scroll to the bottom for language guide + tips for your trip!
click here to watch my marseille travel vlog ♡
language guide to Marseille, France
tips for Marseille :
bonjour - hello / good morning
bonsoir - hello / good night
ça va? - how are you?
merci - thank you
combien pour ceci? - how much is this?
parlez-vous anglais? - do you speak English?
où est les toilettes? - where is the bathroom?
je parle pas français - i don't speak french
- Commit to experiencing Marseille as a local (walk! relax! drink the wine!)
- Try to speak the language (see language guide for common phrases)
- If you see a restaurant open around a food time, stop + eat!
- Be cautious at nightclubs, there is a heavy human trafficking population on
the lookout for travelers.
- Lock the door of your hotel room or Airbnb while inside, we had someone see
me from the street and come up to try and get into our room
- Book tours! They’re relatively inexpensive and will be very beautiful and
educational
- Eat at the food trucks at the Notre Dame de la Garde
- Boat, beach, walk, eat, sleep, repeat
As we head to the airport onto the next adventure I am soaking in everything left to see from the uber window in Marseille. Talk to you at the next stop, my nomads <3
The cutest bookstore, I think it was called La Librairie Saint Paul, has the SWEETEST old ladies working there. It’s a great bookstore with everything from children’s literature, historical novels, to self-help. The best part of this bookstore is that the ladies working here do not speak any English, so it was a perfect time to practice my French! They told me they loved my accent and that I spoke French very well and I wouldn’t be surprised if that marks the highpoint of my life.
Notre Dame de la Garde is the highpoint of Marseille... literally. We were lucky to have gone during a time where there were food trucks serving fried snack and drinks outside the church. We ate fried veggies with aioli and had some water while we took in the view. I think the best thing about this trip was the uninterrupted time with my husband. Being in Marseille with him, sitting at the top of the hill feeling amazing from all the walking and exercise. It was blissful. Maybe I’m being overly romantic, but I don’t care. I feel like this is the city in which people go to find love.
With that being said, the hours for food are the most confusing of any country. Probably the most shocking thing about Marseille is the restaurant culture. Every single time we were hungry whether it was 8am, 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 5pm, 7pm, 10pm… every restaurant was closed. It was almost comical how difficult it was to eat here. One time I was hungry, but I didn’t want to leave so I sent A down the street to pick me up some food and bring it back. When he got there the menu was entirely different than the one I saw online, so he took a photo of the menu and walked back to me. By the time he walked two blocks back to me, I decided what to eat (5 minutes), and walked two blocks back… the restaurant had closed and everyone had gone home. We laughed so hard even through my hangry frustration and ended up grabbing fruit and chocolate from the market instead.
I love everything about this city. The smell of fish by the port, lavender in the air, bread in the morning. The language, the weather, the fact it graciously lacks bugs. It is absolutely beautiful and I cannot remember ever having been this content.
After sitting outside for hours and walking to the bakery for pain au chocolat we got dressed and ventured to la Vieux Port and bought tickets to Chateaux d’If. The Chateaux d’If is the state for Alexander Dumas famous novel “the Count of Monte Cristo.” For all my fellow literature junkies – definitely a must-see. Having some time before departure, we walked around and shopped. I bought a spoon, a mug, and some post cards. Went to La Maison de Pastis to try the Marseille delicacy of Pastis - something the French created after the ban on absinthe. When drinking Pastis the server will bring you the Pastis in a tall glass on ice and a large bottle of tap water. The secret no one told us – you pour the water into the glass and continue to refill your glass with water every few sips until the drink loses flavor. A totally different (culinary? What’s the word?) experience. We just drank straight Pastis which was disgusting by itself and made your tongue feel like it was going numb.
I could sit on this terrace for hours and never tire of the sounds and beauty of Marseille.
I woke up this morning, made espresso, and sat on the balcony listening to the sounds of the city and breathing the smell of fresh bread from la boulangerie across la rue. Last night we got in pretty late and got food from the Tunisian store below our airbnb. It was absolutely delicious and I will be attempting to recreate it when we get home. We sat on the balcony last night drinking “la Vieux Port” white wine and eating dinner dreaming together. Everything is more romantic in France.
french, beautiful, romantic,
JUNE 2022
Marseille, France
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