Au Revoir France!

*For Yesterday*

So today was our last day in France! That also meant that it was our last day with Amanda :( 

After waking up a little later than we had wanted (someone...aka, me...decided that instead of getting up when the alarm went off, they would reach over, grab it, turn it off, and curl up with it), Amanda went and explained that we'd be out of the room just a bit later than the check out time! Luckily the guy was understanding and we really did only get out like 5 min after we had wanted! Our next stop involved brunch at a small cafe called 'Paul' and then once we were done there, we got back into the car for the last time! 

We headed out towards the city of Marseille and the airport there where we had to turn in our Francesca once and for all! 

Bye Francesca!!

I even got to drive her a bit when Amanda was inside at the counter and some jerk behind me was getting his pants all in a twist because he couldn't pull around us. It was very amusing to watch him turn various shades of purple as I did my best to figure out how to first turn on the car and then move it forward! Anyways, after everything with the car was taken care of, we all headed over to where there were shuttle buses to various train stations. This is where we and Amanda said some tearful goodbyes and then parted ways - she heading off to her amazing apartment in Paris, and us to our hostel in the city center of Marseille!

The bus ride was pretty uneventful and when we arrived we were both very happy to find that our hostel was even closer to the station than we had thought! However, as is our theme, we took much longer actually getting there because we got a bit turned around on some of the tiny city streets. Also, with the cold I picked up in Provence and Tibby's still-burned back, it took twice as much effort to navigate with all our heavy gear. Eventually we did make it, and knowing that we wouldn't be able to check in until 4, we just waited on the step until the lady arrived to let us in. Gotta say that it was nice to rest our weary bones....we're such old women. haha! It was interesting too, just waiting and watching people walk by. We even had a pleasant little conversation with the owner of a men's barbershop across the street. Yet even though he spoke French, he and all his customers were of distinct Arab ethnicity and after the third man in Muslim dress walked by and we began to notice all the French signs on our street were underscored with Kufic script, we began to realize we were in a very Arab part of town. It was quite an experience after being surrounded by so many Europeans! 

However, the woman who let us in was American through and through - from New York - and she was super welcoming and informative. She even suggested a route we could take around the port of Marseille where we could snap some good photos, grab a bite to eat at 'the best pizza place', and then watch the sunset over the water! So, after unloading our bags (in our super-cute and very chic, modern room!) and then taking a quick nap, we then headed out to follow her trail. We were so glad we did too! Because we were still pretty tired, we took it slow, but were able to see some of the monuments in the distance - like the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde and the island prison known as Chateau d'If (the setting of the Count of Monte Cristo!!). 

...this was a really cool war memorial right on the coast!

...the Basilica

...Chateau d'If!!

I also even tried out my French skills at a pharmacy we passed where I explained my cold symptoms to the lady behind the counter. She responded in English, but she obviously understood my initial feeble attempts and immediately rang up some medicated cough drops and decongestant! Success!

As our continued steps took us closer to the pizza place, we noticed how busy it was outside. Then our suspicions were confirmed as we walked in and asked for a table, but were told by the busy but seriously gorgeous server that 'it is impossible'. Awesome. By this point, the sun was beginning to dip into the horizon so we decided to go ahead and hike up a little hill to catch a glimpse. It really was stunning. The wind that was blowing was chilly and kind of crazy, but it created some really cool clouds in the sky that caught the pinks, oranges, and purples, just right! And against that blue water....AH! So beautiful!!

We also walked back around to the spots we'd seen in the daylight and were amazed at how beautifully transformed they too became in the setting sun!

But our tummies were still grumbling so when we'd had our fill of the sunset, we headed back down into the city center to find some food. Unfortunately, it seemed everything was either full, too expensive, or simply not appetizing. Then, when we headed back to our own mini Middle-East, we were trouble finding anything but kebabs and other dishes we couldn't pronounce. Then finally we saw a sign for pizza and ran for it - but alas, all their pizza was out! So in the end we just ordered a couple of paninis and called it good. And actually they were quite tasty! Fresh bread, roasted chicken, tomato, and melty mozzarella were just what our tastebuds needed! Hopefully we can get more sleep tonight too - another much-needed item - and wake up refreshed and ready to tackle the bus for tomorrow morning!!

Barcelona, here we come!!