Marseille

https://occ-0-2433-1001.1.nflxso.net/art/d1fd3/2d5b178e4366bd790c7611c7257b3c12756d1fd3.jpg

the city is good too

is there a second season out? the first was great!

there is. I bailed on the first season really quickly--I might have tried to watch it too soon after the similar CANNABIS? The acting seemed bad not good though, especially squinty guy who I was surprised to learn is a notable actor and not in like soap operas.

second season started on uk netflix a week or so ago

it is patchy -- i actually quite like that particular actor but some of the others are unmemorable, and the plot is well meaning but hokey -- however every time i lose patience with it, they do a helicopter shot of the entirely amazing city and i fall in love again

actually i'm not sure which squinty guy you mean, the one i like is this one:
https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/sites/regions_france3/files/styles/top_big/public/assets/images/2016/05/05/epalivetwo132757.jpg?itok=7ZKXvgfY

= benoît magimel

I really, really love Marseille. Maybe I will just start watching this to have it on in the background.

yeah Magimel is who I meant. I can see enjoying him/the show if I had maybe been more prepared for its campiness? I will probably pick it back up again at some point

maybe also important: I have never been to Marseille

The last recorded duel performed not with pistols but swords (épées) took place in France in 1967. The duel was between Gaston Deffere, Mayor of Marseille and Rene Ribière. pic.twitter.com/rCzWBfdAX2

— Marina Amaral (@marinamaral2) May 6, 2019

Very sad.

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Going next month I think.

If you can recommend a nice area to stay that would be nice

I am indeed, mid May. If anyone has tips that would be good

Absolutely my favourite city I ever stayed in -- like a huge bowl of energy puncutated by sharp spikes of volcanic* upthrust and then visible in the distance the surrounding hills with the banlieu highrises marchinp up or down depending on perspective. like lots of southern france every spike has buildings perched on top! my pal and friend of the pod dr vick lived here while she was writing her phd thesis and after tried to buy a house w/a flatmate, and they found somewhere amazing on some wild hill with catacombs spouting down out of the cellar, but when they tried to put their money down a very polite and friendly fellow from the mafia came to visit and tell them didn't want the house after all."yes we do!" they chirped! "no," he replied, "you do NOT." and after that they did not.

(vick and i stayed one night in Jerumbly Le Corb's actual real Unité D'Habitation: it was a super-hot season and it doesn't have good air conditioning bcz v old modernism, plus the takeout we brought back to the hotel got grease all over the century-old concrete window-shelf oops lol. we also stayed in a real timeslip place overlooking the sea, where our phones could get no signal and it felt like the other guests were out of graham greene and agatha christie; on the first landing there was a huge stuffed GOOSE covered in dust)

*might not be volcanic, subs plz check

Le Corbusier must condemn

i used to stay there all summer for a few years when i had whole summers to do that in. I recommend either staying around Bd Longchamp or Rue Endoume which are both very central areas that feel v low key and residential and are 'nice'.

Staying around Rue De Rome

Can't wait to have a encounter with the Marseille mafia

Favourite beaches?

And any bars, restaurants?

if you can get enough far out of town to the east (somewhere between marseilles and cassis) choose a coastal creek in the parc des calanques -- they're all basically rocky bays more than sand but they're gorgeous, and probably not that busy yet either

Cool have been reading about them, thanks.

Also looks like there are some good pizzas to be had

I was there last year (and probably going back soon) - will see if I can look out my list of food stuff

Cheers

FOOD
https://limmatmarseille.com
https://www.lamerceriemarseille.com
https://www.chezyassine.com
https://www.pizzeria-labonnemere.fr
https://chez-etienne.fr
https://www.libalapretamanger.com/menu

best food was chez yassine and la mercerie. la friche is super cool too (converted ex-tobacco factory come gig space, canteen, skate spot)

good day trips = calanques, toulon, aix. the inner city beach (plage des catalans) is great but gets crowded. you can find nice little spots to sunbathe and swim all along the city coast

Excellent

day trip to cassis worth a look too (lovely little beaches there and you can take a boat tour round les calanques)

plage du prado is ok too - very accessible by public transport but very exposed with minimal shade so be prepared to get gouged for a parasol

Thank you all for the recommends. Loved the cold water swims at the calanques after the bit of hiking in hot weather. Also saw my old yoga teacher who teaches there. Her studio is lovely.

https://limmatmarseille.com, was a great restaurant. She is an amazing cook.

Its an amazing place to walk around.

Just loved, loved the bakeries. We have it so much worse here. All the indie bakeries here now really suck.

Only negative was crossing the road. The motorists and motorbikes are a bit crazy idk.