretches from the city's Old Port right on the Mediterranean sea all the way up a hill to the church where Joan of Arc used to pray! Pictures of Old Port and the church are coming up, but for now just enjoy the small joys that make up La Rue Canbiere.

So magical :-)

This statue is an actual library. You can borrow books out of the giraffe!

Ah, cafe culture

More photos of Rue Canbiere after the jump!

Awkward and Awesome Thursday: Vive la France!

Awkward:

• The usually breathtaking Palaise du Longchamp being under construction the one day we're in France. I had basically dislocated my hip walking up the hill to this castle in heels, so I was pretty disappointed. Guess we'll just have to go back sometime!
• Also, my hip. I am way too young for this.
• Being happy about getting holes in my clothes because it means I can throw them out instead of trying to pack them back up next month!
• The combination of head cold and throat cancer that is the French language. I . . . I mean, yes, honey, of course all languages are beautiful . . .
• Remember how I just said in last week's A&A that I hadn't had an IC flare-up in forever? I guess they were saving up, because Saturday night marks the worst flare I have ever had in my life.
• Getting up at 5:30am to catch a 6:20 train that would get us back to Avila in time for 4.5 hours of classes.
• Not a single street light on the street where our hostel was located. Sketchiest ever!
• The look of disgust we got from every French person who realized we a) did not speak French and b) were Americans.
• The blasted cold weather here while Rochester basks in 80-degree rays!
• Forgetting to post this awesome list of creative, must-try date ideas to Facebook and Twitter yesterday.

Awesome:

• Taking a romantic day trip to France with my hubby. A day trip. To France. For just a day. Just because we can!
• The couldn't-have-wished-for-better weather in Marseilles while it was raining here in Spain :-)
• Seaside cities/towns. I can't get enough of that salty sea air.
• A tourist train around the coast of France and up to the Notre Dame de la Garde. Such beautiful Mediterranean views.
• Growing up without TV. Now I feel so spoiled whenever I stay anywhere that has cable!
• Interview with Eugenio Merino today! (via email, ho-hum) Would ave been nice to meet him in person. He's causing quite a stir here.
• Shorts. When I can wear them.
• Getting offered a job as a writing tutor back at Roberts. I've wanted to do this for so long!
• The lovely Maria letting us crash at her place in Madrid while we waited to catch our mad early train. Hope to see you again really soon, girl!
• Gourmet dinner on the French Riviera Tuesday night. Yeah, that happened. 
• Going home to our loved ones in less than a month :-)