Marseille
The rebellious side of the city might feel especially apparent in the shattered windows and boarded-up shops that have followed recent protests, but the perception of Marseille as the edgier cousin of Provence is perhaps as lazy as it is unfair — after all, anywhere can prove uninviting in the wrong visiting hands.
Really, it isn’t comparable to its glossier neighbours dotted along the French Riviera, which can cast an unfavourable light over France’s oldest city, founded in 600 BC as Greek colony Massalia. The settlement — also Europe’s oldest to be continuously inhabited — remained independent for centuries, but eventually became part of France in 1482, when King Louis XI inherited Marseille after the death of René d’Anjou, Count of Provence. As such, it seems to have always maintained a free-spirited streak, with the Marseillaise as proud of their rich maritime legacy as they are of the modern arts and culture scene that’s emerged in more recent years.
While the historic port can feel inevitably chaotic, surrounding neighbourhoods provide respite with cool open squares, markets, parks and walls splashed with street art — most famous being the brightly coloured staircase of the lively and bohemian Cours Julien. Le Panier (or ‘The Basket’), our home for the weekend, is the oldest district in the city and boasts village-like winding streets that offer up the occasional glimpse of the sea. With its narrow roads tightly packed with bars, restaurants, boutiques and even a museum dedicated entirely to pétanque, the bright blue La Maison de la Boule, it doesn’t take long to find instant favourites — like Tout Vin à Point, a natural wine spot selling organic and biodynamic wines that can be drunk streetside alongside locals, chewing at cheese and charcuterie or homemade galettes as you do so.
Whatever you do, though, be sure to find time between bowls of bouillabaisse and moules mariniere to seek out some panisse, Marseille’s trademark golden fritters made from earthy chickpea flour, which go perfectly with a cold glass of rosé and are as addictive as any bar snack. It’s believed the dish made its way over via Italian immigrants who cameto work in the nearby L’Estaque factories, with many other spots in the Mediterranean sporting their own variations — panelle in Sicily, socca in Nice and cade in Toulon. We enjoyed a plate of them with a herby tomato dip at Le Comptoir aux Huiles, and another with curried mayonnaise at Le Bistrot Des Dames over in Place aux Huilles near Vieux Port, but realistically it feels hard to ever go wrong with salty, deep-fried batter come apéro time.
The city is also home to a huge north African community, with everyone having their own opinion about where to find the best cous cous, from Sur le Pouce on the port to Le Femina chez Kachete (where, controversially, it is made out of barley not wheat). There’s even a festival dedicated to the stuff, Kouss-Kouss, held in late August each year with a theme for 2023 of ‘blue fish’.
Once stomachs are suitably satisfied, you’ll have just about enough energy to make it up to the hilltop basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde, which has incredible panoramic views to soak up as you recover. Thankfully, there’s also a tourist train that chugs its way up to the top, but be prepared for a long queue. The stunning vista from the 150-metre altitude make the church seem almost secondary, not least because at sea level lies an arguably even more spectacular building, the Cathedrale de la Major, which has no steep incline to reach its distinctive red doors, but somehow manages to evoke even greater grandeur and scale.
There are several beaches in and near Marseille — a perk in itself for any seaside city, even if these could never match the charm of other spots further along the coast. But while the inner-city beaches usually struggle under the weight of crowds, it takes relatively little effort to reach the Îles du Frioul, an archipelago that once served as the heart of mainland plague prevention, offering quarantine for visiting ships. In the 1970s, it was transformed into a resort after being handed over to Marseille from the Navy, and it is now home to around 100-150 permanent residents.
Easily accessible for day trips from Marseille, it takes just 20 minutes on a ferry to reach Frioul, costing €11 for a return ticket. However, those planning to stay a little longer can also make the most of accommodation and restaurants along the Port du Frioul, where the ferry arrives. Le Commodore has decent seafood at reasonable prices (just don’t order an old fashioned, which arrives inexplicably looking like a tall glass of orange juice), as does next door neighbour Lou Frieu, which serves its speciality of mussels with slightly off-piste sauce combinations like goats’ cheese or roquefort — perhaps not a combination you were after, but bonus points for creativity.
The island of Ratonneau has two beaches, Saint-Estève and Calanque de Morgiret — the latter of which has toilets and a shop close by — but you’re better off making the trip across the connecting pass to Pomègues, which is home to a series of smaller coves, each signposted by markers showing you the way via rocky paths from the main route. Calanque de la Crine is seen as the most beautiful, but you won’t do badly by just walking along and seeing whichever calanque looks most inviting, and has a nice, smooth rock for you to snooze away in between dips in the crystal-clear water.
The only thing that will make leaving this strange island paradise even remotely bearable? A half-French baby niece to visit in Branoux-les-Taillades.