planet mars | travel | the guardian

planet mars | travel | the guardian jump to content [s] jump to site navigation [0] jump to search [4] terms and conditions [8] sign in | register text larger | smaller home oct 21 2007: today's paper jobs back to online version search: guardian unlimited travel web travel home | find a place | types of trip | readers' tips | short breaks | hotels | restaurants | book a trip | offers planet mars the new tgv route means you can get to france's newly-hip second city on a fast train from london. alix sharkey reports alix sharkey the guardian saturday june 30 2001 it's easy to while away a few hours in marseille my friend omar says, "if you call a mate in marseille, he's with you in 15 minutes. if you call a pal in paris, he'll call you a week later to push the rendezvous back another day." i called omar a couple of months ago for advice on a story about marseille. half-an-hour later, we sat sipping beer in café parisien (1 place sadi-carnot, tel: 04 91 90 05 77), a timeless belle-époque bar whose shaven-headed host gilbert plays house music while his customers play chess. omar read my mind. "of course," he said, "they tried to yuppify this city, but it hasn't really worked yet." maybe, but that hasn't stopped marseille becoming the hippest spot in france. having finally shaken off its reputation as a delapidated, drug-addled den of iniquity, planet mars - as younger residents call it - is currently enjoying a cultural renaissance, as fashion, film and hi-tech companies relocate there. "there is a definite buzz about marseille at the moment," says francis thomazeau, a paris-based novelist and publisher who travels regularly to marseille for business and pleasure. "the city has always had a very strong character, but now it's becoming more open, more confident about its future." certainly, the rest of france is rediscovering this wonderfully brash and pungent city, with its medieval stone streets, palm trees, terrace cafés and magnificent views of the mediterranean, whose blue is supposedly rendered deeper as a result of the mistral, the fierce wind that cleans the city's air, and is said to drive its residents a little bit crazy. with a new high-speed tgv link that puts paris only three hours away, and london less than seven, the recent surge in marseille property prices is not hard to explain. so far, the traffic is all one-way. while parisians put aside long-held prejudices, les marseillais remain fiercely proud of their cultural and physical distance from the capital, which they regard as a neurotic and pretentious upstart. marseille, they will tell you, was founded more than 2,600 years ago by greek-speaking sailors from the ionian city-state of phocea, who called it masallia - a name still used regularly for bars and restaurants, social clubs and football banners. and marseille has its own distinct food and drink, climate, accent, manners, and a way of life more reminiscent of barcelona and athens than that of say, paris or bordeaux. the best place to start exploring is the vieux port, which according to legend is protected by the golden statue of notre dame de la garde, the city's symbol, which looks down from the hilltop church above. though the docks moved long ago to port de la joliette, on the other side of le panier, the vieux port is still the city's heart and soul, and even to this day has a fresh fish market every morning. meanwhile, tourists and locals alike flock to the bars, pubs and restaurants along quai de la rive neuve, on the southern side of this rectangular basin, which now serves as a marina for the city's boat-owners, as well as the perfect location to drink a pastis and watch the sun set over the bay. the area just behind quai de la rive neuve is full of fish restaurants of all kinds, nearly all offering a version of marseille's very own fish stew, the famous bouillabaisse. but beware: though it began life as a poor sailor's dinner, cobbled together with the remnants of the daily catch, bouillabaisse is now an expensive dish, since it contains at least six different fish, including conger eel, monkfish, scorpion fish and john dory. prices start around ffr200 (£20) a serving, which means that if you're paying less, it's probably not a real bouillabaisse. "better a good fish soup than a poor bouillabaisse," is the local injunction. indeed, four top marseillais restaurants have even drawn up a "bouillabaisse charter", which supposedly guarantees authenticity. of these, le rhul (296b, corniche jf kennedy, tel: 04 91 52 54 54) with its sweeping view of the bay, is the most prestigious and expensive (president chirac lunches there when in marseille), while le miramar (12 quai du port, tel: 04 91 91 10 40) supposedly serves the tastiest. further along the same street, caruso (158 quai du port, tel: 04 91 90 94 04) also offers italian food. but for a romantic location, nothing compares to chez fonfon (140 vallon des auffes, tel: 04 91 52 14 38). the vallon des auffes - basically a rocky inlet hollowed out over the centuries by the sea - is hidden away and only accessible from the corniche via a number of tiny alleys leading to stone stairways. not suprisingly, its history is replete with tales of smugglers and contraband. further along the corniche jf kennedy are a series of artificial but perfectly presentable