Le Vieux Port, Marseille
December 6th 2009 23:19
Marseille is a city shaped by the Mediterranean. It sits on the edge of the south of France, in a landscape where stunted trees and scrub cling tenaciously to the rocky windswept hillsides. Its old buildings are fashioned from the solid pink-tinged stone of much of the south of France. Its modern buildings are shiny glass and steel, reflecting the sea and the sky, recalling the shape of waves and the colours of water. Its people are Mediterranean - Africans, North Africans and French coloured, moulded and tempered by the sea. The sea informs its culture - art, fashion and cuisine.
Le vieux port, or the old port, is one of Marseille's, most beautiful spots. It also encapsulates the essence of this ancient Mediterranean port.
Thick stone ramparts and forts guard it against the wind, the sea and attacks from long forgotten foes. From a distant hill, a walled church and monastery watch over the forest of masts on its still waters. Stores selling shipping supplies, striped seamen’s jerseys, boat shoes and slickers, fishing tackle and souvenirs line one side of the port. On the other, grand old buildings glow in the sun. Dark, narrow lanes lead away from the waters edge to sunny open squares edged by apartment buildings with ornate facades and tall shuttered windows. Cafes and restaurants with broad street-side terraces sell bouillabaisse and fruits de la mer. The air is steeped in the smell and feel of the sea.
Le vieux port
Le vieux port, or the old port, is one of Marseille's, most beautiful spots. It also encapsulates the essence of this ancient Mediterranean port.
Le Vieux Port at sunset
Thick stone ramparts and forts guard it against the wind, the sea and attacks from long forgotten foes. From a distant hill, a walled church and monastery watch over the forest of masts on its still waters. Stores selling shipping supplies, striped seamen’s jerseys, boat shoes and slickers, fishing tackle and souvenirs line one side of the port. On the other, grand old buildings glow in the sun. Dark, narrow lanes lead away from the waters edge to sunny open squares edged by apartment buildings with ornate facades and tall shuttered windows. Cafes and restaurants with broad street-side terraces sell bouillabaisse and fruits de la mer. The air is steeped in the smell and feel of the sea.
Shops in Le Vieux Port
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