Maggie's Farm

A few years back my wife and I spent two months in Marseille. We had an apartment down at the Vieux Port, which had a spectacular view of the boat harbor and was within spitting distance of Le Panier, the old town. It was perhaps the most enjoyable vacation we've ever had in Europe. The people were gracious and friendly, the food in the restaurants lining the backstreet just off the harbor is out of this world, and the sights in the old town and in the small fishing enclaves along the Corniche road are a photographer's dream come true. If I could afford to buy one of the penthouse apartments having a view of the boat harbor or of the small islands just offshore, I'd not hesitate for a second. But walk two or three blocks east or north towards the railroad station from there and you're asking for trouble. That's Muslimtown. It's off limits after dark for cautious Westerners. Even during the day, if you are a Western woman who's walking alone in the side streets off the main thoroughfare, Le Canebiere, you're likely to get poked or otherwise accosted by Muslim women who think you should be covered up, as happened to my wife one day.

For some tourist advice, I'd say above all, when walking on the sidewalks in Marseille, be aware of le doo doo: people there never clean up after their dogs. Walking through the mess on the sidewalks of Marseille is not exactly tiptoeing through the tulips, but you get the picture.