Day 3

Thursday began with a ham quiche from Hat’s patisserie before receiving a tour of the markets. Aix is famous for its markets, which are held every other day and flood the streets with fresh food, local crafts, flowers, clothing, vintage jewelry, and other miscellaneous items. There are also smaller-scale daily food markets. Many of these shops are passed down through generations. It is very difficult to get a shop opening as you have to get cleared by the city, and it is very competitive. The city also gives priority to local families to preserve the city’s culture. Sadly for me, I would have to wait a couple of years to be able to open a shop here. I purchased a fresh basket of strawberries and honey at the market, and both tasted phenomenal. After the tour, my group went straight to Marseille. We took the public bus, and it was a quick and beautiful 30-minute ride to the Marseille-St-Charles train/bus station. We were accompanied by Yumna Masarwa, Ph.D who gave us a lecture about the French-Muslim identity and the history of Muslims in France. She also served as our tour guide and guided us through the city. We walked through Canabiere Street as well as Rue Longue des Capucins. This street is named after the Capucins monks, who wear a white top on their head, which is where the coffe drink “Cappucino” comes from. We also stopped in Le Vieux Port, which is the old port in Marseille. This port is very rare, as it is not man-made, and is actually a natural peninsula. We saw lots of beautiful street art and went to a beautiful building, La Vieille Charité. We ended our tour at Cathedrale de la Major, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. After the tour, our group split up, and some of us went to Plague du Prophete, a beach along the French Riviera. We then took the bus back and went to bed.