From Marseille with love.

Above - Cours Belsunce vers la Porte D'Aix.

Above - La Canebiere.

Above - Cours Belsunce vers Castellane.

Above - La Canabiere.

On Tuesday morning I posted my postcards and met Angéline for a chocolat chaud. I had a traditional french breakfast at the hostel - croissant, pain au chocolat and jus d'orange with a thé - orange and lemon - it was the best of a bad bunch let's say! I passed on the café. I took the bus to the airport at around midday and checked in. The flight was delayed a couple hours due to the weather - yes, it was still raining! And when we got to Gatwick we couldn't land because of the fog. When we finally did land we had to walk an age to passport control. I don't know where they landed us but it was a jolly long way away from anywhere! When I finally reached passport control I sailed through quite quickly and caught a train. It wasn't raining but it was cold. Well, I suppose you can't have everything!

And there was my trip to Marseille over. No sooner had it had started it was finishing. It was strange being back. The city has not really changed. Ok, so there are a couple of new shops and the odd highrise block of offices that seem to have appeared but generally it's pretty much as it was this time last year - there's le marché de Noel and all the Christmas lights. Walking down the street it felt like I'd never been away. But it's hard to put into words. Although nothing had really changed, at the same time everything had changed. It was all the same but different. I had an excellent time though, despite the awful weather. And I hope to go back soon, maybe sous le soleil de Marseille plutot que sous la pluie...?

L'auberge de jeunesse

Above - the room where I stayed in the hostel, door to the left - bathroom, door to the right - toilet.

Above - the hostel from outside - see the red and yellow 'Vertigo' sign?

Above - downstairs in the hostel.

Above - downstairs in the hostel.

Above - the room in the hostel, well, half of it anyway.

I've stayed in a fair few hostels on my travels around. This one rates pretty high in my hostel hierarchy. Breakfast wasn't included but the rooms were comfortable and there were only four of us sharing a toilet and shower. It was also well located - right next to the main train station which, ok, I know is quite possibly the worst area of Marseille, but I knew where I was going so it didn't bother me. It was clean, the staff were friendly and it was reasonably priced. See for youself.

Il pleut des cordes!

Above - The only glimpse of the sun I got throughout my time in Marseille.

Above - The changing landscape of Marseille as seen from Notre Dame.

Above - La Belle Mere, still 'belle' even in the rain.

Above - The everchanging landscape of Marseille - a new addition around la Joliette as seen from Notre Dame peeping through the mist.

Above - Towards les Isles de Friol and le Chateau d'If on a mirky Marseille day.

On Monday morning it was, guess what - raining! Grr. I was wanting to do touristy sightseeing things but at the same time I really didn't want to get wet. I bought some postcards and when in the newsagents to look at the magazines before taking the number 60 bus up to Notre Dame de la Garde. It's the first time I've ever been up there in the rain. The view was still impressive despite the mist and rain but it was cold. I didn't stay up there long. I went to meet Angéline at Noailles métro and we took the red line to Castellane where we caught the number 19 bus to go the the beach. Yes! In the rain! We ate at le Patacrepe where they have altered their menu. I had a tagiatelle but instead of being made from pasta it was made from crepes. And then for desert I tried one of the new to the menu pancake deserts with creme anglaise and apple. It was all delicious. When we left it was, surprisingly, still raining. We did a spot more shopping - we went to Mary-Jane - the jewellery shop behind the library. When we parted I was going to have a wonder around le Panier but it was beginning to get dark so I went back to the hostel. Later on in the evening I went out to get something to eat with someone from my room in the hostel and then I went to meet up with Alicia who I knew from last year.

Sous la pluie de Marseille

Above - un chocolat chaud caramel.

During the night there was a storm. The thunder so loud it woke me up. When I got up on Sunday morning it was raining. Torrentially. Typical. Angéline and I had arranged to meet at 11h devant la pharmacie to do a spot of shopping before going to Chez Noel for lunch. Due to the rain we rearranged and decided to meet outside Chez Noel at 12h30. I stayed in in the morning talking to the other people I was sharing a room with in the hosel. I hoped the rain might ease. It didn't. I left just before half twelve and lazily took the metro one stop from Saint Charles to Réformés which is right by Chez Noel. The rain was incessant and it was windy too. In all my time in Marseille I had not see such heavy rain that continued over such a period of time. The streets couldn't cope. There isn't sufficient drainage. The streets became rivers and everyone was paddling whilst battling the wind with their umbrellas. It made me want to stay inside but at the same time I wanted to make the most of my short stay in Marseille. We ate lunch - I had the raviollis à la brousse and Angéline had un pizza royale. It was, as Café Simon had been, as delicious as I'd remembered. But we didn't want to leave! We didn't want to go out into the rain! But we had to. Angléline had to go and give a private lesson and I went to Monoprix and down Rue Saint Fé. We met again at 15h05 in Galeries Lafeyette on Rue Saint Fé. We did a spot more shopping and went down to La Folle Epoque where I tried a chocolat chaud with caramel and Angéline a chocolate chaud blanc. Towards 17h30 we made our way back. I went to the cinema - Variétés on la Canebiere. I saw 'Read after Burning' which I really really enjoyed. Although I don't know whether it had just been released in France or whether the persistantly heavy rain had driven everyone to go out to the cinema but the queue was gigantic - I'd never seen anything like it at Variétés before. When I came out of the cinema the heavy rain had been reduced to a light drizzle. The streets were littered with broken umbrellas which people had clearly discarded after they had broken in the wind. By the time I got home I was tired and somewhat soggy. Thank goodness for the radiators to dry my trousers and shoes for the next day!

