Bistro du Cours & Rowing Club in Marseille

Bistro du Cours is in an area with a tree lined pedestrian street, a welcome respite of calm from the busy urban environment nearby. It had glowing reviews, a warm welcoming server, and a very comfortable setting. The other patrons were all regulars who knew the waiter by name, always a good sign in any restaurant.

With many options at lunch from 16 Euros to 32 Euros, I chose the mid range 20 Euro ($23 USD) three course meal, a true bargain for the skill and ingredients, like this starter of fried zucchini blossom.

 The merlan, or whiting, was cooked perfectly with a crisp skin and moist tender flesh.

The portions were so generous I opted for the café gourmand for dessert which came with tiny portions of their desserts of creme brulée and a berry cream crumble with a sesame crisp. Everything was done well and the ingredients were fresh and well sourced, so the complimentary reviews I read were well founded. It was very "correct" as the French say, meaning the service, atmosphere, and food were worth the price.

My local host told me his number one choice for a place to eat in Marseille was The Rowing Club, a local secret. On my first day I looked for the address but I couldn't find it, so after verifying the location with my host I finally found it on my last night :) This was the view from my table.

 As the sun set, the view changed, but was still beautiful.

I was so full from lunch, I ordered two appetizers, the first was supions, or baby squid, for 16 Euros or about $18 USD, perfectly grilled with garlic and served with a wedge of lemon, this was so tender and perfectly seasoned that I could have eaten two of these for my meal.

I was happy I had ordered two appetizers instead of a main course when the gambas, or prawns, with two fried raviolis stuffed with crab came (18 Euros or about $21 USD). These may have been the best gambas I have ever eaten, grilled to perfection with succulent tails and heads full of juices which I sopped up with the fried ravioli. The combination of the two appetizers was plenty for dinner, but I saw some tables who ate appetizers, a main course, and dessert! A small glass of Chablis was 6.50 Euros or $8 USD which is expensive for France, but many people came just to drink at the bar and enjoy the view, so think of the price as a location charge:)

This is the only sign indicating where the restaurant bar is from the main road. It's between the Sofitel hotel and the sailing school near the bus stop Saint Nicolas.

 As you walk or drive down the side road, you can see the restaurant on the roof of the building.

 There is a sign, but it's inside the building

which also holds the club's trophies and a gym.

  A great way to end the day and my stay in Marseille.

Mucem and Fort Jean

The Mucem and Fort St. Jean are both connected spaces which house a variety of exhibitions, as well as a garden and several places to eat. 

 The bridge allows you to walk from one to the other

 ending on the Mucem end at the outdoor cafe

 with views of the port

and reasonable tariffs for such a splendid location. I found it funny that Pastis was less expensive than a soda or a cappuccino, but it is a local drink whereas the others are not:)

 I got off in front of the church and walked across to the Mucem.

 On the fort side, there is a huge outdoor garden with sculptures,

 sitting areas, and a culinary school cafe open from lunchtime to 6pm.

 I barely fit in this tunnel

 which led out to this view,

 and this view.

 From the vantage point of the fort you could see the entire Vieux Port.

 In case you got lost, there was a model to show you how all the buildings connected.

View of the Vieux Port of Marseille

Marseille is only about three hours from Paris on the high speed TGV train, but it's a world away in attitude and atmosphere. Every region of France is different and even though I've traveled extensively throughout France, the character of this notorious port city lives up to its press, both the good and the bad. The locals are warm and helpful, offering smiles freely, but some areas are also rough and seedy, especially at night around the main port. Do not leave your phone on a table in a cafe, or sling your purse over a chair unless you don't mind getting them stolen.

Arriving at Saint Charles, the main train station, and connecting to the metro downstairs is easy, but be prepared for two flights of stairs or a wait for the tiny elevator. Buying a ticket at any of the machines is easy with cash or a chip and PIN card, but if you want an unlimited weekly pass (13.70 Euros or about $15 USD), you'll need a color photo, and a wait at the ONE window with a human, only open during limited hours. I gave up after waiting in line for an hour at the human ticket line and bought a rechargeable 2 trip card (3.10 Euros or about $3.50 USD) at a machine to just get me to my AirBnB accommodation before nightfall. I learned that I could buy a 3 day unlimited pass (10.80 Euros or about $12.50 USD) at the machines without a photo or a ticket agent, so I did that the next day and that worked out perfectly. 

When I told my host that I write this blog and wanted some suggestions for places to eat and visit, he gave me some excellent recommendations, and the first one on the list was a place hidden away that only locals knew about. It was so well hidden, I couldn't find it the first day (but I did eventually, so there will be a later post on it). I ended up walking to Le Pharo, which had a beautiful panoramic view of the port. 

The building on the left is Fort St Jean.

The boats range from small pleasure and fishing boats

to larger sail boats and yachts.

This sculpture at Le Pharo epitomizes the nature of life at sea,

while this sculpture shows the juxtaposition of modern and historical elements in the city.

You can see Notre Dame de la Garde looking over the port on one side

while the other side is guarded by Fort St. Jean and Mucem, the national Museum.

Yes that is a yacht parked next to the Mucem, and behind the Mucem, the Cathedral of Saint Mary Major.

I made it back to the Vieux Port center

just in time to see the sun descending.

A video of the port (sorry about the noise; it was windy) viewed from Le Pharo:)