Puzzleology

Days 9-11: Marseilles

July 19, 2010 at 1:15 pm | Posted in Travel | 1 Comment

Before Marseilles I spent a day at the Barcelona airport (10 hour layover). I was a bit sad knowing I would miss the second half of the World Cup game, but at least I could enjoy the fans at the airport watch the first half. I was pleasantly surprised when at the half I checked the board and my plane was delayed by an hour, which meant I could watch the second half. As I watched each Spanish goal opportunity pass by, I wished desperately that they would score before regulation ended. Alas, my luck was not present, and I spent extra time sitting on the plane. We were waiting to leave the gate when suddenly, a passenger behind me shouted, “GOL ESPAÑA! GOL ESPAÑA!” and the plane erupted in cheering and applause. Minutes before we took off, the captain announced that Spain was new world champion.

That was my World Cup final experience in Spain.

Now onto Marseilles. Marseilles is a port town, the second largest city in Paris, and home to the famous bouillabaisse dish. Sightseeing-wise, there are few places to see. Notre Dame on the hill affords a panoramic view of the city, Chateau d’If is famous for it’s appearance in Alexander Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo, and Palais Longchamp is breathtaking.

The major shopping area along Rue de la Republique is pretty commercialized, but beyond that the city is like a web of older buildings.

Bouillabaisse, according to Wikipedia, is Marseille’s specialty dish that is, put simply, a fish stew. Guidebooks direct you to the Miramar restaurant by the Vieux Port; the bouillabaisse there will cost you 58 euros. We got ours as part of a fixed priced menu for 20 euros…it might have been an “imitation”, but it was certainly an experience. We spread rouille on a toasted slice of bread and dipped it in the soup, then ate the rest of the broth, which contained fish, mussels, and potato. It had quite a salty, and fishy, taste.