De retour à Marseille

Above - the bruschetta, just as I remember it.

It's been pretty near to exactly 6 months since I left Marseille. The 15th June. I remember it well. The day seems etched in my mind if not because of the sadness then the heaviness of the luggage! Last Saturday I went back, minus the sadness and with considerably less luggage. I didn't go to bed particularly early on the Friday evening. I went out for chinese in Hove. When my alarm clock sounded and I came to I could hear wind and rain. I had originally been going to walk upto the train station and catch a train to Gatwick, but then I'd been offered a lift which involved walking up to Churchill Square (about half as far as the station) and catching a number 7 bus to get my lift to Gatwick. The rain put an end to both of these plans. The station may only be a few minutes walk but I knew I'd spend the rest of the day feeling damp and soggy if I walked it so I called for a taxi! It was the best £3,60 ever spent! I arrived at Brighton station and caught the 8h50-something train to Gatwick. I arrived at the airport 100% dry having only had to step outside to cross the pavement from my front door to the taxi. Now that's what I call service! Once at Gatwick I checked in and made my way to the departure area. Although the flight was never displayed as 'delayed' we were late in taking off. And, as I was flying in style with no expenses spared Easyjet it was one of those flights where, instead of giving you a seat number, it's a free for all. Now, this doesn't particularly bother me. I figured that if they've sold 100 tickets there are going to be 100 seats, I mean, no one's going to have to stand! So why do people insist on pushing and trying to get to the front of the queue?! It just makes for a stressful start to your holiday! I was quite content to be the last but one person to board the aircraft and have to go and find that last remaining seat. But I'll never understand these people who, after pushing to be first on, not only choose to sit themselves in an aisle seat blocking the other two seats in the row, but also put their seatbelt on and then look daggers at you when you ask them to move so you can sit down! The human population really are something else! When I arrived in Marseille I was pleased to be greeted with warmer temperatures, although only slightly warmer, and to see that it wasn't raining. I caught the navette to Saint Charles and very quickly found the youth hostal which was located just opposite the main train station. I dropped off my case and left to meet Angéline devant la pharmacie à 16h30. We descended la Rue de la République and visited le Centre Bourse when it started to rain. Nothing heavy, just a bit of drizzle. I noticed that there's a new supermarket which has appeared on Rue Colbert and there are also a couple of new shops that have popped up along la Rue de la République. We stopped in Chez Paul and I had an orange juice and then, towards 19h30 we went for dinner at Café Simon. I was just as I remembered it - delicious. I had the quatre fromaggi bruschetta which, having not had it for 6 months or more, was doubly delicious. After dinner we went home, or should I say that I went back to the youth hostal, showered and went to bed.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree...

After a 5 hour stint in the library to finish my french essay I make my way to the bus stop. The ground is white with frost and the huge Christmas tree is Library Square on campus is shining brightly. You can tell how big it is by how small the person walking next to it looks.

So that's it, term is over. And now it's time for a hard earnt holiday in good old Marseille.

Catching up and (theoretically) winding down

I'm nearing the end of week 10. My final autumn term. We're well into December but the Christmas festivity is yet to touch me despite living with a group of people who are, quite possibly, the most enthusiastic people on the planet when it comes to Christmas. I've been listening to Christmas carols morning, noon and night from mid-November! But still I fail to feel Christmassy. I've written my cards and wrapped my presents. I've walked the decorated streets of Brighton and witnessed the turning on of the Christmas tree lights on campus. Maybe, after receiving my first Christmas card I'll be able to get into the festive spirit...

So, term is approaching an end. You might therefore expect a winding down of things, but no. This is final year and the deadines are looming, the essays are pouring in and the reading just keep stacking up. I may be counting down the housemates (everyone is going home, there's now only 3 of us left) but I'm not being so successful in counting down the number of tasks I still have left to do. I have a deadline tomorrow for the world's trickiest translation which, after hours of hard slog, is complete and ready to hand in, and, even though I say so myself, pretty good. I also have a deadline for an essay on Friday. And then it's the end of term. but does the work stop? Oh no. I have a 3000 word essay to research and write over Christmas. I still haven't chosen my title. They're all horrid. What ever I choose is going to result in a lot of reading and hard work. I'll have Gide's 'L'immoraliste' or Calvino's 'If on a winter night a traveller' going through my head as I'm tucking into Christmas turkey... or at least I would if I weren't vegetarian! I also have my french oral to consider, my research project reading to do and then just the odd book or 4 to read! Sorry, did someone mention a holiday? I thought I was just going 10 degrees colder north to give myself a change of scenary as I'm putting pen to paper!

