Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, please confirm event/venue details in advance.
France : Marseille - December 2008 Country Code: Dial ++33 for France
Though chilly, winter in Marseille
has more bark than bite. Events
like the lively Santon Fair (1-31
December) – where the streets
throng with local artisans selling
hand-painted clay fi gures that
depict traditional nativity scenes
– and the pre-Christmas son et
lumière (sound and light) shows
along La Canebière ensure there’s
lashings of festive cheer. Heidi
Fuller-Love reports
Getting around
Marseille-Provence
Bus: A shuttle bus connects the airport with the centre of Marseille every 20 minutes or so, and the journey takes between 25 and 30 minutes. Tickets cost €8,50.
Taxi: A taxi to the centre of Marseille from the airport costs about €40 during the day and €50 at night. The journey takes around 30 minutes.
Tourist information: The main office can be found at 4 La Canebière, close to Vieux Port (tel. (0)4 9113 8900, www.marseilletourisme.com).
VIEUX PORT
With its sparkling yachts, buzzing
cafés and sizzling nightlife, the city’s
mythical port is an ideal spot to beat
those winter blues.
Sleep soundly – When night slides its
chilly sheet across the sparkling sea,
retire to one of the spacious rooms of
the New Hotel Vieux Port, a
cosy little bolthole with stunning views
across the harbour.
Culture vultures – Find out what’s hot
(and what’s not) at the glitzy Musée de
la Mode (11 La Canebière), a fascinating
museum tracing French fashion since
the dizzy 30s via a dazzling collection of
clothing and accessories.
Must eat – Beat the winter chill with a
steaming bowl of bouillabaisse, a garlic
and saffron-flavoured fish stew created
by local fishermen and now favoured by
royalty. One of the best places in town to
try it is Restaurant Miramar (12 Quai du
Port, tel. (0)4 9191 1040). For something
slightly cheaper, head to La Kahena
(2 Rue de la République, tel. (0)4 9190
6193), a Tunisian restaurant popular with
locals which serves tajines (meat and
vegetables seasoned with spices such
as coriander and caraway seeds and
cooked in a special dish made of clay),
mechoui (whole, spit-roasted lamb)
City lowdown
and 10 different types of couscous.
Must drink – Get chummy at the
cramped-but-cosy Pelle Melle (8 Place
aux Huiles), an atmospheric jazz bar
where internationally renowned
musicians perform five nights a week.
Dance the night away – Hang out at
the Metal Café (20 Rue Fortia), a
glamorous nightspot that pulls in a cool
clientele. The gleaming metal décor
here mirrors the turntables spinning hot
house and salsa.
Shop til you drop – Warm your
cockles at the raucous fish market
(mornings on the Quai des Belges),
where fishermen compete vociferously
to sell their catch.
LA PLAINE DISTRICT AND LE COURS JULIEN
Packed with antique stores and
fashionable boutiques, this chic little
quartier sandwiched between
the Chave boulevard and
the Noailles district
throngs with musicians,
artists and a smattering
of backpackers.
Sleep soundly – Hipsters seeking
shelter after a heavy night on the town
can snooze peacefully at the l’Hôtel
Saint Louis, a surprisingly
luxurious little two-star hotel in a
refurbished Napoleonic building on a
semi-pedestrian sidestreet just around
the corner from the Cours Julien
Culture vultures – Soak up some of
that electric local vibe at l’Espace
Julien (39 Cours Julien, espace-julien.
com), an achingly trendy music and arts
venue that hosts an eclectic range of
performers. You’ll hear everything from
Piaf-inspired chanteuses to the latest
strains of modern jazz here.
Must eat – Trendy diners should hoof it
to Le Tire-Bouchon (11 Cours Julien,
tel. (0)4 9142 4903), an upmarket
bistro-style restaurant with varnished
wood tables, chintzy turn-of-the-century
décor and an extensive wine list. A chic
crowd comes here to sup on oysters au
gratin (baked in a cheese sauce), foie
gras and lobster. For a cheaper option,
slip round the corner to the live-wire La
Plaine district and tuck into titbits like
camembert pôelé (hot camembert) and
escabéche (lightly fried fish preserved
in a vinegar marinade) at the Casa No
Name (7 Rue André Poggioli, tel. (0)4
9147 7582). The restaurant hosts live
music nights and is perennially popular
with the city’s gay contingent.
Shop til you drop – Soffee Shop (132
Rue d’Aubagne) sells kitschy pieces,
vibrant ceramics and chic accessories,
all made by local designers. Greenfingered
folk should make a beeline for
The Flowerbox Gallery (80
Cours Julien), an
innovative art shop
where the tableaux
and wall hangings
are made out of
potted plants.
Compiled by Heidi Fuller-Love
Previous issues for Marseille
Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, please confirm event/venue details in advance.
