Heaven on the Mediterranean

I have found a crazy, noisy, combustible and beautiful version of heaven on earth. I spotted the pearly gates from the train, where the man in the cafe car complimented my accent (an instant path to my heart). Within 2 hours of my arrival, a local on a mo-ped careened to a halt in front of me to say, genuinely, "Ou vas-tu? Je t'emmène." ("Where are you going? I'll take you."). I politely declined . But it was my two waiters last night, both named Philippe, who convinced me that this is a version of paradise, with its mix of Miami heat and midwest openness. Philippe #1 slipped me a note with his number, ...si j'avais besoin d'un guide, and though I turned this would-be guide down graciously, I left him something like an 80% tip for my drink. Philippe #2 not only m'a offerte un p'tit kir (French-restaurant-speak for giving it to me for free), but loaded me up a zillion calissons (marzipan candies) on my way out the door. He seemed truly disappointed that I will be heading up to Alsace-Lorraine soon, telling me "Mais, vous allez geler!" ("But you are going to freeze!").

Aside from the lovely Marseillais, my hostel is also heaven-like, and not only because of its seemingly bottomless coffee-pot. After taking advantage of this feature this morning, I set out for a walk through the open-air market on the other side of town. After enjoying myself tremendously, and having purchased a few small things, I decided to walk up the enormous hill that I saw to my right, assuming that I'd find the Marseille's famous basilica, Notre Dame de la Garde, at the top. I did: in the form of a gorgeous view. Determined, I kept walking, and finally reached this stunning church, as different from Matisse's Rosary Chapel as can be. The mosaics on the domed ceilings, the framed pictures on the walls, and the 6 mobiles of ships hanging down above my head, not to mention the shining golden statue of virgin and child at the very top, captured my attention for a long time.

I spent the afternoon continuing to wander, and booking the rest of my solo-trip: on Sunday, I'm off to Lyon, and will spend Tuesday night in Dijon before meeting up with J in Paris on Wednesday! But, for now, I'm content to soak up this version of what I've realized is actually the Mediterranean life.