Day One
Tuesday, May 15th, 2007
Our flight from Boston to Paris and from Paris to Marseille was long, but smooth. It was nice to be welcomed by gorgeous weather and our friendly tour guide Elaina. She must have seen the dazed look of a college student on an overnight flight because as I approached she asked me “Are you from the University of New England?” Needless to say at this point none of us knew how great an asset Elaina would be on the first leg of the trip.
We made a quick stop in the Vieux Port of Marseille for our first “petit dejeuner.” I enjoyed a buttery croissant and fresh pressed orange juice while watching the waterfront. I was surprised to see that there were fishermen and women on the side of the bay selling tuna and other fish right off the boat. There was also an extensive array of flowers for sale. On top of that I could not believe how many sail boats were crammed in and docked in the port. Although we only had forty five minutes to explore it was a great first taste of France.
The next quick stop was at the Notre Dame Basilica. The bus could only go so far through the narrow side streets before we were on our own. One hundred and fifty stairs later we had a stunning view of all of Marseille and the Mediterranean Sea. This included the island with the castle which presented the setting for the Count of Monte Cristo and Elaina even mentioned on clear days you could actually see the northern shore of Africa.
As we continued on our journey to Aix en Provence I took in the scenery of city and country side. I was surprised for a second time to see palm trees in Europe (my first experience was in Ireland). When we arrived in Aix, we were please to be staying in a beautiful hotel and to have the rest of the afternoon for gallivanting.
Originally I left the hotel with Mare and Lynn, but ended up with Tammy, Christina, Cassie and Cassie. We wandered and shopped on the main and side streets that Elaina had pointed out to us. Our lunch stop was a small pizzeria. Tammy and I shared a Provencal style pizza and it was delicious. Out of all the shops we went into, my favorite was this funky bead store. They had wall to wall beads and accoutrements to make your own jewelry. The beads were organized by color rather than style (what I’m used to) and you go around and pick out the beads you want to customize your own necklace, bracelet or anklet. I bought a couple beads and a heart charm for one necklace and a bead and ribbon kit for another necklace. The one with the hear charm I think I will give to my cousin Michelle. She wanted a tacky key chain or something crazy like that, but I hate giving tacky gifts. She would enjoy the necklace more.
We ended up returning to the hotel mid afternoon because we all needed to use the restroom. I was reunited with Mare and Lynn and decided we would take advantage of the warm sun and poolside lounge chairs. It was a relaxing afternoon after over 24 hours of traveling. While I was lounging I was thinking about all the fountains I had seen. There were at least five just walking around, and I’m sure there is more in Aix. It was fun to stop and look at the fountains different intricacies and they made for great land markers too! Another thing I noticed was the number of people walking around, shopping and eating with their dogs. It was cool to see the appreciation for four legged friends, but it made me miss my puppy back home. I wish America would be as friendly to let you bring your dogs where ever you go. Of course you’d have to have a well trained dog.
