Marseille and Nice

Today was the only full day in Avignon, so we did the only natural thing--took a side trip. We had learned already that we were too early for a lavender tour, and Avignon itself looks like it will fit nicely into the morning tomorrow before we head off to Lyon, so this was the perfect day to see two Mediterranean cities.

Marseille

From almost anywhere in Marseille, one need not walk very far to spy the church of Notre Dame perched on the hill overlooking the city. Here we see it supervising the defense of the city vested in the Fort St. Jean at the mouth of the bay giving access to the sea.

But Notre Dame is not nearly as imposing an edifice as "The New Major", the seat of the Archdiocese of Marseille. It's called "New" because it's only the latest of a series of cathedrals built on that site since the 5th century.  This one is only about 150 years old.

As all good port cities (remember Honfleur a week back?) Marseille has a fine marina.

Just a quick note here before leaving Marseille. I finally learned why they call that little thing a "Smart Car":

Nice

Pronounced "neese", it makes a great bit of tourism fun. It shows up in the movie French Kiss,  where if you look closely enough you see a guy leaving the hotel with a tee-shirt that says "Nice is Nice". And yes, it is. There's some classic French architecture in the apartments near the shore,

but let's face it--that's not why people go to Nice. The Promenade of the English, even in low tourist season, was crawling with people doing what you'd expect to do on a street with that name. And why not? Have a look at this water and see if you can guess why it's called Côte d'Azur. (Hint: rough translation--The Coast of Blue)

Much to my surprise, the beach was not sandy, but rocky. That didn't keep thousands of sunbathers from spreading a blanket and soaking up some rays. Before long, the French vacation season will start and there won't be enough space to throw a beach towel down without landing on someone.

Tomorrow, we'll actually have a look around Avignon before heading off to Lyon. Stay tuned!