Marseille Bucket List (along with a few things we have already done)

Josh and I have six months left in Marseille – where on Earth did our first month go??

Unfortunately I’ve been dealing with a massive case of homesickness which has made it difficult to properly settle in and enjoy all that Marseille has to offer (which, in turn, has perpetuated the homesickness…)

So, as a way to overcome the pangs of loneliness and need for all that is beloved and familiar, I am creating a bucket list of “musts” for the next six months. Simultaneously taking my mind off missing everything and everyone back in Perth, and having a good time here too. Win win!

My list is mostly to do with places to be in and experience, rather than going on tours or other common “tourist” activities. For me it’s about getting under the skin of a place and learning how to integrate, rather than spending a fortune on that sort of thing. I just like to get around and see for myself the hum of a place.

So without further ado, here is my list:

1. Hiking in the Calanques. I have done this already and would definitely do it again, and recommend it to anyone!!
2. Have an ice cream at EGO cafe at Cours Julien. They let you scoop your own flavours, of which there are many, and charge you by the weight. Josh had an organic rosemary honey ice cream there yesterday and it was delish!
3. Go on a day trip to Aix-en-Provence – it’s really close to Marseille and it’s a charming town, very easy to walk around and see it all in a day. Just don’t bother doing the Cezanne trail: we found it very underwhelming and nothing particularly relevant to Cezanne on it.
4. Enjoy happy hour on the Vieux Port. It lasts from 5pm to 9pm every day, and there’s a really nice vibe in the area.
5. Go and have dinner at a North African restaurant. Marseille is a very diverse city with a vibrant North African scene so it seems like a waste to not try out some yummy food, especially since you don’t really get too many Senegalese or Algerian, etc, places back in little ol’ Perth!
6. Have a drink at one of the places overlooking the sea, such as Bistrot Plage. On the pricier end but worth it for the views.
7. Walk all the way up to Notre Dame de la Garde. If nothing else, the climb up the hill will prepare us for the next time we go hiking in the Calanques (!)
8. Try bouillabaisse. It’s Marseille’s most famous culinary tradition – can’t leave without trying it!! Just gotta work out where to get some that isn’t served in a tourist trap…
9. Spend an afternoon at a cafe. Taking it slow and soaking up atmosphere appears to be a national past time (along with cancelling trains, but we won’t go there now). Plus it’s long been a dream to be in France, and go to a cafe, while away a few hours, watch passers-by, and write stories.
10. Check out some live music at Cours Julien. Apparently at night time it’s a very bustling place – more so than during the day, when it’s already quite busy – sounds like it’d be fun to check out.
11. Sketch some of the street scenes, shop fronts and roof tops. The roof tops! I cannot impress upon people how much joy they bring me. A maze of terracotta tiles and chimney pots all going this way and that. I love them so much.
12. Go to the Four des Navettes, the oldest bakery in Marseille, and try navettes, Marseille’s local biscuit. While we’re on the subject of bakeries, do people realise just how much power bakers actually have in France? Teachers and railway companies may strike and that’s a pain but life goes on. Should bakers ever go on strike… oh man, the whole country would be brought to its knees.
13. Check out La Friche La Belle de Mai, which sounds like it is only open in summer, so hopefully it’ll already be open in early May next year as we might not be here in summer. But if we can make it there, it sounds like it’d be worth the trip. Apparently it is a former tobacco factory that has been converted into an art and cultural space and now houses workshops, events and shops.
14. Visit the Roman Docks Museum. Somewhat surprisingly, I don’t *love* a lot of museums (maybe I’m just going to the wrong ones??) but I think seeing all the Roman artefacts that have been found in the port would probably be quite interesting. This is also the reason why I’m not including MuCEM in this list.
15. Go to Palais Longchamp and see the “zoo” of animal statues, and the fine art gallery. The only reason I haven’t done this already is that it’s closed until December.

So yeah, that’s my list! If I learn about any more awesome things here in Marseille I’ll let you know. I can’t wait to try out as many things as I can while we’re living here over the next six months. Do you know, even just writing this has really helped my homesickness. I’m more excited now, and less yearning for home.