I am however hopping over to Marseille on Saturday. I remember being there this time last year, walking the length of La Canebiere, browsing around les marchés du Noel and thinking 'I won't be here this time next year to see this'. Well I will be! Marseille, brace yourself. I'm coming back. For all of 4 days. I'm excited. I'm wondering how the regeneration, that I so painstakingly wrote my 8000 word year abroad dissertation on, is progressing. I wonder whether le Passage de Lorette is still rat heaven and whether any more new shops have opened along la Rue de la Republique. I wonder whether there are new dishes on the menus of my favourtie restaurants, whether the coffee, croissants and bread still taste as delicious and whether it will feel odd being there 'on holiday' rather then having my appartment and living there. Either way - *excitement*.

But that's Saturday and we're only Wednesday. I was supposed to have my interview with Lorica St Patricks today. They're a charity who work with homeless people in Brighton and Hove. I applied to do a couple of hours voluntary work with them back in the summer as I want to be able to compare the homeless situation in France and the UK and what is done to help this section of the population. I thought they would never get back to me but they finally did a couple of weeks ago. I was just putting my coat on this morning to go to the interview when they called to say the person interviewing me had been called away on a 'rare but not unusual' emergency and so the interview was having to be postponed - *disappointment*. They hope to reschedule for later in the week. Tomorrow I'm going onto campus to help Sukina with her research project and to also write my essay. I have 3 short stories to read for a seminar on Friday and then, then I can pack for a brief trip to a (hopefully) warmer climate. Well, it can't be any colder, surely?!

Now, what else did I have to say...? Oh yes. I've found a job. An actual job. You know, a paid one. I was made a provisional offer (provisional on student numbers) and it should (hopefully) be being confirmed this week. I would start in January. It's as an EFL teacher in a private language school in Brighton. They're hopefully going to be giving me an upper intermediate evening class with between 6 and 9 hours of work each week. Perfect. I'm looking forward to it. My faith in private language schools and EFL teaching is in desperate need of being restored following my brief summer encounter with a certain establishement... I need say no more.

So that's all. You're now fully up to date with all goings on in this part of the world. Oh and I had to queue for 23 minutes in the post office today to post my Christmas parcels so if you get a parcel from me consider yourself honoured - I was cursing you! There is, incomprehensibly, only one post office in central Brighton - the one in Ship Street's closed. As I was waiting in the basement of WH Smiths with half the population of Brighton I noticed a poster. A Post Office poster telling it's customers how 'We can't promise a white Christmas but we can promise next day delivery'. After that someone had written in ball point pen - 'and a bloody long que'. I'm presuming they meant 'queue' but still, it is the only word in the English Language that you can take all the letters away from, just leaving the first one, and still be left with the same word - 'q'! I clearly wasn't the only one frustrated with having to q, que or even queue for so long to post my Christmas parcels!

You can't be serious!

I did my voluntary work, as usual, on Monday morning. I was, as usual, unable to get through the front door because of all the donations that had been dumped there. When I went in it was, as usual, cold and, as usual, I had my Monday morning chores to do. But it soon emerged that this was to be no 'as usual' monday morning, or maybe it was...

Firstly there was an unexpected visitor who noramlly comes on Friday. Then there was the customer who will be retiring to Ludlow in 7 years time. Then there was the donation of dirty nappies and underwear. Followed swiftly by the two ladies who, not seeming to care that I was eating my lunch, asked

'Do you have a tape measure?'
'Yes, behind the counter.' I answered, thinking they'd go and ask the person on the till. But oh no, even though I was munching my lunch they asked me to go and get it for them. So out I went into the shop, which my lunch, and got them the tape measure.
'We don't know how much 128cm is.'
'About 4 foot.'
'Could you measure the drop for us?'
But I'm eating my lunch!!! I had to put my lunch down and measure the damn curtains!! And they never even said thank you!

And then there was the man prepared to argue over a penny...

We have a half price sale on at the moment to try and shift some stock. There were some coasters. 6 for £1,49.
'How much are these?' He asked me.
'Umm, £1,49 but everything's half price so 75p' I told him.
'But 75 and 75 makes £1,50. That's not half price, I'll give you 74p for them'.

I thought he was joking but oh no, he was being deadly serious and, seeing as technically we were advertising a 'half price' sale I had to let him have the coasters for 74p!! Can you believe it?! That in a charity shop of all places someone could be so petty over a penny. I mean, I know there's a credit crunch on and all but come on - a penny!!

You'd think after so many years as a volunteer I'd come to expect such events, but people never cease to amaze me.