About
Though the capital of Provence and France’s 2nd-largest city, Marseille proudly grooves to its own Mediterranean beat – a mash-up of big-city grit and small-town sociability punctuated by seagull squawks and scooter engines. Bookended by limestone fjords and garrigue hills, this working-class metropolis is profoundly shaped by its seaside location and its deep ties to the rest of the Mediterranean. The port has welcomed waves of goods, immigrants, and ideas since 600 B.C. Briny, boisterous, gritty and gorgeous, Marseille is a cultural crossroads in constant flux. The latest evolution was sparked in 2013, when the city reigned as Europe’s Capital of Culture. Now, France’s least-known city is finally on the map. Let us be your guide with this food tour in Marseille. In the spirit of Walter Benjamin, MFK Fisher and other writers seduced by Marseille, we’ll explore this city from within, wandering among its diverse faces, facades and flavors. We’ll set sail from the Gare St. Charles train station where we will explore Marseille’s migratory history followed by a quick coffee paired with baked goodness. Navigating between neighborhoods that stretch beyond the Vieux-Port, we’ll taste fish spreads by a Michelin-star chef. There will be Algerian bradj stuffed with dates in Noailles and Marseille’s signature boat-shaped biscuit, navettes. There will be several other stops in between – locally caught seafood, lemonade made by Tunisian Jewish immigrants, Armenian charcuterie, and much more – each peppered with history and encounters with locals to reveal what makes this 2600-year-old port city tick. To wrap up our day, we’ll settle into a local institution by the port and do like the Marseillais do with apèro, the traditional happy hour that is revered like a religion throughout the city.
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