Marseille, France 23August 2023
Marseille, even its earliest history, has maintained its contradictions with a kind of fierce and independent pride. Cubist jumbles of white stone rise up over a picture-book seaport, bathed in light of blinding clarity, crowned by larger-than-life neo-Byzantine churches, and framed by massive fortifications; neighborhoods teem with multiethnic life; souklike African markets reek deliciously of spices and coffees; and the labyrinthine Old Town radiates pastel shades of saffron, marigold, and robin's-egg blue.
With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, Marseille became the greatest boomtown in 19th-century Europe. With a large influx of immigrants from areas as exotic as Tangiers, the city quickly acquired the multicultural population it maintains to this day. It's also known as the number 1 city for gastronomy in the world. The food here is incredible and I can't wait to sample it again.
The ship arrives Marseille at 08:00AM
Breakfast onboard ship at the Marketplace buffet.
SCHEDULED TOUR: HOP-ON-HOP-OFF SIGHTSEEING BUS TOUR
This is my favorite way to tour a city. You buy one ticket and tour the entire city getting off at the many sight stops, stay as long as you want and get back on the next bus and continue the tour. I love this concept because you don't need to follow a tour group and you can stay as long as you want at the sights that interest you the most.
I spent a few days in Marselle a few years ago but I got the flu and was sick for most of my time there so I plan to see the places I missed last time. With its 14 stops, the tour will take me to the Old Port, the Notre-Dame de la Garde Basilica, the Vallon des Auffes, the Corniche Kennedy, the Saint-Victor Abbey, the La Major Cathedral, the Mucem and many other authentic places.
This tour will allow great impressions of the city, ability to walk around, choose the sites I want to explore in more detail and get off at the stop closest to the monuments and districts I plan to visit. I plan to discover the incredible architecture of the Mucem, go shopping at the Terrasses du Port, enjoy a walk along the sea on the Corniche Kennedy and stop at Notre-Dame de la Garde and take a moment to enjoy the breathtaking view of the whole city!
PLACES I WILL VISIT
Ship sails at 6:00PM
Dinner at 7:30PM in the Capri diningroom
After dinner there is a show in the main show lounge.
The perfect end to a cruise day is a stop at the casino.
Overnight onboard enchanted Princess