beaches, the best of which run between plage borely and la pointe rouge, a breezy, californian-style strip that attracts a youngish crowd, complete with sun-visors, rollerblades and frisbees. besides the surfer-style bars and burger restaurants, families with older children will appreciate the grassy areas beside the beach where kids can play football, and the local skateboard park. organised activities range from windsuring to playing - or if that's too strenuous, merely watching - pétanque. even further, yet still part of the city, is les goudes and the start of the calanques, a series of dozens of tiny coves sheltered by steep banks of white rock, dotted with charming little diy shacks called cabanons where marseillais families escape for the weekend. unfortunately, these are jealously guarded private dwellings, handed down through the generations, and definitely not for hire. but the area is still worth a visit, especially if you need to escape the sometimes claustrophobic city centre. tucked away in the rocky headland, protected from the weather, and with their own tiny beaches, the calanques offer an unexpected tranquil ity just a few kilometres from the bustling vieux port. several of the larger ones have their own pizzeria and bar, but little else except a beautiful view of the deep blue, the cry of gulls overhead, and the potted flowers that locals use to decorate their houses. all this is a far cry from the tight medieval streets and ancient stone stairways of le panier, on the other side of the vieux port, behind the hotel de ville and the blocks of former warehouses which have been converted into magnificent waterside loft apartments. from the quai de la rive neuve, le panier is best reached by traversing the vieux port on "the world's shortest ferry", a 300-metre crossing that takes a gentle two minutes and costs ffr5. once the city's most notorious area, renowned for its prostitutes and gangsters, le panier has come up in the world since the area was redeveloped in the early 90s: the only shooting that takes place around here these days is done on 35mm film. during my visit, omar pointed out veteran french movie star alain delon's airstream trailer, parked outside the theatre de lenche, where he was filming. nowadays a thriving business centre, though still with a few corners to be avoided after dark, the quartier is dotted with neighbourhood bars serving that viscous, deliciously potent green liqueur called chartreuse, straight from the freezer in a frosted glass. omar's favourite is le berry, opposite the hotel de police on the aptly named rue du refuge. the decor is plain, but the welcome is warm and the snacks are tasty. for restaurants not devoted to seafood, head for the area around the opera, in particular rue sainte, where you'll find la part des anges, a very hip wine bar-cum-bistro with more than 300 vintages, where you can literally drink your way around france. stagger down the street a few hundred metres and you'll find la ferme (23 rue sainte, tel: 04 91 33 21 12) one of the better restaurants in an area known for good food. the ffr230, four-course menu is excellent value, and the pavé de saumon with sautéed red cabbage and balsamic vinegar is a particular highlight. it is worth noting that it is closed saturday lunchtime and sunday. still in the same street is le bistro à vin (7 rue sainte, tel: 04 91 54 02 20) where a rustic provencal dinner with wine will set you back around ffr200. finally, no visit to marseille is complete without watching olympique de marseille, the only french football team to have won the european cup - they were stripped of their domestic title and relegated the next season after a bribery scandal. or rather, watching the astonishing spectacle put on by the country's most partisan supporters, who, for all their fervour, are a resolutely friendly lot. tickets can be purchased at bars all around the vieux port or online at www.olympiquedemarseille.com. there is nothing quite like the sight of 60,000 fans jumping up and down singing something unprintable about the opposition to the tune of yellow submarine while a banner unfurls to cover one entire side of the stadium. despite all the noise and fireworks, security is tight, and everybody leaves the stadium in an orderly fashion to eat in the many local restaurants. because when all's said and done, marseille is still a french city, and french life will always revolve around the table. way to go current special tgv med offer, with eurostar from london and then changing to tgv at lille or paris valid for travel until 12 august, is £95 standard and £145 first. conditions: seven-day advance purchase and must include a saturday night or two nights away. bookings from rail europe on 08705 848 848 or from the travel centre, 179 piccadilly, london w1. other agents selling tickets include: european rail (020-7387 0444, e-mail: sales@europeanrail.demon.co.uk); ultima travel (0151-339 6171) and freedom rail (01252 728 506, www.freedomrail.com). buzz (0870 2407070, www.buzzaway.com) flies to marseille from £35 - £150 one way, british airways (0845 7733377, www.britishairways.com) from £98.50 return. read full article 1 2 3 · next page print | share | email share close digg reddit google bookmarks yahoo! my web del.icio.us stumbleupon newsvine livejournal facebook