oh my godddddd we had the absolute worst sleep last night! ben didn't get to the hotel until almost 1am and then we were up again for the 4:45am shuttle bus to the departure lounge, for the 6:30 flight. long! morning! for us! we landed in marseille just after 9 or something, then onto the hotel. they wouldn't let us check in so we just went in search of three things: croissants, coffee, and cold water. so far, marseille is nothing like paris, which is excellent news. can't wait to explore! love, erica.
so, we asked for directions to the old port at reception, and they sent us the most boring way! you'd think that working in tourism you'd know how to direct tourists to main attractions, right? still, we managed to find it eventually (via the prettiest cathedral! it was all the pastel colours, and was made of all the pretty marble, and it was a lucky find!), and when we did, it was like a whole 'nother city! the bright blue of the water and the thousands of sails and masts littered the city's original port, and we were stunned. what a difference a few back alleys can make, eh! we bar-hopped a bit, sampling the house wine in each place we stopped, before finally falling into a really traditional-looking restaurant for an early dinner, and an early night! day one, and we are pooped! still, wish you could be here - you'd love it! x
today was suuuuuuuuuuch a great day. i really had no idea what to expect from marseille, and with ben having just been to monpellier last week i was so worried it wouldn't live up to any of our preconceptions, but seriously? i am in love. it's only been a few hours but already i have eaten a week's worth of french food in a day, consumed more local wine than i can bare to think about, dipped my feet in the clearest, bluest water i've seen in a long time (since bled, probably!), and fallen into the comfiest bed for the biggest sleep. today's been a great day, and i can't wait to do it all again tomorrow. see you in a few days! x
we finally made our way to le panier today and oh. em. gee! so much prettier than the internet made it out to be! it came up a few times when i was looking for things to do in the city, but in no way did it describe what we discovered: alleys and alleys of colourful shutters, of cobbled lanes, of ivy-covered poles, of tiny bikes folding outdoor seats. every corner had another cafe, and another pretty street that led to another cafe and another pretty street... honestly, you would have loved le panier. it has definitely been my favourite bit so far, and we've made a loose plan to come back and explore a bit later - after the boat trip! i'm super looking forward to that too, but.. ugh! so pretty! this place was made for me (and him: it's the hipster district, so he fits right in). until tomorrow, i miss you. x
oh, did i mention that le panier is full of incredible street art? it's so much more similar to shoreditch than i first thought, except way more - wait for it: prettier. i should probably crack open a thesaurus but seriously, that's the only word that comes to mind when i think of le panier! and with the added colour of all the street art, it's even more wonderful than originally suspected. i recognised lots of artists and murals from london (and elsewhere), and i kept going to ben "ooh, i know that artist! ooh, i know that series! ooh, that's this person's work" and i'm quite sure he was bored of it. oh well, i was having the best time. i can't wait to come back - and i definitely will. this place is perfect! will i see you when i get back tomorrow? x
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