400

Fat cat, completely disinterested in fat pigeons : Marsaille, FR

This is my 400th post on The F-Stops Here... Sorry the photo is not more auspicious for the occasion. This is a picture I took of a cat down in Marseille, lounging in the sun and completely ignoring the flock of pigeons in his midst. He could have had his pick, but he never budged.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/11

Marseillais

Elle est froid. Il ne se soucie pas; il l'aime : Marseille, FR

Marseille proved to be a nice place to people watch. Even with the cold temperatures and winds last weekend, the Marseillais were out enjoying the sunshine.

Arretez! : Marseille, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/11

Vieux Port

Masts : Vieux Port : Marseille, FR

We stayed in a hotel on the corner of the Vieux Port. On our walk to Restaurant Michel for the bouillabaisse, I snapped a few photos of the boats docked in the harbor.

Namesake : Seen in the Vieux Port : Marseille, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/11

Bouillabaisse

The presentation of the fresh fish that went into our bouillabaisse :
Restaurant Michel : Marseille, FR

The entire point of the weekend in Marseille was to celebrate the birthday of Mr Martin Olson, the son of expat friends Sue Hill and Les Olson. Sue and Les kindly invited us to join them and friend Faith McLellan in what has become an annual ritual for Martin's birthday: bouillabaisse in Marseille. It's only a three hour train ride from Geneva on the TGV (bullet train), so we all made a weekend of it. If you live in or visit France, there are some dishes you just have to try and bouillabaisse is one of them. Otherwise known as fish soup, bouillabaisse acquires its best character and flavors from the local fish stock. This hearty soup is served with croutons and aioli and potatoes boiled in saffron. We ate at Restaurant Michel, which, according to Les, is the place for bouillabaisse in Marseille. This being my first time eating this cuisine, I don't about that; but I know this: it was mighty fine eats.

Plating the potatoes and fish that will accompany the bouillabaisse soup :
Restaurant Michel : Marseille, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/11

Chateau d'If

Chateau d'If on the Il d'If, site of Alexander Dumas' famous novel, The Count of Monte Cristo :
Marseille, FR

You may have noted in one of yesterday's pictures, a tiny island with a fortress in the far distance. Lying just outside the harbor of Marseille is the infamous Il d'If, home of the equally infamous Chateau d'If. The island, its fortress castle, and its most notable (non)prisoner were made famous by French author Alexander Dumas in a little book called The Count of Monte Cristo. Edmund Dantes was the fictional prisoner and Dumas crafts a story about how this man, doomed to imprisonment for a crime he didn't commit, escapes and wrecks vengeance on his enemies. While it was bright and sunny in Marseille the day we were there, it was also bitterly cold and windy. I can well imagine imprisonment on such a rock would be quite unpleasant!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/11

Notre-Dame de la Garde

Notre-Dame de la Garde : Marseille, FR

Mosaics and Neo-Byzantine architecture underscore this minor basilica : Marseille, FR

Towering above the city of Marseille is the Basilica of Our Lady of the Guard, or Notre-Dame de la Garde. Built in the Neo-Byzantine style, the basilica sits on Marseille's highest point at 532 ft (162 m) above sea level. The first chapel was built on the site in 1214 and the current structure was consecrated in 1864. The upper chapel is comprised largely of mosaics. The building is topped by a bell tower and capped by a 27 foot tall (11 m) statue of the Madonna and Child. These are just a few pictures from this minor basilica. To see more photos, visit my web album.

Passion of the Christ with the Il d'If in the background : Marseille, FR

The church pays homage to Marseille's seafaring industries :
Marseille, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/11

Braille

On our walk up to Notre-Dame de la Garde, we stumbled on a bust of Louis Braille. Braille was born in a village north of Paris and is credited as the inventor of the six-dot system that allows blind people to read. Braille died of tuberculosis in Paris in 1852. One hundred years later, he was re-interred in the Pantheon. I don't know why there's a bust to Braille in Marseille, but it was a fun find!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/11

100 Strangers: Greg

Gregator : Marseille, FR

On Saturday, we spent the day up at the Basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde. Coming home that evening, we popped into a pet shop to buy a treat for friend Faith's soon-to-arrive puppy, Poppy. We had our cameras out and this young man Greg singled us out as photographers and asked if we'd like to take his picture. He was a sweet guy and I was happy to snap a photo.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/11

Marseille Confidential

Marseille Confidential : Marseille, FR

As mentioned yesterday, this past weekend featured a trip to France's second-largest city, Marseille. Located on the Côte d'Azur, this city and its surrounding metropolitan area is also France's oldest city. Marseille was founded in 600 B.C. by the Greeks as a trading port.

Jesus as Graffiti : Marseille, FR

Just a few photos from our first evening in town. Nothing too exciting or iconic in today's pictures. We arrived late in the afternoon and spent the early evening exploring the neighborhood around our hotel and eating meat-laden couscous at a fabulous Tunisian restaurant--La Kahena--near the waterfront.

Couscous at La Kahena, Marseille's most respected Tunisian restaurant : 

Buried under all of that meat are vegetables and couscous. The broth and soup in the bowls 

above were well-seasoned and added an additional layer of flavor to the entire mix. Yummy! : 

2 Rue République, Marseille, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/11

2TC: Carve/Curve

Carve: Intricate lace detail on a marble statue : 

Notre-Dame de la Garde : Marseille, FR

This week's 2 Things Challenge is Carve/Curve. The weekend featured a trip down to Marseille, France, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and home to the culinary delight known as bouillabaisse. These photos were taken inside the Basilica of Our Lady of the Guard (Notre-Dame de la Garde). The first is a detail shot of a marble carving of lace on the liturgical robes of a priest. The second shot is inside the basilica's main sanctuary and highlight the many curves in this Neo-Byzantine church.

Next week's 2 Things Challenge is Flimsy/Solid. 

Curve: Neo-Byzantine architecture :
Notre-Dame de la Garde : Marseille, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/11