blinklist email close recipient's email address your name add a note (optional) more on… travel france marseille the guardian guardian saturday travel section related information latest news on guardian unlimited news turkey bombards northern iraq after ambush sport raikkonen wins f1 championship travel space, the final frontier book a trip today book flights compare the best flight deals to marseille book hotels compare the best hotel deals in marseille guardian holiday offers arran 'scotland in miniature' by air – 5 days from £445pp scenic scottish railways – 4 days from £295pp travel classifieds free holiday brochures sponsored features qualified nurse - mental health staffnurse.com. we are looking for qualified rmn nurses to work in…. negotiable. care assistant staffnurse.com. berry medical are a recruitment agency looking to…. 6.46 - 10.72. experienced manager breslin nursing bureau limited. ealing w5. unspecified. browse all jobs related information related pictures ocean landscapes (12 pictures) france gallery (15 pictures) best veggie b&bs in france (8 pictures) related articles october 20 2007 10 top ski resorts from the exotic resort of gulmarg in india to the great family resort of flaine in france. france october 16 2007 top 10 alternative ski bases swap big mainstream resorts for a stylish, more individual skiing holiday lower down the mountain. chris madigan picks 10 of the best valley-based places to stay. france october 14 2007 so which ski resort is best for us? whether beginner, ski veteran, party animal or boarder, our panel of ski experts can suggest an ideal destinations for you, from quaint villages to raucous resorts. france october 14 2007 don't risk it: ski resorts with guaranteed snow saas fee | whistler | val thorens | tignes | hintertux france september 8 2007 rugby, or relax marseille's stade velodrome will be bustling with hordes of running brutes over the next month or so, as the rugby world cup rolls into town. marseille | france june 17 2006 university challenge benji lanyado is a third-year university student at manchester university. this month, he journeyed to marseille. marseille | france may 29 2005 a blend of the exotic and earthy france's second city is a refreshing antidote to paris: laid-back, vibrant and a little bit edgy. tom templeton selects the highlights. marseille | france october 9 2004 don't pass the port the southern city has been saddled with its sinister french connection image for three decades, but kieran falconer finds it has a cool, cultured side too. marseille | france september 30 2003 on the waterfront once home to smugglers and gangsters, marseille has long inspired film-makers and novelists. tramping from brasseries to back streets, simon busch sees why. france | marseille september 28 2003 now you really can afford the bouillabaisse marseille. france | marseille readers’ tips marseille: la virgule restaurant friendly restaurant near the old port with imaginative cooking. three-course menu (27 euros in the evening) offers excellent value for money. we… posted by philipb aug 16 2007 marseille: cours julien a square on top of a hill full of people, cafés, bookshops and a big fountain. come here to get away from the crowds on the vieux port and see beautiful… posted by julesinfrance jul 23 2007 marseille: chez etienne restaurant in the centre of "le panier", the oldest quarter of marseille. always packed, this is a restaurant without menus or, perhaps worryingly… posted by julesinfrance jul 23 2007 marseille: taking a train along the côte bleue take the train from marseille heading west through the coastal villages of niolon, carry le rouet, sausset les pins. the track runs along the posted by julesinfrance jul 23 2007 marseille: la friche de la belle de mai this was an area of industrial wasteland with some falling down buildings that has been converted into one of the cultural and artistic centres of marseille… posted by julesinfrance apr 26 2007 show all 20 readers' tips send us a tip book a trip flights and hotels | guardian holiday offers license/buy our content | privacy policy | terms & conditions | advertising guide | accessibility | a-z index | about guardian unlimited | join our dating site today guardian unlimited © guardian news and media limited 2007 go to: guardian unlimited home uk news world news comment is free blog newsblog sport blog arts & entertainment blog podcasts in pictures ---------------------- archive search arts books business educationguardian.co.uk environment film football jobs life & style mediaguardian.co.uk money music the observer politics science shopping societyguardian.co.uk sport talk technology travel been there ---------------------- audio email services special reports the guardian the northerner the wrap ---------------------- advertising guide crossword events / offers feedback gameszone garden centre gnm press office graduate guardianfilms headline service help / contacts information living our values newsroom notes & queries reader offers readers' editor soulmates dating style guide syndication services travel offers tv listings weather web guides working for us ---------------------- guardian abroad guardian weekly money observer public learn guardian back issues observer back issues guardian professional

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