Day 5. Three in one

What can go wrong with an early start, a train pass in hand and a day to explore the south of France where the sun shines 300 days a year and does not set until 10pm. 

First stop, of the morning is France’s second largest city, Marseilles. Inspired with literary images from the Count of Monte Cristo and anxious about its Naples-like reputation for crime and sleaze Marseille is actually a delight. After a quick familiarisation with the metro we arrive at the picturesque Marseilles harbour, Vieux Port. The small harbour is all but choked with over 3000 pleasure boats and yachts. The city literally rises on three sides giving the harbour the feel of a natural amphitheatre or football stadium. The restoration of an ancient fortification has been enhanced with wonderful new harbour side public buildings promoting the arts and theatre.

Our second stop is Toulon, home to the French Navy’s second largest fleet base. With the aid of a harbour cruise with commentary in French (which doesn’t help us much) we view this huge Naval base from the harbour. We pass about a dozen or so very technologically advanced looking frigates, six destroyers, three supply ships, five landing vessels, including two huge LHDs, and a host of support ships and tugs, not to mention a nuclear submarine and the nuclear aircraft carrier, Charles De Gaulle. Toulon’s reputation as a seedy Naval town seems a little unfair. The city is both quaint and quite grand. From the harbour, the city with its backdrop of rocky cliffs is another Mediterranean gem.

Our third stop is probably over ambitious. We had thought we could make a quick trip to the picturesque town of Arles about 45 minutes from Marseilles. Unfortunately the 45 minutes turned into 90 minutes on a very slow train and we found that we had little time in the town before we had to turn around and catch the train back to Marseilles. We did manage to glimpse the beautiful river, the ancient Roman amphitheatre and the lovely fields of wheat lined with poplar trees that were the inspiration for many of Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings. This in itself made the trip worthwhile.

Suffice to say, as we return to our hotel in Aix en Provence just before midnight, we may have tried to do a bit too much today!