getaways

North Meets South

Diversity in Marseille

Just three hours from Paris by train lies Marseille, an unusual French city warmed by
the Mediterranean sun and flavored by a distinctly North African feel. Marseille is
Frances biggest port city and has served for centuries as a gateway between Europe
and the Maghreb (Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco). While all of France has a large
percentage of Maghrebi immigrants and their descendants, Marseilles population is
especially diverse. The citys vibrant blend of cultures makes it unlike any other place
in France.

Photo by Jared Rutman; all rights reserved

Le Panier

The oldest neighborhood in

Marseille, le Panier, is also its most
charming. Its a vibrant collection
of homes, restaurants, art galleries,
people, and cultures. At the Atelier
Arterra, visitors can watch painters
add color to hand-made nativity
miniatures known as santons. Le
Glacier du Roi features beautiful ice
cream desserts, keeping with the
French adage that presentation
is half of the taste. At her store,
Adjanas, a Togolese woman named
Adjara Nassiki sells her own line of
unique, colorful clothing for women
that has been described as a mix of
cultures.
Jared Rutman, a Californian
who interned in Marseille, got lost
in le Panier on the way to visit an
old, blind woman. Watching the
Marseillais (a term for the local
people) playing ptanque and taking
their lunches slowly at outdoor cafs,
he marveled that this was real life
for those people. When at last he
found the womans house, to Jareds
surprise, she gave him a tour of the
area. You tell me what street were
on, and Ill tell you which way to
turn, she said. Then she showed

When the Nazis occupied France during WWII, resistance fighters and Jews hid in the mazelike neighborhood called le Panier.

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Street Art

Touristy But Not

Overrated

Especially around the cours Julien,

a neighborhood that the citys
tourism website calls famous for
its artists, rebels, musicians, and
bobos [hipsters], a stroll through
Marseilles streets can be like a trip to
a museuma street art museum.
Last July, to celebrate its street art,
the cours Julien hosted Marseilles
first street art festival. Spectators
flocked to the sixth arrondissement
to see performances by professional
street artists, who were invited to
create new works of art using spray
paint, stencils, collage, wire, and
photo projections. Between 6:30 and
midnight one evening, nine different
galleries spiced up their street-art
exhibitions with music, dancing,

These attractions are popular,

but no trip to Marseille would be
complete without them.

ride can get you to this incredible

coastline, where limestone valleys
descend directly into the sea.
Beneath the Calanque de Morgiou
is the Cosquer Cave, accessible
only by scuba diving. Paleolithic
people painted and engraved 177
animals, 65 hand stencils, and 216
geometric figures on the walls
of the vast chamber that todays
present sea level has left intact.

him landmarks like her favorite

grocery store and the bar where she
always goes to drink with her friends.
Marseille became a real place for
me, Jared remembered.

18 fall 2015

Notre Dame de la Garde: A

unique cathedral decorated in red

and white stone and strung with
miniature sailboats, Notre Dame de
la Garde is also the highest point in
Marseille, affording an incredible

A Detour to Algeria

view of the city and the sea.

Vieux Port: Marseilles main

harbor is the perfect place for

people-watching, outdoor dining
(try moules fritesmussels with
french fries), and admiring both

Above: The March de Noailles is a cultural synthesis where French baguettes and oriental
flatbread are sold side by side. Top Left: Residents of Marseille barter for fresh fish at the
March de Noailles.

Photography by Jared Rutman; all rights reserved

sea and sailboats.

Photography by Jared Rutman; all rights reserved

Bordered by tiny tea shops and

oriental bakeries, a market called
the March des Capucins (more
commonly known as March de
Noailles, after its metro stop) is
the first place visitors should go to
experience the blending of cultures
that is Marseille. The booths
stretching along the rue Longue des
Capucins offer every exotic spice
and herb you can imagine. Native
Marseillais and native Algerians alike
agree that this market, which also
sells produce, fish, spicy sausage,
North African pastilla, oriental
flatbread, and French baguettes,
seems to come straight out of North
Africa. Its vegetables are the cheapest,
its mid-morning sales are promising,
and its popularity never wanes
the market is always bustling with
French, Africans, and tourists alike.

Massif des Calanques: An

invigorating hike or a scenic boat

Savon de Marseille: The city

has been producing high-quality

The limestone coastline drops straight into the Mediterranean Sea at the calanques.

and drinks. This event was typical

of Marseilles vibrant nightlife, and
further street art festivals are sure to
come.
Atelier Juxtapoz provides a twohour walking tour through Marseille
with a guide who specializes in art
history. The tour is geared toward
youth ages ten and up, as are
Juxtapozs graffiti workshops, which
allow youth to collaborate on a new
piece of street art.

hard soap for over 600 years. It is

72% oil and comes in a rainbow
of colors and scents.

Throughout the year, average

temperatures range from 45 to 75
degrees Fahrenheit. In southern
fashion, the atmosphere of Marseille
is more relaxed than that of Paris, and
the beaches are always full. But aside
from the pull of its coastal location,
Marseille attracts visitors with its
promise of a rich blend of cultures
and a glimpse into what happens
when North Africa meets France.

Lauren McCombs

Synthesis

Its hard to be in Marseille and not

feel like youre on vacation.

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