Today is Tuesday, September 12, 2023. First and foremost, it is Tara’s birthday, so we hereby send sincere wishes to Tara for a Special, Happy Day!. This is also our last stop in France as we docked in Toulon, France, and begin to explore Aix-en-Provence and Marseilles. This evening, we enjoyed Holland America’s “Chocolate Surprise.”
Toulon and Aix-en-Provence:
On our way to Aix-en-Provence, right by the port, was a large stadium. It is a rugby stadium, and Toulon and Toulouse are the strongest teams in France. Toulon is also the largest military port in France next to Brest. Marseille was founded before Toulon. Marseille dates back to B.C. And is the oldest city in France. Toulon was founded by the Romans. Napoleon started his Egyptian and Italian campaigns in Toulon. iIn 1944, Toulon was severely bombed and has been reconstructed. Some of the French Navy deliberately sank their own ships rather than allow them to be bombed by the Enemy. Because crew reportedly feels strong emotional attachment to their ship, sinking these was painful for them. However, this was but one act of their Resistance to enemy forces.
Summers have brought extreme drought to Toulon recently, and care must be taken to avoid activities that could potentially spark fires. There are lots of pine trees and olive trees all around, which burn rapidly and easily. The mistral is a northern wind that disguises the actual heat of the sun, making it seem as if the sun were harmless when it is often quite hot. Water supply has been inconsistent in the region, so care is taken to use it responsibly.
Lavender grows well in Toulon, Aix, and Marseille regions. It is used in soap making, sachets, parfums, and essential oils. Soap in Marseille is 72% olive oil. Lavender is even used in making honey. Yes, local markets sell lavender honey, which, our Guide related, is “absolutely wonderful”! Cows can’t survive well in this mountainous, hot, and dry environment, but goats do! Goats eat pretty much everything and don’t require a lot of water, for example. Thus, goat cheese is produced in this region. Marseille is also wine region. It is recommended that one add water to some of these wines because they can prove extremely strong.
We drove past Cassis, the largest city in Europe, but we did not stop there. The road from Toulon to Aix is lovely, pastoral, and mountainous. We drove past the Sainte Victoire Mountain, which has been painted by many impressionists over time. The mountain looks very different, depending upon the painter and how he or she perceived the mountain at the time. Cezanne, Van Gogh, and Gaugin were among these artists. Cezanne is from this region. Aix boasts a lively university and art life. It is the second most expensive city in France next to Paris. The official languages in Aix are French and Provençal. Before 1994, people were prohibited from speaking Provençal, but now it can be spoken and written in public spaces. In Aix, we saw many landmark civic and historical buildings, fountains, the university, and a large market that takes place twice a week. There are small shrines to Mary on buildings through the piazza and town. During the plague, people needed a place to pray and worship, and these took the place of Churches. Aix is where I ate the best Brioche a la Crème (CUSTARD) I have ever had!
Mary Magdalene is very important to this region. Legend has it that she arrived in Marseille with two other women and decided to stay there while the others continued on. She walked to the top of the mountain where she would spend the rest of her days in prayer, solitude, and contemplation. People believe that she was brought there by an Angel. A tear (she was grieving the fate of Jesus) transformed into a River that flowed from the top of the mountain to Marseille. (Recall the inconsistency of water supply….). A shrine and monastery were erected there, which are still present. People make pilgrimages to them. May 21 annually is a huge celebration when Gypsies flock to the port of Marseille to honor Mary Magdalene and the women with whom she journeyed to this region.
Aix-en-Provence is a very wealthy city. Cezanne’s father, a hat maker, was among the nouveaux riches in Aix, having set up a hatmaker/seller shop in this city. Aix is where Cezanne met his best friend, Zola (who became a famous writer). Zola gave his friend apples as a gift. Cezanne was so appreciative that he painted apples in many of his paintings from then on. We passed the Chappellerie in Aix. And we passed Cezanne’s house in Aix, as well.
Aside: in France, one cannot profess nor promote one’s own religious beliefs in public settings (government, public schools, and so on). Egalite, liberte, fraternite, la cite… these are the values of the French people. They learned to honor these as a result of the French Revolution.
Marseille:
Marseille has a large harbor. The city is divided into three sections: north, for the working class; center, for the tourist class; and south, for the bougie (glitzy) class. On the way into the city we passed a large statue of suma wrestlers to symbolize the strength of Marseille over time. Les Docs wall lists all writers who have written about Marseille over time. We passed a lloooooonnnnggggg trades building because Marseille relies on trade. This building is always open. And we were greeted by the first thing one is supposed to see when entering Marseilles and the last when leaving it: a BEAUTIFUL Cathedral, very reminiscent of the one in Florence. It is called La Maggiore (the superior, or main, one). It utilizes the same Carrara marble.
The northern part of the old port was completely destroyed by bombers in WW II, except for two buildings, (the city hall and an old hospital, now the Hotel du Dieu). The rest has been entirely reconstructed. One can see still, however, the two opposite twin forts (St. Jean and St. Nicola) atop the surrounding city walls, erected to protect the Harbor of Marseille.
Because Marseille boasts 300 days of sun per year, swimming in the sea continues into October. The Monte Cristo Challenge (Defi Monte Cristo) takes place annually in Marseille. It is an open water (sea) swim competition that is reportedly quite a rigorous one. It drew its inspiration from Dumas’ account of the Count of Monte Cristo. LARS?!?!?!
Beer trucks are plentiful in Marseilles. Since the World Cup, beer consumption and sales have increased eightfold! JOHNNY?!?!?! TOMMY?!?!?!
Provençal, Italian, and French are spoken in Marseille. The has about 82 different ethnicities living here.
Wolves, deer, and boars live in the mountains of this region.
Finally, from the old city, we could see a tiny fable-esque structure at the tippy, tippy, top of a TALL adjacent mountain! Our tour bus drove, literally snaked, steeply uphill on a narrow street until it stopped at what seemed to be the foot of a STUNNING Church, perched “up high”. This was as far as we could drive. What remained were about 175 concrete steps that we would climb should we wish to see the Church—and we were not certain it would be open once we got there (In Italy and France, I guess, buildings sometimes close in the afternoons only to reopen later on). This Basilica is called Norte Dame de la Garde, and although it has been refurbished over time, it miraculously survived the War. People across faiths and ethnicities come to visit and to pray, as can be attested by the many squares on the walls expressing gratitude for seemingly impossible favors granted by the Virgin Mary.
On our return to the ship inToulon, we passed some fairy tale-looking castles on the mountaintops/sides. They were royal residences at one time but have since been donated. One, for example, is now a children’s institute. One of these was the basis for Victor Hugo’s MY MOTHER’S CASTLE.
Cantare and Chocolate Surprise:
I watched the Holland America performance of Cantare, a four-male singing group who others on board recommended as must-see. They were phenomenal, of course! But…upon our exit, as we passed through the Casino, crew members filed toward the crowd with trays of everything chocolate! What a cool and fun event! It was already close to 10:30 P.M. but my take-home booty made for a delicious bedtime snack for John!
a lovely and very-full day! Tomorrow, we dock in Barcelona,SPAIN!
Our Travels 