It’s train trip time again. This one taking in some of the coastline of southern France and then parts of Italy. We start the trip with a Eurostar train from London to Paris and spend the weekend with Nic and Caitlin celebrating a significant milestone birthday for Nic. It seems such a long time ago that I met her as a 9 year old girl when I started dating her big sister. She’s still cheeky.

From Paris we head by train to the southern France port city of Marseille. Our accommodation is located by the marina and adjacent to the Musee making it convenient to walk around. The marina is fully populated with various floating palaces and a hive of activity.

Our walk on our first afternoon had us passing the striped church of Cathédrale La Major which stands out in the old dock area of the city. We revisited this church two days later, walking through it and finding a beautifully simple cathedral.

Day 2 in Marseille and we venture over to the other side of the marina and find some incredible views including the military fort, the beach of Plage des Catalans and onto Monument aux Morts on the headland. While not officially part of the area known as the French Riviera, the lifestyle is similar and the water is an incredible colour. We take the time to paddle in the cool water while watching a fire fighting aircraft practice loading and dropping water in the bay.

The history and architecture here is an amazing mix of French, Spanish and Italian. It all mixes together beautifully.

Wandering back towards the harbour we walk to the Palais du Pharo which provides a different aspect and view from its position at the mouth of the marina.

We take a well earned break for lunch then board the Les Petits Trains de Marseille to travel up the mountain to Notre-Dame de la Garde. If it was cooler we would have walked but it’s nudging 29 degrees plus humidity and the walk up is steep so the train it is.

It’s worth the money as the views over the whole of Marseille are fantastic. The church is undergoing restoration work which entails seeing my most annoying foe, the dreaded scaffolding. I’m accustomed to working pictures to minimise the impact but it does tend to spoil a good shot and in this case the golden statue of the Virgin Mary that sits atop of the tower is fully encased. Never mind, the views are still worth the trip.

Our final day in Marseille sees us visiting the Palais Longchamp in the morning. It’s a very ornate and functional structure that was built in the mid 1800s to service the fresh water needs of the city. Fountains, waterfalls and statues of bulls make it a dramatic location which also functions as a museum and function centre.

Our final afternoon sees us walking to the new dock area with its shopping complex giving Stacey a chance to look at the fashions that will arrive in Australia next season. From there it’s a short walk to Fort Saint-Jean which stands guard over the mouth of the marina. It is an interesting site with walkways leading off in many directions. Wandering around you get a glimpse of the sites we visited over the previous two days. It also has a rather unique shaded area which uses steel reinforcing rods, that are typically embedded in concrete, to create a very different look.

We had a great time in this coastal city. It was hot and humid which saw us needing to stay hydrated using the local beers and it has enough history and modern aspects to keep you entertained.

Next stop is Nice on the French Riviera which I’m sure will be as much fun.