Marseille

Arrived in Marseille and it was a beautiful day.  Got a taxi to our hotel.  Location, location, location.  A lovely view over the old harbor.  The hotel not so much.  We had to climb 74 stairs to our room.  I think it was a 100, but Terry says just 74.  The room was clean and had a big bathroom, but that's about the best I can say for it. It was kind of tired and in need of some renovation, but hey the bed slept ok.

Our view

We got settled and set off to find some lunch and the tourist office.  We found a little place on this port and had lunch and then headed for the tourist office.  Saw this cute hat shop on the way.  Came back next day and bought one of the red ones.

There was a city tour starting in about 20 minutes so we bought a ticket.  Needed to find a WC and the lady directed us to the nearby mall.  After running from one end to the other we finally found it and then had to hustle back to find our pick-up point.  Not where the lady told us it was, but Terry happened to look just across the street and saw the bus waiting.  And so we are off.  Many of the pictures are on the move so may not be the usual great stuff. ha.

Touring around the harbor and on the way to Basilica Notre Dame de la Garde

More steps, maybe it was this one that had a hundred.  Anyway Terry is way ahead of me about half way up.  We had about forty minutes here though I misheard the time to be back at the bus.

Finally got near the top

"Notre-Dame de la Garde (literally OUr Lady of the Guard), is a Catholic basilica. This Neo-Byzantine church was built by the architect Henri-Jacques Espérandieu on the foundations of an ancient fort located at the highest natural point in Marseille, a 490 foot limestone outcrop on the south side of the Old Port. It is a major local landmark and the site of a popular annual pilgrimage every year on Assumption Day, August 15.

People from Marseille traditionally see Notre-Dame de la Garde as the guardian and the protector of the city. Local inhabitants commonly refer to it as la bonne mère ("the good mother")".

My last sight of Terry.  I wandered around the first level and she went on up to the inside of the basilica.  Check her blog for pictures of the inside

The Passion of Christ in front of the basilica

The colorful yarn was wrapped around all the hand rails and benches.  Could find nothing on its significance and forgot to ask the bus driver/guide.  Perhaps it is left by the many pilgrims who come here annually.

As I thought our time was running out, I headed down to the bus.  My foot was giving me fits today and I am slower than usual.  I was still 10 minutes ahead of everybody else.

The golden statue on top is Mother Mary and the Christ child

The old hospital, now a five star hotel

A stop for photos 

You can see the basilica in the far distance on the highest hill

Christmas Pooh

Church in the Old Port

Christmas market

and an entire separate market devoted to "Santons".  I decided to research these a bit and found this great explanation of how the Santon's came about.  

Here it is

"Around one hundred workshops still carry on the tradition of making the santons de Provence. The oldest santon Fair, started in Marseille in 1803 and running every year from mid-November to the end of December, is still highly successful today.

But what is a Santon?

Small brightly coloured figures for nativity scenes, "santouns" or "small saints" first appeared in Provence at the end of the 18^th century, representing not only the Nativity scene, the Kings and Shepherds, but also a whole series of everyday characters from old Provence and their traditional trades.

The History of the Santons

In order to understand where they came from, we must start with the invention of the first nativity scene, traditionally attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi who is said to have asked the inhabitants of his village of Grecchio, in 1223, to play the parts of the characters in the Nativity. The first nativity scenes with figurines then appeared in churches around the 16^th century. But after the French Revolution, which suppressed the midnight mass, the nativity scene, until then a large-scale affair, was reduced in size to a miniature scene that families could create at home. A small industry developed making the figurines. It was at this point that the santons appeared in Provence.

The Provencal Nativity Scene

Originally, the nativity scene was limited to the characters in the Nativity itself. The makers of santons took their inspiration from the people of Provence to create new characters. Just to mention a few: there is Boufareu, the angel who guides people to the stable; the blind man who suddenly regains his sight; the pot-bellied, bald priest, from the neighbouring parish; Marius, a central character who, like Alphonse Daudet's character Tartarin de Tarascon, is very talkative; there is also the gypsy girl, the fisherman, the water carrier, the holy fool, the grinder and many more".

Kings

These would be wonderful collectibles if only one had room in the luggage

This is the one our landlord loaned us for our apartment during the Christmas season

back in the hotel before dinner

Went to a french hamburger place for dinner.  Small place with just a few tables on the other side of the port.  Pretty good burger.  Most of the restaurants are all fish. So Miss Terry sacrificed for me, the non-fish eater.

Our view at night

Tomorrow Cassis