Provence

Harbour inCassis

In between the mountains of France and the Mediterranean lies the region of France known as Provence. Our ship docked in the port of Toulon. Due to the size of our ship (huge!), we were docked in the industrial area of Toulon where there was really not a lot to see. No worries, we were off for a tour of two seaside towns: Cassis and Sanary along with a quick scenic tour of Marseille and a stop at the Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica.

Cassis is a small seaside resort village. We visited on a Sunday morning so very little was open. We did walk around the harbour for a bit and we took a few pictures. There was a market along the harbour front full of fresh cheeses, olives, breads, and fruits and vegetables.

From Cassis we travelled on to Sanary, another seaside town nestled between the mountainous French Alps and the Mediterranean Sea. In Sanary we came upon a local parade with folks dressed in traditional costume. We aren't sure what the parade was about, but there was also a large wine festival with tastings going on at the same time.

The waterfront in Sanary. We ate lunch at one of the cafes here.

Local parade in Sanary. 

As you can probably tell, it was a rainy day on the French Riviera. Our tour guide was quick to point out that rainy days are rare here and that the rain was definitely needed. Oh well, on to Marseille. After a "scenic tour" of Marseille, as in looking out of the steamy bus windows as we drove past in the rain, we reached our destination: The Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica.

The Basilica sits on the highest point of the city and faces towards the sea. Locals refer to the basilica as la bonne mère ("the good mother"). It is the site of an annual pilgrimage every Assumption Day, which is 15 August. The inside of the Basilica is quite interesting and we have included some photos here. After leaving the Basilica we returned to the ship where we enjoyed a fabulous dinner and  a great show. Hopefully tomorrow we will escape the rain!