In this video we share our shore excursion experience in the cruise port Marseille. We hired a private driver and visited the provincial town of Aix-en-Provence and then spent the afternoon exploring Marseille. There is a link to the excursion we took below.
Tour we took:
https://www.viator.com/tours/Marseille/Deluxe-Marseille-Tour-from-Cruise-Port-including-Aix-en-Provence/d485-311789P74?pid=P00071253&uid=U00221762&mcid=58086¤cy=USD
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[Music] In this video, we’re going to share information about our shore excursion from our cruise stop in Marseilles, France. We hired a private driver to take us around the area through Vitor. This turned out to be a really good move since the area immediately around the cruise port was pretty industrial and a little rundown. Not good for stepping off the cruise ship and simply exploring close by. [Music] We booked our tour through Vitor, which included a private driver and guide who picked us up from the cruiseport and took us on a tour of the area. We will include a link in the description of this video. Our driver was really helpful as we basically left it up to him as to where to go. We headed for the first part of the tour, Oan Provence. This is a quaint little town that was the birthplace of the impressionist painter Paul Seaison. It is a small provincial French town that was quiet, not too crowded, and very laid-back. We began our tour of Owan Provence by walking around an old neighborhood with lots of great shops and beautiful old architecture. One of the first things we noticed was a unique feature on some of the buildings. Our guide explained these were statues built into the corners of buildings called oratoritories herbanes. These were from times of the plague so people could pray outside and not congregate too close together. This hit home as we were only a couple years after co and could sympathize. We made our way to a beautiful church, the first of three we would see today. After spending a little time there, we continued walking around and had some free time shopping. A shop that stood out to me was the candy shop. There was a French gourmet candy called Calazone Dai made from a smooth paste of ground almonds, candied melon, and orange peel and other similar treats. They were delicious. The young lady working the shop sounded like she was American. We asked her where she learned English, to which she replied, “Watching Friends. Got to love American pop culture. Building bridges.” Another highlight for me was when we went through a beautiful outdoor market in a plaza ringed with cafes. It reminded me of a farmers market with fresh fruits, honey, olives, jams, and other similar goods. This area of France is known for producing lavender, and you could smell it in the air as there were stalls selling lavender soaps and other goods. They even have a store on one of the streets that sold all kinds of lavender products. We bought a fair amount of lavender items, which was a bonus as our entire family loves the smell. And let’s be honest, after 14 days of stuffing sweaty clothes into suitcases, it definitely improved the aroma in our room. After the market areas, we made our way back to one of the main streets and had lunch. After lunch, we set off to the city of Marseilles, and our first stop in this area was the old port. This is beautiful and still has a marina with small ships and yachts. We stopped for pictures and then drove through the city area on our way to the first of two churches. The first church was the Abbey of St. Victor and looked a little like a medieval castle. We stopped there specifically because it was a great example of a medieval church. It was a little dark on the inside because there were not many windows. One of the unique features of this church is that it had relics from multiple saints, something I’m still not used to seeing. It also had crypts you could see from a catwalk or walk down into to explore. You couldn’t help but wonder if you might find clues to the Holy Grail, Ala Indiana Jones. After the Abbey of St. Victor, we went to a huge church on the top of a large hill called Notradam de Lagard. On the way there, our guide pointed out an island in the bay with a fort he claimed was the inspiration for the chatif of the town of Monte Cristo fame. My wife is a huge fan. So needless to say, we were impressed. Notre Dame de Lagard was huge, beautiful and had incredible views of Marseilles and surrounding areas. The chapel is located on an upper level. The inside has a lot of art gilded in gold. It also has a maritime theme with model ships hanging from the ceiling, life rings, and pictures all around the main sanctuary. As impressive as the inside is, don’t miss the chance to take in the views from multiple outdoor patios. The best is the patio that goes around the church outside of the main sanctuary, which is on an elevated level. You can walk all the way around the church, taking in stunning views, no matter which side you are on. While there are elevators, I do remember walking a lot of stairs. Some were by choice, but be ready for some walking and walking up and down stairs. I really enjoyed the excursion. Our guide Jeremy was friendly, knowledgeable, and spoke very good English. He did a good job of mixing in history, fun facts about the cities, and I feel like he hit all the right highlights. I’m glad we got to see Owan Provence as it was so unique and quaint. Knowing what I know now, I would not have wanted to miss our time touring and seeing the churches we saw in Marseilles either. This was the right balance for us on our first visit to Marseilles. We put a link to the excursion in the description below and sincerely hope you not only get to experience it, but enjoy it as much as we did. Thanks for checking out this episode of 5minute review. We’ve inspired you to travel and you’re not already working with a travel professional. Consider giving our team of experts an opportunity to help you plan your next great adventure. We don’t charge for our planning services and our suppliers match their online pricing. If you’re enjoying our videos, give us a like below. Better yet, subscribe so you can stay up with all the latest content. Until we see you again, travel and be well.