Chateaus and Baskets

[Large fish market at the port]
I actually slept in a bit today--and there was much rejoicing (yea!). Despite the creaky wood beds (they look nice, but I have discerned that all bunk beds squeak and shake no matter the material) and the two French speaking guys who woke up in the middle of the night to an alarm, left the room, came back a while later (I fell back asleep), and proceeded to talk for quite some time until I said something about trying to sleep I managed to sleep quite well. I was off and walking by 9:30am to tour the town and take in the few highlights.

My day began with a ferry to Chateau D'If which you will recognize from Alexandre Dumas' book The Count of Monte Cristo. A whopping 3.5km from the port, the island is a small rocky plateau off the shore. Just NW there are 2-3 more islands (Frioul is one). The views of the town were excellent and put the area into perspective. The dual forts guarding the port are visible amongst the few tall, modern office buildings to the N and the Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde high on a hill to the S. The island is covered with random grasses, clovers and small ground coverings amidst the smooth, pale white rock. The fort has three round towers and a central courtyard. It was strategically built in the early 1500s to protect the town from sieges after Charles V overran the town. Dubbed the "unsightly neighbor," the townspeople lamented the fort as an image of imperial power. Marseille retained rights to their own protection when they were annexed to France in 1481. Four floors of old cells and empty rooms comprise the Chateau. Some were no more than 4 walls and some were more like apartments with fireplaces and areas to cook. My info pamphlet said that some families would have their sons sent here by letters of state which bypassed a trial and committed them to the island until further notice. A few rented the apartments out and had reasonable stays. Others who were less fortunate prisoners (some were traitors, many were protestants and friars--thanks to Catholic France back in the day) ended up in spartan cells with miserable ends. It was a fun tour and entertaining owing to my love of the novel which made the Chateau truly famous.

[Seagull nest]
From here I spotted a place for lunch, but had an hour before they started serving the menu option I wanted. I hiked up the hill to the Basilique. It's quite a ways up! The board at the church noted it at an altitude of 147m though I didn't catch how high the actual town is. Inside the ceiling is gilded with beautiful, shiny mosaics depicting biblical stories and has a lovely glow to it. It might have helped the feeling of warmth that there were candles burning and I was inside out of the wind and rain.

Back at the restaurant I endeavored to order using as much French as possible. It's a bit easier when you read it right off the menu. I chose the Le Trio which was a starter (Le Turrine de Legumes Provencal), a main dish (Boulliabasse et Roche) and dessert (La Suggestion du Chef) for E17. I thought I had chosen a red wine, but it turned out to be white though I think that was a better choice in the end. In a short time the waiter said the starter I chose wasn't available so I opted for the Soupe du Poisson (fish soup) which a guy at the last hostel said I should definitely try. It turned out to be quite yummy. The dark broth had bits of spice and fish remnants (more like the dark brown bits between the meat and the skin) floating amongst it. What I didn't know was that the Boulliabasse was basically fish soup with fish and potatoes in it. So my second course was almost identical to the first. Oh well. The dessert, however, was fabulous. The waiter didn't remember that I chose the chef's choice, so I ended up selecting the chocolate cake. Wow was that delicious! In layers were yellow cake and chocolate truffle like substance. On top a bitter chocolate sauce and slivered almonds. It was a large slice too--probably 6" long and 4" high. I was definitely moving slow after this meal.

Two things were left on my to do list for the day: check out the Marseille history museum and wander the Le Panier Quarter again hoping the shops would be open. Turns out the history museum is closed for the next month or until the end of the month. Le Panier was somewhat of a bust as well. Apparently Sunday and Monday are days off for much of the town. I did manage to come across a biscuit shop that smelled heavenly where I picked up 200g (about 7.1 oz.) of biscuits for after dinner snacks. I found 3 of the other shops on my map, but they were all closed. By the time I had wandered for about an hour I was in great need of a bathroom and rather tired. Time for a nap at the hostel. The evening was relaxed with working on the blog, eating up my Asian chicken rice mix and chatting with friends. Excited for day trips to start tomorrow!